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Lower back pain & surgery

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Posted 8/8/2012 7:58 PM (GMT 0)
I have had lower back pain, on off for several years but don,t get much leg pain sciatica except on rare occations. I have had a couple of MRI scans which show a slight herniated disc but not servere. I am managing to stay fairly active whilst on several different medicatons but get quite deppressed when the pain gets bad. If I have a disc problem, why am I being told that surgery is not an option as it will not do anything for my back pain. After several years of this and taking more and more pain killers, surely this is only a matter of time before somthing more need to be done. I have tries sreoid injectios which did not work. Sorry for all the question. Best Regards Dave
Posted 8/9/2012 1:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, I'm not a back surgeon, I wish I was, then I might understand why the surgery wouldn't help with the back pain. My doctor also told me that the surgery will do nothing for my back pain. But, here I sit, waiting for an L3-4 fusion on the 4th of next month. Mine started as a 4mm bulge, and thanks to work comp rules, and my boss's idea of "light duty", turned into a 9mm broad based bug splat all over my spinal cord with a stress fracture in the L3 vertebrate. To be honest, the pain isnt a whole lot worse than it was when it was a small "inoperable" bulge. They just never got my pain under control, and to top it off, I cant take any NSAIDs, so the area is always swollen, and even soma doesn't stop the spasms.

I'm sorry I dont have more to offer you, I'm sure you have tried for more opinions if it has gone on for years. All I can say is I know even when the doctor is blowing it off because he thinks it's small and "inoperable", it doesn't hurt any less. Well, for me, maybe a little less, but not much. And not enough to make it any less debilitating.

I would look for another opinion if you haven't done so, seems like they're coming up with new things every so often that makes minimally invasive surgery more and more beneficial, or at least thats what the adds on TV claim. I hope you dind some relief somehow. Good luck.
Posted 8/9/2012 2:37 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Dave and welcome to the forum. Sorry to read you are having such a rough time with your lower back situation. I think 2y gave some excellent info on surgery fixing pain. Surgery can fix the mechanical problems but never have surgery thinking it will take care of the pain, that would be a plus.

I am not sure what type of drs you have seen for this condition, but if this were me, I would get a consultation with a good reputable neurosurgeon. His expertise is dealing with the nerves which is a very delicate intricate part of back especially if there are nerves being pinched or compressed. The orthopedic deals with the boney structure. Even if you have seen a neuro, it never hurts to get another opinion.

Another option is consulting with a pain mgt doctor to see what he can offer to try and get your pain under better control. Keep us posted on how you are coming along. Take care....Susie
Posted 8/9/2012 2:44 AM (GMT 0)
Sometimes, back surgery will make matters worse, and with that in mind, some doctors will not reccomend it for certain patients. With all the complex nerve bundles that go through the spine, its difficult to isolate specifie nerve areas that are causing the pain. It's a tough situation to be in, and there is always a certain amount of risk with back surgeries, and certainly no guarantees.

Good luck to you, hope you are on the right mix of pain meds to alleviate the worse of your pain(s).

david in sc
Posted 8/9/2012 2:46 AM (GMT 0)
Dave I was aso told no surgery but then after failed injections and I was almost immobile with pain things changed and I am still healing from L5 fusion. I had surgery the end of march and have had a few other issues so the healing is slow.

Before the surgery I went through all the physio therapy recommended, injections, different pain meds. It took over 30 years of lower back pain to finally get someone to listen.

Keep complaining to doctors ask for referrals let your doctor know exactly how you feel. I have had the same doctor for 10 years and I think my constant complaining wore him down, lol.
Posted 8/9/2012 2:56 AM (GMT 0)
Rose, that was a heck of a long time to suffer that much pain, why did it take your dr 10 years to do something? Did he believe you, or did he think it was too risky?

david
Posted 8/9/2012 3:53 AM (GMT 0)
David I had injured my back in my twenties and my back never healed properly, If I turned too fast it would lay me out for a week or so but my dr then just kept giving me drugs and sending me away. I was a mother of 3 with a dead beat dad and in a very abusive relationship so getting stitches, etc, my doctor never referred me elsewhere so I did not have any idea of the damage.
Now in my fifties my back pain over the past ten years gradually got worse and worse so my dr now referred me and after almost a year on a waiting list I got into a spine clinic. I also found out I have fibromyalgia and am insulin dependant diabetic. My doctor kept hinting I was getting older and with age came aches and pains but I kept going back every couple weeks getting worse every time.
This entire journey is far from over I hope, I actually had a decent day today, I have almost stopped my bt meds and if this continues I am going to ask my doctor to reduce my strength of la pain med. i hope that helps to explain.
Posted 8/9/2012 4:28 AM (GMT 0)
Rose, that was quite a story, really feel for you. Glad that you are in a position to back off on some of the pain meds, that's a good sign that things may be getting better for you. Anytime you can say you had "a decent day", I view that as a plus. So far in my journey, its a question of degree of how painful a day ends up being. I have better days (normal amount of meds) and have one or two days a week, where the pain far exceeds the ability of the meds to handle, and those days, I simply have to back off from activities

Hope you have more decent days ahead, sounds like you more than suffered enough in your life.

david
Posted 8/9/2012 4:31 AM (GMT 0)
Wow Rose, I just cant fathom how you made it through that. You are a way stronger person than myself. I left my ex after one year, grannit that was a full year of being used as a dart board, and a target for dishes, cups, and a couple cabinet doors and steak knife the night I left, that one hurt. Only reason I stayed for that long was I didnt want my newborn son to be left alone with her. We ended up filing for divorce, and one afternoon she dropped him off and said she couldn't take care of him anymore, than proceeded to try to run me and my son over with my Jeep. She got arrested, I know she's out now, but I haven't seen her in over a year now. Plus the court gave me full custody and a 5 year restraining order, so I dont expect to see her now.

I just cant believe you went through 30 years of that. I hope your life is happier now, goodness it seems like you've been through so much.
Posted 8/9/2012 5:10 AM (GMT 0)
Yes I am with my hubby of over 10 years, not married but he understands we do not go to bed spitting angered because if he has done something wrong he has to sleep sometime, lol. He can be a verbal jerk but he has never raised a hand to me. He is not patient usually but with my healling he does not want more problems. We all do what we have to do to survive, I had a choice I made a bad decision and after he got done with me he showed my kids what he did to make them fear him he then beat my 6 year old son with steel toe boots onnand then came inside sexually attacked my young daughters, then because he brought the children into our fight I called the police ands he hid in our backyard telling the cops he had a scope on my head and after 15 hours of drs trying to talk him into submission I called his crap had my sister drive by and we left with her and did not look back. He went to jail and was given a 30 day psychiatric assessment and got out. We learned to be thought.
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