Chronic Back Pain, Sciatica

[Seki]

I do have chronic low back pain few years already.
Last year I had CT scan and report sais next:

"Examination at L4-L5 demonstrates evidence of degenerative disc disease with moderate diffuse disc bulging impressing upon the thecal sac anteriorly, slightly more prominent on the left.There is also associated neural foraminal narrowing. Early facet degenerative change on the right.Left facet is maintained.
Examination at L5-S1 demonstrate evidence of degenerative disc disease with mild to moderate diffuse disc bulging impressing upon the thecal sac anteriorly.Minimal spinal stenosis.Neural foramina are maintained.No significant facet hypertrophy."
Because of this problems in last 12 months I worked only couple.
Few months ago I also started having knee pain, I guess it is related to my DDD and sciatica.
So far, I was told that I have sciatica, also low back arthritis, bulging discs-am I faling apart:)
I had physio therapies, chiropractis terapies, but did not help me a lot.
I guess there is somebody out there with similar problems, simillar experience, any advice what to do?
This Monday I am having an MRI (finaly) and after that Orthopedic surgeon will decide if there is need for surgery ( which I do not preffer, of course).
Last few days I am  feeling more and more pain in my left leg,foot..
Anybody there with same problems and experience?
Thank's
Miroslav

[brokennana]

I too have had lots of back problems. I have had 3 surgeries in the last year. A spinal fusion was the last one. I had CT's and MRI done  too, but it was the CT myleogram that I had done that showed my problem and even then when the neurosurgeon went in , he said it was worse than the picture. I have been out of work for 14 months , I am a nurse. I still have a lot pain and weakness, due to the delay in getting treatment as well damage to the L5S1 nerve root. Granted the myleogram is not fun, but at least you get a clear  picture. Good luck with your search for an answer.

[DavaAnne]

I had about the same symptoms as you, mostly the pain shooting down my leg. I had a herniated disc L5 S1 and had surgery in 2001 which was great until last year when the pain was back. I could only stand up or lay face down. I could sit at all or bend over. Everyday was a struggle. I saw my neuro again and was told the only option was a fusion but he didn't want to do that as I was to young and it would cause problems in the future with the other discs, so I did the PT and chiro thing which didn't help at all. I then found a treatment called SpineMed Therapy. I talked to my neuro abou it and he said to go for as it couldn't hurt. It's a treatment of disc decompression where you lay on a table which applies traction to the area. I had to go 5 days a week for 4 weeks. There was no pain and I couldn't even feel the table move (it only moved apart 1/4"). each day the tention was increased until I reached my level of 40lbs. traction. during the treatments the only thing they say to take for some soreness is Advil, and they want you to lay on ice for a couple hours after each treatment to keep inflamation down. I didn't notice alot of differnece until the month following the treatments (which they told me) but within the month I was back to normal. They do say that you can have yearly maintainance (4-5 treatments). I haven't decided yet if I will have these extra treatments. It will be a year next month and so far am still doing fine (I just finished raking leaves!) I also got an inversion table so if I do overdo and feel alittle stiff I just go on it for a few minutes and feel great after. The best thing is to check out their website SpineMedTherapy.com to see if there is sone in your area. There is also another one called Vax-D that does almost the same thing. Even if this is only a temporary fix it's still better than more surgery and alot less painful (my other surgery was only temporary too). Visit their website to see if this might be for you. I would love to hear back from you to hear what you think.

[Seki]

Hello again

Finaly, I got today my MRI report but I can't see the specialist before Dec.22.
Anyway, to me MRI looks better than the CT Scan report (or I just think so).There it is:

LUMBAR SPINE MRI

"No selective disc space narrowing.Minimal desiccation of L4-L5 disc inferiorly is present.No disc protrusion.Vertebral bodies and neural arches are normal.No abnormal bone marrow signal.The thecal sac and filum terminale and lumbar nerve roots are normal.No foraminal stenosis.There is mild degree of degenerative facet joint changes of L4,L5 and S1.Sacroilac joints are normal.
CONCLUSION:No disc protrusion.Minimal degenerative lower lumbar facet joint changes."

Well, I do not understant to much of this, but to me looks like there is nothing dangerous.Even, MRI looks better than my CT Scan report, do not you think so?
I know that I have constant pain in my low back,last couple weeks pain goes more and more through my legs,feet, especially left one, but what's the reason for that, I do not know?!
ANyway, my next appt. with Orthopedic surgeon is on Dec.22. (couldn't make it earlier?!) and then I am waiting for his "final word" and his approval that I can go back to work (with limitations or not, I do not know yet).
Maybe my low back arthritis causes so much pain?
Miroslav

[Seki]

Hi and thank's Senia
Well, today finally I had my MRI done.
Now, it takes appr. 2-3 weeks for my doctor to get report, and then we wi'll see what's going to happen next.
I just worry how all this is going to afect doing my job ( in last 12 months I worked only couple).
The problem is that every few months in last few years I would somehow (by sudden movement ) injure my back so bad that in few days I wouldn't be able to walk, stand, drive...to do nothing.
Pain is all the time in my lower back and in last few days sciatica makes me more and more troubles (left leg and foot the most).
Hopefully, MRI will show what's going on with my back.
I just know that Orthopedic surgeon told me when He saw my CT Scann report back in Feb.2006. that beside disc's bulging, sciatica, some stenosis, I do have also arthritis in my low back which can very often be more painfull than anything else and that He wouldn't recommend  any surgery because of all this .
I guess I'll know more after He sees MRI report.
Thanks
Miroslav

[Senia]

I can understand how you are feeling.  I have suffered low back pain for years.  I tried everything.  Therapy didn't help.  Then I went for Epideral Blocks, which helped for 3 years the first time.  I had repeated series of blocks over the course of several years, but there came a time when they no longer helped, for more than 2 weeks.  My PCP suggested I see a neurosurgeon, at that point.  He did a laminectomy for the spinal stenosis in June of 1996.  It was great for several years.  Then I developed spondolythesis and required a 2 level spinal fusion in 2003. Then the problem came about again and I had a third level fused in April of this year.  Everything is going well, as of now.  I had the same neurosurgeon do all three surgeries and he is a wonderful surgeon-and one who really cares about his patients.  If your problem turns out to need surgery, from my past experience, I would recommend a neuro rather than an ortho, unless your physician has a definite reason for sending you to an ortho.

Good luck with whatever you decide on and let us know how things are going.

[dondi65]

HI,I went through 2 years of terrible pain from sciatica 10 years ago,I couldn't walk without a cain and had a hard time moving my left leg, the pain radiated down to my feet which eventualy started to get numb, then one day on its own it stopped, i get a couple of flair ups a year which only last a few days but its alot better then it was. My back will never be the same again and putting on my sox in the morning is a real chalenge but it became a hundred times better then it was back then. I never had the surgery but i learend that if i wore flat shoes it hurt much less.