hello....boy did you find the right person! I had a discogram about a year ago to pinpoint my pain so that I could have a lumbar fusion. As it turned out, I didn't get the fusion because of the spacing problems with my discs.

On to the discogram. Sounds like a simple easy procedure, huh? As much as I want to paint a rosy picture, the procedure was the worst pain I have ever had! I know that is not what you wanted to hear but reality sometimes hurts. I also had a cervical laminectomy a long time ago so I'm a complete mess.

I'm sure the procedure does what it is supposed to do but the way it works seems almost like a medieval torture device. Just to compare pain--I have many epidural injections, nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation, kidney stones, four major operations (including a thoracotomy), broken kneecap and torn ankle ligaments. And the pain from this discogram was right at the top.

I am sorry that you are still battling the pain--sometimes it seems like a never-ending journey. I hope this helps you decide how to proceed and I'm sure you can see that discograms are not my favorite thing to have done.

lsg

Are they painful, yes, not pleasant at all. You also have to be awake for it so you can let them know when you feel the pain and there is no mistake you will feel it. Are they worth it ??? it depends on what route they have planned for you, i have had a fusion so i needed one, to identify which disc was painful as there was no bulging discs, but two were degenerative and I was in extreme pain.

Hope this helps.
Round 1

I am so glad I am on this forum. In 2003 I slipped and fell due to the negligence of a restaurant. The neurosurgeons I saw through my attorney all said I need neck and back surgery after a lot of therapy and steroid injections (which ended up making the pain worse and I ended up with a "round" face and gaining 60 pounds!) Won lawsuit and money was such a low amt I never recd what I needed to have back surgery. Maybe it was a blessing? This incident has ruined my life. I now have 8 herniated disks and since I was put on our state's medical insurance the neurosurgeons I have seen say they can't do anything and that nothing is wrong! I am in so much pain, and I only take 1/2 a pain pill in the a.m. and 1/2 of one in the afternoon. I HATE drugs! And, they wonder why people get addicted to them, that's all they want to do especially in Chronic Pain Mgmt.! Never to fix the problem! I was told when I went to my county hospital that I am a charity case since I am on my state's Medicaid! That, they do not have to treat me...wow that is what I get after working for 31 years! Finally, after 5 years at the county hosp a neurosurgeon saw me and says I need a myleogram or discogram. I brought a current MRI and he insists on the mylo or disco. I do not want to have it done because 99% of what I have heard and read are extremely bad results just from the test!!!! I don't want any more medical problems. Someone, please help? any advice from someone who has gone through this? Thank you!