Chronic Back Pain....please, Advice Welcome Posted: 04-27-04 09:29am
I am new here....34 years old with wife
and child and have been having back
problems the past 2.5 years. I work as an
autobody painter in upstate ny and use of
my back is required all day. By the end
of the day I am hurting....At times so bad
it runs down my legs and makes movement
painful. I was given x-rays and an mri
and will post those results here for those
in the know.
The xray showed the following:
1.Moderate degenerative disc disease at
l5-s1
2. Mild disc space narrowing at l4-5
3. Spina bifida occulta at l5.
The mri showed these results....And this
is copying straight from the result sheet
as I dont understand half of it.
L4-5 disk narrowing and degeneration with
a shallow central disk protrusion
measuring approximately 4 x 8 mm with
minor ventral epidural mass-effect. Mild
bilateral l4-5 facet joint degeneration
l5-s1: diffuse disk narrowing and
degeneration with reactive degenerative
marrow changes contiguous to the
intervertebral disk. Diffuse
circumferential disk bulging with small
central protrusion which is seperated from
the dural sac by anterior epidural fat.
Mild bilateral facet joint degeneration
with slight narrowing of the l5 nueral
formania.
Impression: degenerative changes of the
lumbar spine with shallow central l4-5
disk protrusion and other degenerative
changes at the thoracolumbar junction and
at l5-s1 as noted above.
Ok, thats all of it and these are what I
have been given to treat this.
1. Vioxin
2. Bextra
3. Ibuprofen
4.Hydrocodone
5. Tramadol
6. Lidacaine patches.
After 1 year of seeing my regular doctor
and getting these tests done he sent me to
pain management. Pain management gave me
3 options:
1. See a chiropractor
2. Physical therapy
3. Steroid injections.
He also told me all 3 of these probably
will not work. Sigh....
I am in the process of being referred to a
chiropractor now so we will see how that
goes. I will also try the therapy
although I do not see how that will help
me at all. The steroid injections I will
not do......Under no circumstances will I
let them stick a needle in my spine unless
it is guaranteed to work 100%.
The medications I listed above do not work
except for the hydrocodone....And it only
takes the edge off. The problem here is I
do not want to be a drug addict and my
primary care physcian does not like giving
them to me.
So.......My question is, what should I do?
I am getting no relief for my pain at all
and I cannot leave my job at this
time....I am not financially secure
without it.
I would almost be willing to trade the
pain off for being addicted to the pills
if they get me by.
Thoughts?
Ps thanks.
|
bootsie840
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Nov 2003 Posts: 113 Location: pennsylvainaia
Posted: 04-27-04 21:41pm
I feel your pain I too have back problems
due to a auto acc, I have 2 herniated
disks l4 l5 deg dick diseaes, I have gone
for epidural injections, chiropractic
care, medications, nothing seems to work ,
I do however use my own personal tens
unit, which stimulates your nerves, I have
gotten some relief, I also do alot of deep
stretching it seems like everyone I know
hows gone through different treatments,
and still they have pain, so now for me
its a matter of adjusting my life and
living with it its probalyy not what you
wanted to hear, but having any type of
back injury basically its a life problem
, everyone is different and responds
differently to each treatment im still
looking for other options but for now I
use my tens unit good luck hope you find
a treatment that works and if you do
please let me know
|
scotti2000
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 May 2004 Posts: 49
Posted: 05-01-04 22:21pm
My friend,
i see many like yourself each week...
Most have had incredible results... I am
not promoting myself as I live in
australia and have a great practice. I
do believe that the chiropractic care is
your best option and will not only get the
pressure off the nerve, but will allow
your body to start to heal the years of
damage. Please--- please---- please go
on the internet and do research on the
contraindications to the medicines you
have ben prescribed. You will find that
they could be destroying your internal
organs and are only dealing with the
pain... Pain is a symptom, while the
disc bulge they refer to in the mri is the
cause... You must get the disc off the
nerve and the body can do the rest..
Please be aware that this could be a long
process and not a quick fix. Please
email me if you have any questions or
concerns....
