So, after 6 months of dealing with nerve pain and limited range of movement in my left knee (the one that I had repaired last year) I finally convinced my Ortho to do and MRI on my lower back (as recommended by both my Chiropractor and the Physical Therapist) and a 2nd one on my left knee. The knee is fine (no new damage) but is very arthritic and may need another clean-out soon. He mentioned that he might want to go in and "permanently put it back in place" but I am not sure what he meant by that). I have another appointment with him this Friday. The herniated disk is between the L5 and S1 and is pressing on the nerve which is creating electrical shooting pains in various parts of my leg ranging from the quad all the way to the arch of my foot (intermittent). And it keeps me from bending my knee past 90 degrees. I did a course of 6 days of steroids which took it from really bad to a little better (I'm guessing I'm about 50%) at the moment. The next options the Ortho recommended are 1) Epidurals and 2) possible surgery if the shots don't work. Danielle recommended looking into "Spinal Decompression" so I have a consultation for that this afternoon. Please share with me your stories and recommend any local Spine Doctors, treatments, etc. PLEASE!!!!
My disc slips in and out, been that way for about 25 years, I usually have an episode once a year where I can't walk for a few days....situps help a little bit. My friend had the surgery, I think they went in thru his stomach for some reason...no thanks....but if you do find a cure post it! Also if you have flat feet, wear inserts, it will heal sciatica.
hey nancy.:wave: i am glad that you're looking into the spinal decompression choice. I think it's a very viable option nowadays. my previous chiropractor had just gotten one and i used it a couple of times and felt a noticeable improvement immediately. i don't have a herniated disc but i do suffer from chronic low back pain, etc. so I can only imagine how beneficial a regimen on the machine would be for you! It doesn't turn you as upside down as an inversion table and gently stretches you while in an anti-gravity state allowing the fluid to re-enter the discs. it feels delicious and I found it very relaxing. If you find you like the machine and what it can do but don't jibe with the doctor, let me know and I can give you the name of the doctor I went to. Let us know how it goes.
So sorry to hear this, DenMo Both Ranger Nancy & I have had "back battles" for many years. She goes to a chiro at least 2-3 times a week. She went through a series of spinal decompression treatments & said they really worked for her. The principle seems sound. More than just treating the symptoms, they address the root cause. The problem is the cost. They are expensive. I had a disectomy done (a really low invasive operation) about 5 years ago by Sylvain Palmer, one of the top guys in the country I found out later. They cleaned out the disc material that had been ruptured to about 10 mm. It was really pressing on the nerve bundle. I walked out of the outpatient that afternoon a new person and never looked back. I still have issues every once in a while from the spinosis (narrowing of the spinal canal/old age...ugh!) but am able to whether these bouts and continue the riding, climbing, snow boarding etc, etc... Good luck ... ain't it a bitch, growing old!!!:lol:
Sorry to hear you are suffering still. Looks like Quinn can hook you up with some relief. Feel better soon!
I have this one: http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_...ts&cName=Fitness&sName=Inversion+&+Stretching It was on sale for $80 last year in store. I've seen them for as much as $400-$500.:?: They all do the same thing.
Hey Nancy, we can chat about this a little more this weekend. Doctor wise, I'm not sure how far you'd like to travel. Being it's your spine, though, it's worth looking at all our medical options. I'd highly recommend Bob Watkins here in LA. I believe he now operates out of Centinela. However, he sees patients in the SG Valley somewhere. Number's 310-448-7890.
Nancy, I'm sorry to hear about your newly found challenges. I suppose a good side to this is that you now know the source of some of the pain. As you know, I can't comment on spinal doctors because I'm afraid to see one regarding my own problems!
Sorry Nancy, but at least you know which tiger to grab by the tail. My buddy is looking at non-surgical therapies and sent me this link. http://www.drx9000spinaldecompression.com/
Sucks to hear N, hope what ever the Docs do works well. I have no specific DR to recommend but I have always had good success withe the Dr's at SCOI I see a few different Dr's there who specialize in specific parts of the body. One for hand/forearm, one for knee and one sports med. Dr for the not so serious injuries. Good group of Doctors and they have offices all over. :beer:
I went through spinal decompression when I slipped a disc... thankfully it didn't rupture. I felt a 50% improvement after the first session and by the 6th, I was completely pain free. I'm not a doctor but I'd recommend it to anyone with chronic back problems so long as nothing is ruptured.
Inversion Tables Thanks everyone!!! Has anyone actually researched the difference in Inversion Tables (i.e. cost, features, safety, etc.)? It looks like they run from $100 - $500 but I am wondering what the difference is. A friend of mine cautioned against the cheaper ones and his father bought one and fell out of it and damaged his neck.
Sorry to hear about the continuing problems Nancy. Best wishes for a quick & complete recovery. Now that I'm a short stone's throw from the big 5-0, maybe the elders of this tribe should hit up the Godfather for our very own Geriatrics Forum? :lol:
* I own a Teeter (Hang-Ups) 5000! Quite pleased! * I also own gravity boots (included w/purchase) * If your friend "fell-out" of his inversion table, I suspect it was user error! * Most people believe full-inversion will produce the best results. Nothing can be further from the truth. The rush of blood to one's head, is too much for most people. Others complain of eye pressure! For some, inversion is simply NOT recommended! * I suspect you will be most comfortable between 45-60 degrees Another useful tool is a ZERO GRAVITY RECLINER Comfortable... Relaxing... Decompress while you watch television Prices range from $200-$1,500 http://www.relaxtheback.com/zero-gravity-recliners-subcategory-6389767 Final thought: Most back related issues can be helped with a regular dose of abdominal exercises. If you can't do a sit-up: *Take a deep breath *Fully contract your abdominal muscles *Breathe out very-slowly and powerfully (while contracting your muscles) *Don't stop until you have ZERO air left in your body *Repeat
I won't bore you with all the details of my back catastrophe but I will say a HUGE first step is actually dealing with it vs. living with excruciating pain in the hopes that it will magically go away on it's own. That's the la-la land I came from and almost paid the ultimate price by becoming paralyzed in 2003 but luckily for me, it wasn't permanent and I recovered some of the nerve damage but no where near 100% and never will be. If I had done what you're doing now, my struggles and recovery would've been 1/100 easier then they ended-up. Basically, don't wait until the shit hits the fan and listen to your body and your neurosurgeon. Forget about Ortho's. Nerve's are no joke and should only be handled by Neuro's. It's hurting and crying out for help for good reason. Thank goodness for modern medicine and MRI machines. Otherwise, it's almost hopeless. If you want to know more, I'll pm you my little ordeal later tonight or tomorrow. Some here from the golden Socalmtb.com days might still remember. I know it scared the shit out of many, out of fear that the same could happen to them. Take care and let us know what's going on.
