ongoing back pain Doc sust if you are still around

[yannick35]

It has been a while since i have been here.

You guys told me to go for an MRI and guess what i did.

So 650$ later here is the diagnostic.

L1 L2 L3 L4 are normal

L4 L5 discopathy minimal reduction of the disk no hernia

L5 S1 discopathy minimal reduction of the disk with minimal pinching in space of the disk no hernia

I have been to two chiroprators for the last year and a half, one that got my posture fixed pertty good and the other one that worked my upper back and neck.

My second chiro who finally decided to send me for an MRI told me after he got the report back that all of this is normal for a 35 year old male, and that its not that bad.

I quit chiropratic this week because i am going to see a sport doctor.

I was wondering if my diagnostic is that bad, and if i will be able one day to live a normal life again.

The pain that i have is located on the right side of my back does not radiate into my buttock neither in my legs and i do not have numbness.

I did develop a condition called snapping hip joint in my right hip.

My chiro also tells me that my spin is fine according to the x rays, i decided to stop going because i feel that its not doing any good anymore. Both of my chiros where against machines and device for posture.

The sports clinic i am going to has a machine called spin force which is very good.

I can also be refered if needed to a orthopedic. Has of now i have no arthitis in the spin.

I dont know what treatments are best for my situation and if surgery is an option or not. I am afraid that since i dont have all the symtoms and hernia, leg pain, numbness and tingling that the sport doctor will get me into physical therapy. And i am 36 years old so some say they dont want to touch me just yet because surgery has its risk.

I cant say i am not afraid to go in surgery after all i have been true so far but if i must go i will for sure if it can get me better and back to a regular life.

I have attached 5 images of my MRI one that clearly shows the discopathy i have right now with the small pinching.

Thank you all

[gtrawee]

Your L5/S1 disc is definitely dessicated. The superior aspect shows a nuclear impression of the vertebral endplate. This means there is a significant amount of dehydration of which is corrected through imbibition (gradient changes into the disc, since there is not direct blood supply). Def does not require surgery but is NOT normal for healthy 35 yo. Your lordosis (lumbar curve) is moderately reduced as well adding xtra stress on discs. Best at home remedy is an inversion table with a lumbar extender (both can be found on ebay). May try to find Chiro with different technique...many out there and some work better for different people.

[gtrawee]

Also, taut/stronger hammies, weaker quads can lead to decreased lordosis. If this is the case, work on strengthening quads and core with more stretching of the hammies. Still incorporate prior suggestions with McKenzie extensions.

[MuscleScience]

Your L5/S1 disc is definitely dessicated. The superior aspect shows a nuclear impression of the vertebral endplate. This means there is a significant amount of dehydration of which is corrected through imbibition (gradient changes into the disc, since there is not direct blood supply). Def does not require surgery but is NOT normal for healthy 35 yo. Your lordosis (lumbar curve) is moderately reduced as well adding xtra stress on discs. Best at home remedy is an inversion table with a lumbar extender (both can be found on ebay). May try to find Chiro with different technique...many out there and some work better for different people.

Yeah I agree surgery should not even be an option at this point, I think you would regret that tremendously.

[yannick35]

Yeah I agree surgery should not even be an option at this point, I think you would regret that tremendously.

THanks everyone, i am just afraid that the disk will degenerate even more.

I am going to see a sport doctor and will have a lot of options. There i will have access to programs to get me back to a regular lifestyle, right now i have nagging pains, the clinic is top notch they have some really good machines for posture and one that is called spin force, also if i need to be refered to an orthopedist they have them on site.

At this point i feel that my current chiro did what he could and is stuck, i have been in chiropratic for a year and a half now so i guess its time to go somewhere else. Has i said my current chiro tells me that its normal degeneration that happens with aging, i felt like you guys that its not normal and feel that more attention should have been brought to the subject.

The chiro simply said they found nothing abnormal on the MRI so your issue is with subluxation and i will continue to cure you.

Now i am i going to be limited for the rest of my life, i would have very much loved to go back into martial arts?

I also plan to lose weight to put less pressure on the disks.

I just dont want to end up with a hernia or disk degeneration because this issue of discothpathy was not taken seriously.

I check out the lumbarextender i will wait before buying this, right now i can strech using my swiss ball.

I am also doing some strairmaster 3 times per week 20 minutes each time i dont know if its any good or i should just stop.

I will have a core strenghtening program for sure when i go to the clinic, and i guess they will point me in the right direction this time.

At home i have an infrared sauna which i think is very good to relax tense muscles, i use it everyday for 30 minutes.

I will start walking again to work.

I dont know how much this injury is going to take away from my life, i mean it has taken so much within the 7 years.

My pelvic keeps getting out of alignment, i have now develop a snapping hip joint, the sport clinic will be able to get me fixed at least thats what they said.

The chiro did a great job with posture but right now i feel that i have relief for 2-3 days then no matter what i do the nagging pains comes back.

[yannick35]

bump

[yannick35]

gtrawee is just simply amazing, i want to thank you very much once again for all the time spent on helping me out.

Everything you have told me has made my life worth living again, i have the inversion table, the lumbar extender and the posture pump.

I started weight lifting again in my basement and everything is going great, i am also seeing this sport physio that found out i have very weak pelvic muscles.

I have been working on this for almost a month now and it just keeps on getting better each day.

For this first time in seven years i will be able to enjoy my August vacation pain free crossing fingers.

I am also on a steady glucosamine, ***** 3 and multi vitamin regiment, and really working hard to rehydrate my disks.

I also take the bike each day to go to work now.

[lovbyts]

Wow, great to hear things worked out for you. I have been researching peoples back issues lately trying to get past mine.

[binder]

stay away from surgery!

i don't know why you are thinking surgery will stop a disc from degenerating. There is only one way for a human body to go in life and that's downhill. You said you currently do not have degeneration but you are thinking you should do surgery (well, thought at that time). This is a horrible mindset of Americans. They think if someone cuts on their body then it's fixed. Ask anyone that's had back surgery if their pain ever goes away. Everyone I know personally and through the office all have chronic back pain even after they are "fixed" by surgery.

I think gtrawee gave you some great advice. I'm glad you used his advice and not some person's advice that just wants to gain money off you and cut you open. There is a time and place for surgery, but you can't fix something that technically isn't happening.

also, many chiropractors have different techniques and are at different skill levels. When you find one that works well for you then you will know. It's sad to say that there are some really bad chiropractors out there that give them all a bad name.

[yannick35]

No more chiros i dont need them anymore, i just hate to say this but they made me worst then i was before going there, wost they drag me there for a year and a half 2 sessions per week, pain kept coming back they switch to 3 adjustments per week, when i said i wanted to get an MRI and go into sport medecin they discouraged me to do so., went into sport medecin to strenghten weak core and prolothrapy to strenghten lax ligaments and joints. What an amazing result.

You are right chiros are not the same, some practice prolotherapy, physio and even use posture machines, the ones i saw didnt do or beleived in any of this.

I did try to find better chiros with better formation but i was unsuccessful doing so.



Prolo is amazing.

[lovbyts]

I wish I had your L5-S1 disk, mine is 1/3 the normal size due to herniation I just got my 1st MRI since my surgery to see what else is going on in there due to pain still 1 yr later. I'm interested in finding out more about the prolotherapy therapy, sounds promising and better than getting my disk fussed.

[yannick35]

I wish I had your L5-S1 disk, mine is 1/3 the normal size due to herniation I just got my 1st MRI since my surgery to see what else is going on in there due to pain still 1 yr later. I'm interested in finding out more about the prolotherapy therapy, sounds promising and better than getting my disk fussed.

Prolotherapy is for weak ligaments and tendons, some will say that if you do have a hernia it will be good but i doubt it.

My main issue was an unstable pelvic, has soon has i lifted, bent or twisted the wrong way it would need to have it reajusted.

Prolotherapy can help you if you have lax ligaments other then this it will do nothing for you.

Have you tried supplementing your diet with glucosamine complex, collagen i posted a study on another post and that really worked for a 56 year old to rebuild part of is DDD disk.

Also there is a new treatment called stem cells might want to check into this has well.

MRI can be misleading for sure check out rebuildyourback.com website for all the info you will ever need on back pain, and all the studies that they did MRI 85% of people had hernia and DDD had no pain at all.

Also an inversion table is good to decompress the lower back to make sure that DDD doesnt get worst.

Good luck to you back pain sucks, but if you do your research i am sure that there is a way for you to be pain free.

[lovbyts]

I suffered for yeas with L3 & L4 herniation from 1985 until I could not walk or stand more than 15 minutes and had quite a bit of sciatic nerve pain. I had surgery in 2006 and it was GREAT, almost 100% pain free by 2007 and then ruptured L5 November 2007 worst pain I had ever been in. Basically paralyzed, couldn't walk, sit or stand for more than 1 minute. MRI showed disk was ruptured and pressing on sciatic nerves. Surgery relieved 80% but it still feels weak and even with a LOT of light work I have a pain but nothing crippling anymore and nothing unbearable most of the time but it does make it hard to get out of bed in the mornings.
Thanks for the advice and information.

[yannick35]

I suffered for yeas with L3 & L4 herniation from 1985 until I could not walk or stand more than 15 minutes and had quite a bit of sciatic nerve pain. I had surgery in 2006 and it was GREAT, almost 100% pain free by 2007 and then ruptured L5 November 2007 worst pain I had ever been in. Basically paralyzed, couldn't walk, sit or stand for more than 1 minute. MRI showed disk was ruptured and pressing on sciatic nerves. Surgery relieved 80% but it still feels weak and even with a LOT of light work I have a pain but nothing crippling anymore and nothing unbearable most of the time but it does make it hard to get out of bed in the mornings.
Thanks for the advice and information.

I am sorry to ear this, please let me refer you to this website register its free.

Its a sit on spinal disorder and the people over there will be able to help you out with any questions that you do have, there is a user there called MarcN he is absolutely great.

Most people who post there have are had very similar problem and do know how much pain you suffer, many have had or are going to have surgery, fusion, and a lot more.

Some are expert in pain management too.

http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/...play.php?f=251

I really hope that they can help you out with you pain and make you feel better.

[kickinit]

Your L5/S1 disc is definitely dessicated. The superior aspect shows a nuclear impression of the vertebral endplate. This means there is a significant amount of dehydration of which is corrected through imbibition (gradient changes into the disc, since there is not direct blood supply). Def does not require surgery but is NOT normal for healthy 35 yo. Your lordosis (lumbar curve) is moderately reduced as well adding xtra stress on discs. Best at home remedy is an inversion table with a lumbar extender (both can be found on ebay). May try to find Chiro with different technique...many out there and some work better for different people.

Yep second this.

I would also look into corisone steriod injections, helped me ALOT. Its only a bandaid but depending on your physical condition IE overweight, you can handle the swelling/pain for a while to do what you need to do to get what you to get DONE.

[Kratos]

MRI looks very healthy compared to the ones I see in surgery.

[yannick35]

MRI looks very healthy compared to the ones I see in surgery.

Thanks Kratos this is why i had a second opinion other then the chiro, that told me he was the only one that could help me LOL.

A medical doctor looked at it and told me that there is no degeneration, only dark disk.

I dont need cortisol shots, because the pain did not come from the disks but from the lax ligaments which are being fix by prolotherapy right now.

So if my spin is not damaged then i have the green light to start martial arts again?

[Kratos]

Your disc is slightly dark and that shows dehydration but isn't all that bad at all. You have a sligtly irregular shape to your disc space ie a sligtly larger concavity and posterior osteophyte, but nothing that would be causing you pain. I would say your pain is not from the disc or at least if it is there is no mri explaination for it. Unless you want to go through discography to find out more (they inject presure into the disc to see and x-ray it to see if it causes you pain), but I wouldn't do that test. Unless the pain is persistant and extreme I would assume you're on the road to recovery.

Do you feel like you could start matial arts? If so yeah, do it...there is nothing wrong in there as far as the dura or nerve roots. If it doesn't hurt start with ab exercises, you don't want to rush connective tissue or muscle injuries. Do what you feel like you can.

[yannick35]

Thanks a million Kratos, this MRI was last taken in April 2007, i have been on glucosamine complexe and collagen since then, dont know if its possible to rehydrate a disk or not but its worth a try.

Thanks again.

[lovbyts]

Sorry this was supposed to be new thread, didnt mean to thread jack.