Low Back Problems & Prolapsed Disks.

[Darin H]

Low Back Problems & Prolapsed Disks.

Dural tear is most probably responsible for your bladder problems.

 

[Catlick]

Low Back Problems & Prolapsed Disks.

I am sure that we have had threads on this subect before!! Can anyone tell (quarr4bank) which threads and where thay are?

I am sure that bowel and bladder problems are synonimous with spinal conditions and post operative surgery, so I am not supprised your ureologist is keeping shhtom!!

I hope we can find you some useful links quarr4banks.

All the best

SPINELF

 

[Clara]

Low Back Problems & Prolapsed Disks.

Hi
so, ive posted before but im not sure it was in this thread.it's a long one,thanks to anyone who reads and can advise.

Im Lisa and i was diagnosed with a slipped disc at L4/L5 middle of april, and was told by the ortho and my gp that it would probablt need operating on,after reading a few of the recent posts on the actual surgery,not sure i want surgery but that is not the point of this post.
after waiting till yesterday to see a surgeon, i was told that my pain is unlikely to be caused to the buldging disc pressing into my spine but the fact the at im 'very overweight' and scoffed at when i said i was on a diet but couldnt exercise due to the sciatica and weakness in my left leg.
now for a bit of history for you.
Sometime in the spring of 2009 I started to get a bit of pain in my left hip when sitting or standing.at the time i was a student nurse so i was working 13 hour shifts mixed with uni. wasnt bad enough that i mentioned it to my doctor. had to pause my course beginning of june for unrelated reasons. when i stopped work it got a lot worse so i mentioned it to my doctor and she said it was probably the working and then stopping work,so i didnt worry about it. end of july i go to see my mom in cali and it really hurts when i sit or stand,still just in the hip area. i start exercising every day to try and get rid of it and it calms down alot but not gone.skip to fall 2009 and im having trouble putting weight on my left leg ang having to limp around by days end. so i go see the doc and he gives me cocodamol and says take it easy a few weeks and come back if its not better in 3 weeks. 3weeks later i end up moving house and by the time thats done by left leg is really killing me,i mean its screaming!hurts to sit but hurts more to0 walk so im back at the doc and he gives me stronger tablets,diclofenac and orders an xray og the hip.quick trip back to cali for xmas and i need a wheelchair for the airports.fastforward again and i get back to norfolk for new years and have just missed a xray apt. i get another and realize with this pain i cant work so i start getting esa.xray comes back normal,blood test shows inflamattory markers(whatever they are) so i get referred on to ortho triage.meanwhile the pain has morphed into a stabbing burning b@:>? from hell all up and down my leg,cant sit,stand or do anything but lay in bed, so bad the doc has to come to me. she does her thing and gives me amitriptyline,which works so im happy,but have to get a wheelchair to the doc apt. he examines me and orders an mri,which finally happens in april and i have a prolapsed disc,blah,blah and it probably needs surgery and here we are to yesterday. no by the time i was diagnosed id started having low back pain and had been bed/house bound since mid-jaunuary. since last week started getting pain in my right hip also and the tramadol,diclofenac,amitiptyine combo wasnt working so i'd been uped to morphine. was still in a bit of pain and could only manage the stairs once a day and i get a letter saying i was fit for work althou i was restricted to walking 200 metres,sitting and standing for 30mins only. I was quite confused as im not aware of jobs like this. I got a copy of the doctors assessment and an appeal form and the doc says that i would be ready to return to work in 6monthes and after surgery! have sent that back anyway.
right. After an 1hour getting ready to leave,another wheelchair trip on public transport and over an hour laying down in the waiting room to see the surgeon, he tells me that its unlikely my pain is being caused by the disc prolapse and im very overweight. Hello,like i dont know im overwieght? i have been since adolescense and i dont see what that has to do with anything.
I mean obviously it's not good for my back or my health,but what are the chances the pain im in is because of my weight? I say a woman in the waiting room who was easily twice my weight and it wasn't her that was the patient. The only thing he would say was that surgery was unlikely to help my pain and he could refer me to a dietician. he also mentioned an epidural. In an effort to make a point and because i was really angry,i came home and decided to write a food diary and stop taking the meds. slightly more than 24hours later my back hurts a little but not loads, my feet still go numb/pins and needles. both my lefts hurt near my hips,left side hurts more,still not unbearably. my shoulders really hurt though around my neck. i think this is the reason,or one of them,that the surgeon said what he did, but i dismissed it as too soft of pillows. he also mentioned an mri of my upper back.
now im wondering. id quite like the mri to see whats been happening since april but surely the disc hasnt just fixed itself after about a year? anyhelp greatly appreciated. many thanks,lisa

 

[knocked up]

Low Back Problems & Prolapsed Disks.

Hi all, I'm new here. I couldn't help noticing the info about MISS. Spinelf, I've had a look at some of those websites and the one thing it doesn't tell you is the cost. Have you any idea how much it would cost for that kind of keyhole surgery? I don't have private medical insurance and I assume that it wouldn't be worth applying for it now (they wouldn't cover a pre-existing condition, etc).

So if I was to go for private treatment, how much would it be (ballpark figure) ?

 

[liveyourlife]

The Endoscopic Laser Foramimoplasty (ELF) and Endoscopic lumber decomcression (ELD) combined procedures that I underwent in October 2008, cost £10,500.
Procedure reated load bearing X-ray, MRI scan, initial Consultaion and
pre-op consultation, brought the overall cost to around £11,000.

The procedure has now combined and evolved, and is now called (ELFD)

With regards to private insurance, sadly, I think you are probably correct!!

If I can be of any more help, please post again.

Best wishes and good health

SPINELF

 

[Brit K]

Thanks for the welcome. I recently discovered this forum after several months of research into sciatica and herniated discs etc. It’s very re-assuring to know that there is a community of real people who have gone through this. Anyway, I wanted to tell my story; apologies if it’s a bit long-winded.
I’m 41, reasonably healthy, average weight, non-smoker and never had any significant health scares. My first experience with sciatica was about 5 years ago, severe stabbing pain down my left leg brought on by longish walks. My doc referred me for some PT and within a couple of weeks, the symptoms disappeared. Since then, I’ve only had a couple of flare ups which lasted no more than a week or so. But then 4 months ago, I felt my lower back go after bending down too quickly. The sharp pain in my lower back soon moved onto my leg (same side as before, the left). Only this time, the pain was more intense and brought on just by walking very short distances or standing up for more than a minute. Week by week, the pain got worse, to the point where I became housebound.
I can still function normally as long as I’m sitting down or lying down and mostly I can sleep okay. But as soon as I get upright, the pain kicks in. In addition to the leg pain, I’ve also developed severe muscle spasms or trapped nerves in both the glute area and the mid section of my back (on the left side). The trapped nerve in my back stops me from straightening up while standing or walking, which means I have to stoop at a 30 degree angle.
I’ve tried lots of things and spent a lot of money on the likes of Alexander Technique, acupuncture, deep tissue massage, TENS machine, and a traction device (Nubax Trio). None of them have helped. I’ve been to my GP who prescribed NSAIDs - Diclofenac (which did nothing), then recently Naproxen (which is taking the edge off the back pain, but has no effect on the leg pain).
After a 2 month wait, I finally got an MRI scan and have just had the results. I have a central and left-sided posterior protrusion of the L5/S1 disc, compressing the left S1 nerve root and narrowing the spinal canal moderately. Disc protrusion measures 13 x 8 mm. There is also a broad degenerative bulge of the L4/L5 disc, without nerve root compression. Sagittal alignment is normal and there is a non-mobile small S1/S2 disc present. I’ve no idea what that last part means but it sounds like the L5/S1 disc prolapse is what’s giving me all the pain. My GP Has referred me for an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon (could take up to 8 weeks).
4 months on, I’m still no clearer what I should do. Continue with conservative treatment in the hope of real improvement, or get surgery ASAP. I’ve done a huge amount of research but there are too many conflicting opinions. At first, my GP was sure I’d need surgery but since the MRI scan result, he tells me I shouldn’t rush into that (he even talked me out of having a private consultation with a surgeon). I realise that there are different agendas at work here; the NHS don’t want you to have surgery because it costs them money, while the private surgeons are likely to be very keen on surgery for the same reasons. How can I get an unbiased opinion ?
I’m also worried about getting the timing right, if I decide on surgery. There seems to be some agreement that there is a window of opportunity (4 to 6 months after the onset of sciatica) for the best surgery results. And what kind of surgery/operation is indicated in my case? I noticed that the great majority of sciatica sufferers seem to get pain on sitting down or lying down, while getting relief being upright. I’m exactly the opposite, so does that mean I need a different kind of surgery?
Overall, I’ve never been so scared in my life, to be honest. This has been life-changing for me – to go from healthy and normally active to being completely housebound and in a lot of pain. There are days when I think I can’t wait to have surgery and be done with all this, but then I read about the failed surgeries, the horror stories and I think – have I really exhausted everything else? Once you have the surgery, there’s no going back. It really is a last resort. I guess I’ll know more once I’ve spoken to the orthopaedic surgeon. Or will I ?
In the meantime, these latest meds seem to be helping with the back pain (spasm pain) so I’m going to try physio (which up till now was a non-starter, such was the pain) as well as regular exercise. I have a bike machine and I’m keen to exercise the legs which seem to be getting stiffer by the day.
I’d appreciate any feedback, especially from anyone with my particular sciatica symptoms. Is there something else I should be trying?

- Jim -

 

[jmetaudhiiniqvegf]

Low Back Problems & Prolapsed Disks.

Hi Guys,

First of all i'd like to say that i had a discectomy 4 months ago (L4/L5 and L5S1) - and things are still not going too well. I had been suffering intermittent back pain for a couple of years since getting injured in Afghanistan, however late last year i started getting spasms in my back and then the pain migrated pretty quickly to my leg, at one point this pain could only be described as phenominal.

Anyway to cut a long story short - i fought the pain and the NHS for about three months until i finally had the op. Immediately the pain went, however i still had considerable numbness in my left leg and foot - this has gone now (except in the toes, but my left leg is still weak and i cannot push up onto my tiptoes.

All was going fairly well, i have been doing all the stretching exercises given to me by the physio as well as low impact aerobics and loads of core stability etc - but 2 weeks ago the pain in my back returned - and i am scared and panicking that there is never going to be any end to this.

I left the Army last year and i have began a new career but things are not going too well because of all the bloody sick time. I am severely depressed, i'm back on the Morphine - once again Daddy can't play with kids "because his backs poorly" and i find it hard to even look my wife in the eye - and no i can't talk to anyone about this.

This has really hit me hard - i was fit, strong, active, really up for life and looking forward to starting a new job - but my life has changed in a heartbeat. Anyway, sorry for downloading all this rubbish but i just needed to get it all off my chest - and what better way to do it that by telling complete strangers who you will never meet!

My biggest advice for anyone here is that if the nerve is trapped and you have opted for surgery push for it to be done AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, the longer it is trapped the longer your recovery will take. And NOTHING as far as backs are concerned is set in stone - there are plenty of different treatments, some work for some and not for others, its all pot luck......but i feel for anyone who is going through this, so i'll keep my fingers crossed for you all. And if you are doing this through the NHS - you have to push hard for the treatment you need - don't be rude or threatening - just keep on and on and on....otherwise you will wait for months.

This might not be my most eloquent moment - i have not long taken some morphine.

 

[adios.beautiful]

Low Back Problems & Prolapsed Disks.

andy 2264 i know what your going through but i had no relief after the op on L4/L5 a year ago my left leg and foot is still numb the pain got steadily worse and now iam waiting for L5/S1 to be done the surgeon said i could be worse off but my gp said he has to say this no matter what the op is so i have decided to have it done ,i don't know weather it is better knowing what i have ahead of me or not i know the last one took probably 8 months before i could get up the stairs without screaming in pain, when you have this kind of pain you can be in room full of people and still be lonely no one can understand how deppressing this constant pain is ,you feel like there is no way out i have felt suicidal on many occasions it is only thinking of my son that has stopped me, i wish you all the best and i hope you have a positive outcome, there are plenty of people on here who will help and support you through your bad days good luck.

 

[gjedhuzsiujicvedh]

HIYA JIM.

(QUOTE: I’d appreciate any feedback, especially from anyone with my particular sciatica symptoms. Is there something else I should be trying?


I HOPE I CAN HELP!!

----------------------

(QUOTE: I noticed that the great majority of sciatica sufferers seem to get pain on sitting down or lying down, while getting relief being upright. I’m exactly the opposite, so does that mean I need a different kind of surgery?)

Jim, if you are experiencing the worst of your pains & spasms when you are upright, extending upwards or backwards, these symptoms mean that the main position of the nerve impingent/s is in the posterior part of your lumbar region. It is therefore more likely to be caused by an osteoathritic overgrowth of bone (osteophytes). If you experience more pain & spasms down one leg more than the other, this would suggest an impingement of your nerve root in one or more of your foraminal openings where the nerves strands leave the spinal column and travel down the legs, ie: sciatica.
If pain is worse in the 'front' of your legs, this would suggest L4/5 impingement/s, worse pains down the 'back' of the of the legs would suggest an L5/S1 impingement.
If you had a bulging/hurniating disc, you would find that when you bent over, the pains & spasms would increase, this is because when you bend forward the front of your vertibrae would compress the front of the disc forcing the 'spine side' of the disc (posterior) to become thicker and bulge out towards the spinal column causing conntact and pain.
If the disc buged sideways (lateral), this could still be responsible for sciatic pains & spasms because it impinges the sciatic nerve at L4/5 level before it reaches the foraminal opening. When you straighten up the preasure is relieved and pain subsides.
The procedure you will need, is still decompression surgery, but probably more bone removal than disc!!

---------------------

(Quote) I’ve tried lots of things and spent a lot of money on the likes of Alexander Technique, acupuncture, deep tissue massage, TENS machine, and a traction device (Nubax Trio). None of them have helped. I’ve been to my GP who prescribed NSAIDs - Diclofenac (which did nothing), then recently Naproxen (which is taking the edge off the back pain, but has no effect on the leg pain).

The fact that you have undergone all of these treatments (without success) means that you must now consider yourself to a sufferer of chronic back/spinal pain, and that non-invasive low impact treatments will almost certainly not help to cure you in the long term.
You may be able to reduce your pain levels and spasms by using drugs, osteopathy, exersises and other non-invasive & compatible therapies, this site is full of them, so please take time to read.
In reality, in order to gain a full removal of the root causes, you will need to seriously consider surgical intervention. MISS is the way to go! Do your Research. This is when you frustration will realy start.

-----------------

(Quote) At first, my GP was sure I’d need surgery but since the MRI scan result, he tells me I shouldn’t rush into that (he even talked me out of having a private consultation with a surgeon). I realise that there are different agendas at work here; the NHS don’t want you to have surgery because it costs them money, while the private surgeons are likely to be very keen on surgery for the same reasons. How can I get an unbiased opinion ?

You are more right than you know when you say there are different agendas at work!! What you must understand is that there are huge
contractural, financial and internally political preasures present in the world of spine surgery, when you add to these, the mix of 'equally huge' ego's and desires to build empires, you can be sure that the 'best interests' of the 'chronic back pain sufferers' are well down the list of things to do!!
Also, spine surgery is very rarely carried out by an 'out & out' Spinal Surgeon, spinal work is usually 'carved up' by Orthopeadic and Neuro Surgeons as a sideline, a very profitable sideline indeed, especially when you consider the amount of repeat procedures.
The reason your GP does not want you to undergo 'standard' spine surgery is that he 'already knows' how 'destructive' it is, and how much more he will have to pay for to give you support at the post operative stages and for many more years after that!!

-------------------------------

Jim, when you see your Surgeon, demand that he gives you 'written clinical evdence' in support of any surgery he proposes.
You will want to know;

what the procedure is called,
how big is the initial incision,
descibe how they gain access to the spinal canal,
how do they see inside the spinal canal,
how safe the procedure is,
how effective it is,
how many trials have been carried out on them,
how many times patients face repeat or second procedures,
the long term clinical outcomes over 3, 5, & 7 years.

Then brace yourself, as he/she gets 'very angry' and 'evasive' and will want to waffle, shut you up and get you out of the consulting rooms as soon as possible!! GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!!

-------------------------

THE GOOD DAY, BAD DAY THING YOU MENTIONED JIM,
PAR FOR THE COURSE I AM AFRAID! SORRY!!

THE MORE ACTIVE YOU ARE, THE MORE THE CONTACT BETWEEN THE NERVE AND BONE/DISC!

THE MORE THE CONTACT, THE MORE THE TISSUE & MUSCLE INFLAMATION AND SWELLING!

THE MORE THE INFLAMATION AND SWELLING, THE MORE NERVE (PAIN) SIGNALS GET FIRED OF TO THE BRAIN!

THE MORE NERVE (PAIN) SIGANLS GET FIRED TO THE BRAIN, THE MORE TRANSFERRED PAINS YOU GET!

THE MORE THE TRANSFERRED PAINS YOU GET, THE LESS YOU CAN STAND AND THE MORE YOU WILL FALL!

AND SO ON AND SO ON AND SO ON!!

----------------------------

I THINK THATS ENOUGH FOR NOW JIM!!

SPEAK TO YOU LATER!!

SPINELF

 

[jim jim the dog faced boy]

Low Back Problems & Prolapsed Disks.

Hi,
Can you afford to pay for a private consultation with a neuro/osteosurgeon? You have an MRI scan, I know it sounds silly,but it could help to get a second opinion. Your symptoms sound exactly like mine were, including the pain in your shoulders.
After seeing my consultant privately, I was lucky enough to be operated on within 3 weeks, as he put me on his urgent NHS list, I think I got a cancellation by luck!
Go for it, I know the prospect of surgery is frightening, but I could get up and walk relatively pain free the morning after...still a couple of spasms but nothing like as bad. Now 5 days post op and things still feel a lot better, but am taking it VERY easy..no bending, lifting, driving, going on the bus, standing too long, sitting to long!!! Just some short (painfree)walks every day, then lying down...which I could not do before the surgery.
Good Luck, hope you find some help and relief

 

[ShouldaKnownBetter]

Low Back Problems & Prolapsed Disks.

I am new here, but just a quick question, this procedure that you went through, would my guess that it would only be usefull in cases of first time surgery, because I had a failed back surgery in 2002 ( non instrumented postlateral fusion, L5/S1).
My diagnosis is DDD with anular tear, left side, and degenrative facet joints at the same level). Would this procedure be a NO go for me ?

I was told I need an instumented fusion (ALIF with BMP)

Thank you.

 

[lyssa]

Low Back Problems & Prolapsed Disks.

My wife had that procedure 25 years ago, after crawling round the floor for 6 months. The most she gets now is occasional mild discomfort. I hope you are as lucky.

 

[npbbdmjr]

Low Back Problems & Prolapsed Disks.

Hi Andy, OMG your story sounds so familiar. I don't think anyone can understand what its like unless you have been through it and the psychological affects can be as bad as the physical pain. How are you feeling now? I had the op 8 weeks ago. I was put on the 20 week NHS waiting list but after six weeks of being completely immoblised due tot he sciatic pain in both legs, I called an ambulance and went to A&E. I remained in hospital for 3 weeks before they did the op and the consultant was p"""d of with me because I just couldn't cope at home. In the end I forced his hand and he operated. I am still in a lot of leg and back pain but it is still 100% better than before. You are completely right about the pot luck thing. I have read numerous posts on here and it really does seem that it is a completely individual thing and doctors find it very difficult to assess when the symptoms will abate (if ever!). Hope things have improved for you. Shellym

 

[bxeiuuryicdiwzefj]

Low Back Problems & Prolapsed Disks.

Hiya Scorpio!

I'm not sure if this question was directed at me, AND I WOULD
STRONGLY SUGGEST CONSULTING WITH THE SURGEON IN QUESTION YOURSELF, but minimally invasive, endoscopic, laser spine surgery (MISS), is suitable for patients with previous back surgery histories, whether they be failed back procedures or successfull ones.
This is due to the technique, it was specifically developed, not to significantly increase the amount of 'further' leisions, scarring, disctus or other complications during additional surgery, and to offer patients safe surgical options, when standard 'open back' procedures, are ruled to be too risky.

Best wishes

SPINELF

 

[Shooting]

I have some serious back problems, this can help