l5 s1 surgery alternatives

[dhimitri5]

I am 39 and I injured my back about a year ago at work, and now I am battling with the worker comp. My L5S1 disc is completely out of my spine and suffocating my left leg's sciatic(?) nerve causing numbness, weakness, tingling and muscle loss in my left leg/foot. I have been told the disc could disintigrate over time. Is that true? Is there hope that if the disc were removed or disintegrates, that the nerve would revitalize? And what are the consequences of not having the disc replaced(say if I have it removed)?
Thankyou for your time,
Adam

[dhimitri5]

That's the thing, if I had the MRI before the lower back sprain diagnosis would they say it was still caused by aging? Should they even claim that you are protected by them. I think we were paying 80g a year for there coverage.  Oh, and yes I got an attorney. He seems pretty unsure of how it will go since I had some accidents I never claimed at work. Mostly because of the GM was a bully, and I usually would work through pain. I think we are going with occupational disease. I also had to dole out 2 g for diagnosis from physicians other than the ins co. IME. Now I'm broke and still unsure. Anyway, I am doing this site an injustice by talking about lawyers and ins. co.'s.
Ciao,
Adam

[missy142]

im sorry adam, I called you mike oops, sorry

[missy142]

Mike,
I thought I asked u this but I guess I didnt and u didnt mention it.  Dont you have a Workman's comp attorney?  I have had one from the beginning.  It is still a very rough system but you will be much better of with one.  It doesnt cost you anything.  They only get money when you do.  They can ask for emergency hearings and deal with the insurance company for you.  I cant imagine doing this without one.
They try to pull that **** with everyone, when they say you have degen. disk disease, they are just telling you u are old. If your MRI shows a herniation than obviously its not a sprain.  You need an attorney and then there will be depositions of your md's and theirs and the judge will decide.
good luck

[dhimitri5]

Hey there Missy. I am in OR and it seems the workers comp system here is just as frustrating. I was injured the first time in 2006, the doctor said it was a lower back sprain, gave me some vicodin, and told me to come back in a couple weeks. This went on for the next three years, same 5 min. visit, reflex tests and some vicodin(they love to prescribe that) even though there was every indication that it was more than that.I finally couldn't work anymore(after working hurt for three years). there were days, weeks I couldn't move from the pain.  I finally changed physicians did the p.t., and finally an MRI, which showed my disc was completely out, suffocating my sciatic nerve causing numbness in my left foot preceding the pain of a pinched nerve. I saw a micronueralsurgeon and he wanted to do an emergency op and remove the disc. I wasn't able to get any more info or a second opinion since that is when the ins. co. stepped in and claimed they were only treating a lower back sprain. So it's been a year of denials and postponements and that emergency surgery lost its emergency. I have had 2 IME the ins. co. set up. Now there's something I didn't know about. Doctors there solely to find a way out of not treating you! Hypocritical Oath!(a dog's obeyed in office)  They are now saying I have arthritis (which I don't) and disc degeneration (which is minimal for my age) and those are pre-existing conditions. They claim that they were only treating a lower back sprain and now I am cured of that. Somehow the pain persists. I have always been athletic, and this is a blow to my lifestyle. I am at a point where I psychologically am trying to accept my disability. Though I always have this hearing looming, it gives you some hope, then another denial or hearing postponement and I am disillusioned again.  It seems to me, as I sure it does for you, that this is all a travesty of an intelligent, caring society; between dealing with the ins. co. and 2nd opinions you become more cynical and despondent at every turn. These ins. co. exist for a reason. If I could have afforded my own ins. I would have, though I hear between the deductibles and pre-existing stuff, they are not so different. If they nationalize ins. will these co. become more helpful? I bet not. Well, at least now that I have experienced our health care system I feel uniquely American. I am so sorry about your situation. I researched c.e.s. and that is even more unnerving(no pun  intended) than my pinched sciatic. And then the whole thing about fusion,spurs,calcification and different procedures, it all seems too much to bear. Please keep your spirits up, and don't let them get to you. Hold your ground and make every doctor answer every question you have. When our actions do not, our fears do make us traitors. I miss the east coast! I am from S. ME. My younger brother is presently achieving his PHD at NYU; Movie history? who'd athunk that would be a phd program. Well good luck to you. Keep me updated w/your progress, I am realizing it helps to talk about it. Gooo Sox!
Best,
Adam    

[missy142]

Hi Dhimitri5,

I too have an L5/S1 herniation and am also on and dealing with workman's compensation.  They are absolutely horrible, i cant believe what they put people thru.  I have moderate to severe muscle weakness in my legs with paresthesias(in my case, burning in my right foot, left anterior thigh, groin area and right buttock.)  A few weeks ago my condition got so bad that I couldnt stand for more than 5 minutes my legs were so weak.  The burning I mentioned above has been going on a couple of months. Anyway my surgeon said "You have to have surgery". He said that I had "red flags"  which in his opinion was possibly the beginning of cauda equina syndrome.  I was very scared to have fusion surgery as I have heard nothing but bad things about it and very few good things.  And it seems the people with successful surgery inevidably  have more surgery due to scar tissue and further problems with disks above and below the original injured disk. So before my surgery the muscle weakness started to get better and now I can stand longer but I am far from well.  I decided to go ahead and have a 2nd opinion this monday actually.  I was hoping continued tx with my chiro would relieve the compression. However I am getting nervous and I dont want permanent damage even though i am not as bad as I was.

Would like to hear about your problems with workman's comp.  We probably have very similar ones.  What state do you live in?  Im in NY.

missy.

[dhimitri5]

I was afraid of that. Thankyou for your time, that's very thoughtful. My workman's comp hearing was supposed to be today; they postponed, AGAIN. Do you know any Canadians that want a husband, I make a mean poutine.

[kittyluv1]

I am sorry to hear of your continued problems.  Degenerative disc disease is a normal process of the wear and tear on our spines as we age which can be advanced with any traumatic injury such as you experienced.
When the intervertebral disc degenerates the cushion between our vertebrae is gone and the bones will start to shift and alter in structure. This causes narrowing of the spinal canal and the neural foramen through which the spinal nerve roots travel to the other areas of our body.
The goal of surgery is to remove the degenerated disc and all other bony particles that have developed with the changes of the vertebrae.  Then a bone graft is placed between the vertebrae and held in place with appropriate hardware to stabilize the spine until complete bone fusion is achieved.
Without surgery, the disc will continue to degenerate, the vertebrae will move and shift in position and the affected nerves will become even more compromised possibly leading to permanent neurological damages.  If you don't remove the pressure on the nerves, the nerve tissue dies and can not regain function.
I would definitely discuss your options with an orthopedic spine specialist or a neurosurgeon and get the appropriate treatment including surgery as indicated.
Post again with an update and let us know of your decisions.