Surgery for herniated discs?
sushipup1
5 years ago
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sushipup1
5 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (5)Laurie, I recommend you grab your x-rays and run to an orthopedist now and if he/she recommends surgery, I would run to the operating room immediately. Bone spurs do not go away, they just grow bigger and cause more agony and damage and can even break off. If the disc comes apart and damages the nerves, you may be looking at a lifetime in a wheelchair. Different circumstances, but my stepson lived as a quadraplegic for nine years after he broke C-4 until he died in his sleep at the age of 34. He was foolish and had to race his motorcycle on rainy mountain roads. Don't be foolish and drag this along until it is too late to operate. Cortisone may take away the pain and reduce the inflammation, but it doesn't fix the problem. Traction is not going to fix the disc or remove the spurs either. They may give you some relief from pain, but it just might cause you to wait too long to fix the problem and end up in far worse and irreparable condition. Right now, the problem is at its easiest to fix, and from here on out, it is going to become more and more difficult to get a satisfactory result. Just my personal opinion. You have plenty of time before the holidays to get it done, if the doctor recommends surgery....See MoreQuestions about back surgeries...little long
Comments (19)Patti - My mom, who turned 70 this past February, had major back surgery last October. My mom has had back problems for probably 30 years. During that time, she's worn a tinge unit, had I don't know how many pain shots and a whole host of other pain management treatments. She was diagnosed with spinal stenosis and the doctors told her years ago that the day would come when the pain management would stop working and she'd have to either live on heavy duty pain pills for the rest of her life or have surgery. She went for a pain shot in August 2007 and said she knew when she left the doctor's office that it wasn't working because in every case before, she had instant relief. She ended up having surgery the first part of October. I'm not going to tell you that it was easy for her - it wasn't. Mother is overweight which is a strike against her right there, but I will have to say that she did better than I EVER thought she would. My stepdad is a gem and was right by her side the entire time. She had a brace that she had to wear every single time she got up, even if it was in the middle of the night and she had to go to the bathroom - she had to put it on, and she had to do that until April. She said she has no regrets at all about having it done and her quality of life is so much better. We were at their house a few Saturdays ago for dinner and I saw her bend completely over to pour clean water in her dog's bowl - she didn't even flinch. I honestly think if my mother can do it, almost anyone can. I hope Denny decides to go through with it. Yes, it's hard at first, but once you get through those first few weeks, it gets better. And I will say that I was against mother having the surgery because I'd heard all the horror stories of back surgery from years ago. I have another friend that I use to work with - she's my mother's age, and she had the exact same surgery 2 years ago. She said it was the best thing she's ever done - she had hers done in October and the following April went on an around the world cruise. Good luck with the decision. Please keep us posted....See MoreDoes anyone else have back disc problems?
Comments (10)This is my story. I have gone thorough the same things, was in so much pain could not walk, sit, lay or even eat, lots of numbness. Did not want to keep taking pain pills and was scheduled for back surgery on the following Monday. I literally crawled out of bed to my desk and in grabbing stuff the phone book fell open at my feet to a page for a local chiropractor(also neurological specialist). I had never been to one in my life but at that point was willing to give it a try, since it seemed to be my sign. I called and the doctor answered(it was closing time), I was in tears and told him my situation. He said can you get here now? I called my husband to come home and take me there (I had to lay in the back of the suv). That was on the Friday afternoon, he saw me evaluated me and looked at my mri and xrays I brought with me. He put the tens machine on my back with heat for 10 mins or so then he put me on the decompression table, he said this will be your miracle. After that he did some work on my back and told me to come back Saturday to do it again and he would meet me back at his clinic after church on Sunday, we wanted to get as much in as possible before my Surgery scheduled on Monday. He told me I would start to feel improvement with in about an hour after the decompression. He was right, I went back each day and by Monday I was up, walking, had very little pain remaining and called to cancel the surgery. We continued a few times a week till I was ok to only go every few weeks. I have continued to go have decompression sessions every few months now and I can tell when it is time for me to go, and I am back pain free, no pain drugs, and did indeed find my miracle. Decompression is truly a miracle. I do not know where I would be today if that phone book had not fallen at my feet. But I sure do thank which ever of my guardian angels sent that to me. I bought my own tens machine so anytime I begin to feel any twinges I sit with my tens on for a while which helps till I go have decompression. I have several other people that I suggested trying decompression to and they have had incredible success also. the science behind decompression is sound, it is very similar to traction. Now there are a lot of physical therapy facilities that use decompression. When I moved here one of the first things I did was find an office near me that had a decompression table. there are many sites that can explain spinal decompression if you google it this is just one. This is an FDA approved non-surgical option. What is Spinal Decompression Therapy?...See MoreAnyone with disc degeneration ?
Comments (10)Gosh I hate to be the "nay-sayer" here, but.....I strugled for 10 years with stenosis and ruptured disks and severe back pain. I cannot count the 'practices" I have tried...from chriopractor, acupuncture. that stretching machine and neurologists from Modesto Ca, to Oregon....all telling me that they could not rid me of any of my pain. Oh Pain Clinics too....horible, and epidurals...several. When my Balance became impaired and I went to a balance clinic...they alarmingly sent me to a spine clinic, fearing that the stenosis was begining to impact other functions (like bladder and balance) and immediately sent me to a spine surgeon at the Oregon Spine Clinic in Medford, where I met the most remarkable young surgeon (recently finished training in SF) who performed two separate surgeries over 3 days. First day going in from my side to take care of the disks, rest a day...then doing that lamenectomy (sp) where they usually put in pins and plates. Andy put in bone grafts....I was on my feet the very next day and had a spectacularly short recovery time with no limitations, to this day.It was so successful. I do not have the back pain that had nearly crippled me. My back still gets tired and I have not lost the weight I needed to lose ( that part is looking better today, as my knees and severe anemia are finally under control and we have started an exercise progam) I am 77 and feel today that I have been given back 10 years of my life. BTW I did have to develope kidney failure to get the anemia attended to, and I do get injections every two weeks.....kidney failure due to taking too many OTC pain medications. I think that the treatment for my anemia is how they are stabilizing my kidneys...and I am good so far. Sorry this is so long. I guess my message is that you should not give up trying to find "your" way. I am sure my guardian angel put Andy in my path just when my back really needed it....like an answer to a prayer. The same with the kidneys. I have had the aanemia for years with no answers or cure except for a bone marrow transplant....now those red blood cells are perking along famously....and I am so grateful....See Morerob333 (zone 7b)
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