Thoracic Surgery

I am an 19 y/o female, almost 2 years ago I was involved in a car accident(I was rearended by two cars at a complete stop). After almost 2 years in chroninc pain with no solid diagnosis I found out I have a cerivcal herniation at C5/6, thoracic herniation T9/10,annular injury and protrusion at C6/7, annular bulging at T7/8 and other cervical bulging discs.The doctor told me me they didn't understand how all of that can missed fo so long after seeing many doctors and having numerous MRI'S. I have had every conserative treatment suggested ....rest,ice and heat therapy, physical therapy, chiropractic, massage therapy, traction, ultrasound therapy,various medications,(I currently do not take any pain meds or have in the past), 2 sets of triggerpoint injections, cervical epidural, acupuncture, and now facet block injections. I have exhausted every option possible. I didn't respond to the facet block injection I had 3 weeks ago,T7-11 were done. Most of the pain is midback and the shoulders numbness and tingly is more prevalent on the left upper back-midback.My only option left is surgery, so I am scheduled for the thoracic discogram in about a week.I have had a cervical discogram and that showed I had a cervical herniation opposed to a bulging disc.I believe I am headed in the right diection for treatment. Are there any new minimally invasive surgeries available? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[Nassim Abi Chahine, MD]

It is normal that nobody noticed your multiple disc herniations, because herniations you had later, this what regularly happens after 1 or 2 years of traumas..
All kind of physical therapy could be the inderect cause of it, where the accident itself was a direct cause or so-called the trigger.
My advice to you is to:
1- Do the cercical surgery as soon as possible
2- Take a small dose of an antiinflammatory drug daily with “ gastric cover ” for minimum 4 month (and here I mean small dose like Ibuprofen 400 mg 1 tab daily with your main meal)
3- Take a medication containig cartilage substitute like Hyaluronic acid plus glucosamine (plus preferably Nexrutine), it comes in one tablet (sometimes with MSM) taken morning. so take it non stop for years and this type of meds will not hirt your stomach
4- stop all kind of Kiroprac....and other physical rehabilitation..
And you are fine