Herniated disc at t5-t6,Suggested depomedrol epidoral injection

[dedic8ed1]

Anyone had this treatment and if so what did you do to maximise healing to get back in the gym?

[Doc.Sust]

not a fan of it, but it can help alleviate some pain. sure you have a herniation? was it seen on an mri?

[dedic8ed1]

Yes my MRI indicates it,I just got back from my pain managment appt and my doc told me that this is the only treatment for this problem,I asked about the side effects of the drug and he said he knows of none,and also said it's pretty much the same thing as cortizone then I said I've heard that cortizone weakens the ligimits surrounding the injection spot and he said if I wanna heal and get back to training I have to take the shot or shots if neccessary and just take it really easy over the next couple of weeks.What do you think doc.sust?

[magic32]

Firstly, did you get a copy of your MRI report?
If not, contact the secretary and have her fax, mail or hold it for you. This will tell you the condition of your spine as typically there is degeneration in other discs as well, but more importantly it'll tell you the extent of your herniation...mild/small, moderate/medium, or severe/large.

A strong pain reliever like that is not, I repeat NOT designed to get one back into the gym. This is for extreme pain suffers only! The primary reason your proposal of an epidural should never be used by a weight lifter is that it can mask further damage/pain/herniation.

Tell us more about your pain...

• persistent/erratic?
• does it move down the adjacent leg?
• is there tingling, and if so how far down does it go?
• are you taking a pain reliever?
• can you sleep without drugs?

Your doc is wrong there are alternatives, here are a few:
http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=273829

Note: Many surgery patients still have problems, it's not the cure they portray it to be.

M.

[dedic8ed1]

Firstly, did you get a copy of your MRI report?
If not, contact the secretary and have her fax, mail or hold it for you. This will tell you the condition of your spine as typically there is degeneration in other discs as well, but more importantly it'll tell you the extent of your herniation...mild/small, moderate/medium, or severe/large.

A strong pain reliever like that is not, I repeat NOT designed to get one back into the gym. This is for extreme pain suffers only! The primary reason your proposal of an epidural should never be used by a weight lifter is that it can mask further damage/pain/herniation.

Tell us more about your pain...

• persistent/erratic?
• does it move down the adjacent leg?
• is there tingling, and if so how far down does it go?
• are you taking a pain reliever?
• can you sleep without drugs?

Your doc is wrong there are alternatives, here are a few:
http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=273829

Note: Many surgery patients still have problems, it's not the cure they portray it to be.

M.

1- persistant
2-no
3-no
4-no,they don't work,aleve,tylenol,advil, Ib profin,none work,
5-yes
Here's my MRI report:
FINDINGS:MRI of the thoracic spine was performed at 1.5 Tesla

Vertebral bodies and marrow signal:There is normal vertebral bodt alignment.Vertebral body stature is normal without evidence of acute or chronic fracture.There is normal marrow signal throughout.

Cord:No intrinsic cord lesion.

Discs:At T5-T6,there is a small midline disc herniation contacting the ventral cord surface.There are mild buldges of the T7-T8 andT8-T9 discs.There os no cord compression at any level.

IMPRESSION:Small herniation at T5-T6,No cord compression.

[magic32]

1- persistant
2-no
3-no
4-no,they don't work,aleve,tylenol,advil, Ib profin,none work,
5-yes
Here's my MRI report:
FINDINGS:MRI of the thoracic spine was performed at 1.5 Tesla

Vertebral bodies and marrow signal:There is normal vertebral bodt alignment.Vertebral body stature is normal without evidence of acute or chronic fracture.There is normal marrow signal throughout.

Cord:No intrinsic cord lesion.

Discs:At T5-T6,there is a small midline disc herniation contacting the ventral cord surface.There are mild buldges of the T7-T8 andT8-T9 discs.There os no cord compression at any level.

IMPRESSION:Small herniation at T5-T6,No cord compression.

That's the best news a disc injured person can receive. You don't have a major problem and should definitely cancel the epidural...you're fine.

I'm truly sorry to hear that your pain is persistent. However, it's no surprise that OTC relievers aren't helping. Be weary of Ibuprophen it'll help with inflammation but also damages internal linings and membrane walls.

Again, the reason to avoid strong long-term meds for lifting is because pain can be a friend if used as a precursor to further damage. Thus, you want to employ it, not drug it away. A much better pain option than the epidural, would be those with doses you control. Visit your physician and try Tylenol with Codeine which works quite well for disc patients. If it doesn't help, another very good medication for this problem is Ultram ER (Tramadol Hydrochloride Extended-Release Tablets).

Once your pain is under control you can continue lifting, but will need to take some precautionary measures:

• No oblique work, this will aggravate the injury.
• No sudden torso turning or twisting; use your whole body for these movements.
• No weighted, bent over lifting i.e. deadlifts, good mornings, etc.

Best to you,

M.

[dedic8ed1]

Finally some positive feedback,thanks magic I've been going nuts about this shit and you finally gave me some closure on the matter,your the man bro.I'm gonna try accupuncture and maybe a chiropractor and or deep tissue massage and see what happens.Thanks again.

[magic32]

Glad to help.

And don't misunderstand me; I'm not against epidurals for people who truly require the pain relief, as many severely herniated people do in order to function. I just don't think they should be used for the potentially harmful purpose of lifting.

Oddly enough, everyone I talk to at my gym about this problem either has it currently, or is one degree of separation away from someone who does.

It's unfortunate that the general bb'er population is unaware of disc rupturing prevalence, and only becomes aware when it’s too late. The problem is cumulative, and men between ages 30 and 40 who lift heavy weights are most prone. Those who lift heavy and have a tendency to cheat at the end of sets, a common technique for increasing capacity (and an actual Weider principle), are most at risk. They continually degenerate discs, and cause pressure on the supporting tissues until it finally ruptures though the membrane wall.

Alas, many people I’ve spoken to continue to have long successful lifting careers, when exercising care and mindfulness.

M.

[Doc.Sust]

Firstly, did you get a copy of your MRI report?
If not, contact the secretary and have her fax, mail or hold it for you. This will tell you the condition of your spine as typically there is degeneration in other discs as well, but more importantly it'll tell you the extent of your herniation...mild/small, moderate/medium, or severe/large.

A strong pain reliever like that is not, I repeat NOT designed to get one back into the gym. This is for extreme pain suffers only! The primary reason your proposal of an epidural should never be used by a weight lifter is that it can mask further damage/pain/herniation.

Tell us more about your pain...

• persistent/erratic?
• does it move down the adjacent leg?
• is there tingling, and if so how far down does it go?
• are you taking a pain reliever?
• can you sleep without drugs?

Your doc is wrong there are alternatives, here are a few:
http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=273829

Note: Many surgery patients still have problems, it's not the cure they portray it to be.

M.

let me clarify, magic, i do kniow of those options, BUT ii relaize the limited succes rat with these treatments, i should have worded my sentence properly. i am fan of decompression therapy, i wasnt aware though it could be used fot the T spine, ithought it was for the C and L spine.

[magic32]

Doc Sust,

I wasn't referring to anything you said above. I was speaking of his doctor not being aware of, or willing to inform him of other alternatives.

Many of these therapies are attempted with modified chiro tables and thus limited in scope. However, the original VAX-D table (Vertebral Axial Decompression), is quite capable of lumbar decompression and has an overall success rate of 86%. Although, I'm inclined to believe this percentage is reflective of pain relief, and not complete disc retraction and repositioning.

M.

[Doc.Sust]

Doc Sust,

I wasn't referring to anything you said above. I was speaking of his doctor not being aware of, or willing to inform him of other alternatives.

Many of these therapies are attempted with modified chiro tables and thus limited in scope. However, the original VAX-D table (Vertebral Axial Decompression), is quite capable of lumbar decompression and has an overall success rate of 86%. Although, I'm inclined to believe this percentage is reflective of pain relief, and not complete disc retraction and repositioning.

M.

no problem magic. again can the vax-d be used with success for thoracic hernaitions?

[magic32]

That's a good question Doc, and I'm really not sure.

Consequently, I called two renowned SDT facilities and got diametrically opposed responses, but note the differences in position titles. The Back Pain Institute in IL (secretary) said "yes", and the American Back Intitute of New Orleans (technician) said "no, it only works for the lumbar and first sacral).

http://www.backpaininstitute.info/
http://www.backpaininstitute.com

M.

[Doc.Sust]

That's a good question Doc, and I'm really not sure.

Consequently, I called two renowned SDT facilities and got diametrically opposed responses, but note the differences in position titles. The Back Pain Institute in IL (secretary) said "yes", and the American Back Intitute of New Orleans (technician) said "no, it only works for the lumbar and first sacral).

http://www.backpaininstitute.info/
http://www.backpaininstitute.com

M.

i will take the technicians advice!

[magic32]

Answering some of our questions Doc:

Q: Is Spinal Decompression Therapy the same as traction or inversion tables?
A: Traction and inversion tables can help but don’t get to the root of the problem like Spinal Decompression Therapy tables. Most back pain sufferers have a process that develops over time. Trauma to the muscles, vertebrae or discs occurs either by small microtraumas or actual injuries producing joint stiffness. The joint stiffness leads to disc dehydration which is termed degenerative disc disease causing the disc to crack and then tears can develop producing bulges or herniations. Spinal Decompression Therapy produces a vacuum effect within the disc drawing fluids back into the disc, rehydrating and drawing any bulges or herniations back into place. The fluids drawn back into the disc contain oxygen and nutrients that create the healing environment that corrects the problem.

Q: Is Spinal Decompression Therapy FDA approved?
A: Yes Spinal Decompression Therapy is FDA approved. In fact, the first Spinal Decompression Therapy table was FDA approved in 1989.

SDT:
http://www.kcspinedecompression.com/
http://www.truepainrelief.com/FAQs.htm#2
http://members.aol.com/prairievbaseball/faq.html

Disc Injury:
http://www.back.com/faq.html

M.

[dedic8ed1]

The info provided by both you guys is I must say terrific and I'm very happy to be a part of a board where character and knowledge are so abundant.Thank's guys,Have a merry christmas and a happy new year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dedic8ed1]

This link I must say has told me everything I need to know about my herniated disc,What a relief,thanks again guys

http://www.back.com/faq.html

[magic32]

Glad to help.

M.