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Please Respond, Somebody. Not One But TWO BULGING DISCS, Now What Happens? More Scared Than Before!!!!
by NaniKai, May 24, 2007 12:00AM
I left the doctor's office yesterday hearing that I had NOT one but TWO BULGING DISCS, now what happens??? C5, C6, C7 are the ones involved I think, heck now I don't remember if that's even right, it's the two discs that lie in between those vertebrae. I'm more scared than before I went to his office. I didn't quite understand what he was talking about when he was comaparing fusing the discs because he made a comment about the two bulging being more stable after fusion but the ones above and below, he kind of left me in the dark about this analogy when he was mentioning an ENTIRE neck fusion. I wasn't clear if that meant there would be other problems to the remaining discs or if they wouldn't be bothered. I was so busy trying to catch his every word on the report that I missed this very important part. Can anyone please shed some light on this for me so that I can understand better what's going on?
He is referring me to a chiropractor who uses the DRX 9000 to stretch the spine and release the bulging discs, so hopefully this will cure the problem. He did say something about the fusion being done anteriorly if this doesn't work, that's where my contentment with the conversation turned to fear again.
He is referring me to a chiropractor who uses the DRX 9000 to stretch the spine and release the bulging discs, so hopefully this will cure the problem. He did say something about the fusion being done anteriorly if this doesn't work, that's where my contentment with the conversation turned to fear again.
A bulging disk is a condition related to the spine, usually the lumbar, or lower back, that occurs when a disk bulges through a crevice in the spine. Disks are the soft, gelatinous material that cushions the vertebrae of the spine. A bulging disk occurs when the disk shifts out of its normal radius and most often occurs simply as a result of age.
A bulging disk is different from a herniated disk in that a bulging disk typically occurs gradually over time rather than suddenly. A herniated disk is often the result of an injury or trauma to the spine. In the majority of patients who experience a bulging disk, there is no pain unless the disk becomes herniated or protrudes into a nerve.
In many cases, a bulging disk may be diagnosed as a condition secondary to another problem. Because a bulging disk does not always cause pain, it may only be found during a routine or diagnostic imaging test such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Typically, a bulging disk is not a problem unless it begins to cause pain, becomes herniated or ruptures.
Treatment for a bulging disk or even a herniated disk is relatively conservative in most cases. Rest and lifting restrictions are common, and a doctor may recommend a combination of heat and ice therapy and anti-inflammatory medications or cortisone injections. Medication may be prescribed to deal with any associated pain.
Though usually a condition affecting the lower back, occasionally, a bulging disk may occur in the neck area. Usually, pain that radiates to the shoulders and arms indicates that a nerve in the neck may be pinched or pushed upon. In the lower back, pain may sometimes radiate to the legs.
A physical examination by your doctor will help determine where your discomfort may be coming from and whether the problem arose gradually or suddenly. In most cases, conservative treatment relieves the problem. Back surgery, though not as common, can relieve severe pain caused by compression on the nerves from a bulging disk that becomes herniated.
I just need to know if fusing the middle vertebrae causes more problems for the ones that remain unfused and can cause a surgery to be needed later. What was the deal with fusing them all? I got really confused at this juncture of the conversation because he was making faces as he was talking about it and when I was having a somewhat accent/language barrier, the facial expressions were telling me that it wasn't all that good.
will have 3 levels fused next week and in my review the doctor wrote ...that further surgery might be needed in the future...the levels above and below the fusion can fail ...he also wrote that a plate in the back of the neck might be needed in the future to stabilize the spine. He wrote out all the things that can go wrong and cause me to need more surgery...here is what he wrote....
needs for futher surgery....fracture/migration/pullout/fretting/corrosion of plate or screws/metal sensitivity/excessive bulk/foreign body reaction/metal sloghing/non healing of bone graft....
GOOD LUCK!!!
NaniKai