Hello Ropy,

Welcome to this forum.

Sorry to read about the pain your mother was and still is in. You are very special in wanting what is best for your mother.

Please understand that I too am a spiney and not a doctor. The following is just what I have learned from good medical sources on the internet

A myelogram uses a special dye and an x-ray to take picutres of the bones and spaces between the bones in ones spine. It is an older imaging techniques than MRI. If your mother in her back surgery had a fusion where they used screws and rods, then she can no longer have an MRI because of the metal in her body. That is the good thing about a myelogram, it is not affected by the metal, and neither would your mother's body be adversely affected. Mlay I suggest that you go to Google and type in "myelography radiologyinfo". Do speak to your mother's doctor(s) about this imaging technique. It hopefully will give the doctor(s) an idea of why she is in pain.

Regarding a discogram - From my understanding it is an enhanced x-ray examination of the discs in the spine. I know people that have had it and have posted here say it is a VERY painful procedure. From my understanding it literally provokes the patient's pain symptoms in order to pinpoint its source in the discs. Perhaps that is why it is so very painful.

I hope this helps a bit.

I wish your mother and you the best.

RichT

Yes this is partially correct. Because I have stainless steel rods and screws the MRI is no longer an option. If you have hardware made of titanium you should be ok.
Let me say this - myelograms are NO fun and they hurt for a couple days afterwards. Just be sure to get a death-grip on the table because, even with the local anesthetic that needle feels like it is a railroad spike when it punctures the thecal sac! If you flinch, like I did the first time, the dye can shoot out all over the place and they will send you home. After the dye dissipates, you will return (about 2 weeks later) for another go at it!

Hello Painsucks,

Thanks for sharing and the information regarding stainless stain vs titanium as it relates to MRIs. Sure hope Ropy's mother has titanium rods and screws. At least MRIs aren't painful except for the noise issue which is duable.

Hope you enjoy the 4th.

RichT

thanks for your help. I'm only 35 and have alot of back problems and I'm trying to avoid surgery for as long as i can. I'll be an expert on the subject probably in my 40's

Good Morning Ropy,

"I'm trying to avoid surgery for as long as i can." Ropy, that is EXACTLY the conclusion I reached for myself after several months of seeking advice from spinal surgeons, researching, and discussions with spineys here on EHealth last summer. A year later I am still comfortable with that decision.

Of course to be honest, being the epidural injections containing a corticosteroid work for me helped immensely in making that decison. the injections are no "cure", but they do reduce the inflammation.

Have you obtained the advice from spinal surgeons/neurosurgeons in your area for your back pain?

I wish you and your mother the best.

RichT

I have had 3 mylograms in the past and really did not like the experience, they went in somewhere behind my ear and then carried on with the needle moving it as they went along before injecting the dye. I have no screws or anything but i believe it was done here in the UK as it is the cheaper option but i remember after having one later when i was able to sit up they sent me immediatly for an MRI and i was operated on the next day.
I would suggest as i did the 3rd time for your Mother to ask for a pre med or something that will relax her before the proceedure as the second time before doing that my legs were shaking like mad and i really didn't feel good about it knowing what was going to happen.
If she does that then i am sure she will feel much better, i had to lay down afterwards for several hours as sitting up straight away causes a major headache.
I too wish your Mother well and hope that she is okay

ropy & others - I don't blame you for having reservations regarding back surgery, as it is no fun, and I will be the first to admit that they can go sour big-time in the years following the procedure. As for myself I was told that it was critical that I have it - otherwise I could have risked total paralysis if I had another fall or similar accident. In addition to a severely herniated disk at L3-4 I had spondylolisthesis to the tune of 7mm at that level. As for the degradation that followed over the next few years, I will take a lot of the blame. I suppose I should not have been chopping firewood and playing basketball & volleyball with my kids, but what's done is done. You play, you pay, as the saying goes. All I can do now is deal with it and reduce the pain as much as possible in order to enjoy the years i have left.
NOTE - I had the pain pump trial and it was a GRAND success! They said they hoped to reduce my pain to about a 4 out of 10, and I have to be honest... it was really more like a 2 during most of the trial period. I am now in the waiting stage, going through all the crap & crud that needs to be processed in order to get the permanent pump installed - you know, doctor & hospital schedules, insurance hassles, etc. But hey, I am going to be ONE Happy Camper once this is all taken care of and I have that morphine dripping into my thecal sac - Yee-HAWWW, I can't WAIT - this in-between period is going to be complete hell, but at least I can say that it will all be worth it... good luck to y'all...