Snowbunny21 said...
Hi there....welcome to the boards...It's a wonderful place:)
May I ask a few questions as we try to understand your pain journey a bit better? We are certainly not Drs. here and can only provide support/suggestions as other pain patients...
Have you been to see a Board Certified Neurosurgeon or BC Orthopedic surgeon to do tests like a x-ray, MRI, or nerve conduction studies to find out what is going on with your back?
I would hope so after 5 years....but if it's been awhile since you did this and your pain is getting worse...I would think that getting a good view of what is going on is crucial.
A good Neuro will never rush into surgery. That should always be the absolute last resort in any case.
The usual plan of attack is physical therapy, injectsion, aqua therapy, traction, massage, even acupuncture, and making sure that you don't smoke (this is now proven to cause dehydration of discs in the spine), eating well and maintaning a healthy weight.
Have you had any type of treatment? How about any medications that help those with back issues like nerve pain meds (Lyrica, Neurontin or Cymbalta) or a muscle relaxer like Flexeril, Robaxin, Skelaxin, or Bacolfen?
The good news is that 85% of those with back/neck issues can be treated conservatively (non surgically) with the right combination of modalities. That is why it is critical to get to the best Dr. for a diagnosis to pinpoint the areas of pain.
Then there are those that need surgery....and even then....many surgeries are successful and have people back to work and living their lives with littel to no pain.
What you find on this board, as well as other places online...are going to be those where it didn't work very well and they now have chronic pain. So I just want people to be aware that it just "seems" to be that no one gets better or has success with surgery if they read the boards here.:(.
So...I always hope and pray that someone new here will be one of those good stories and can get the treatment and/or surgery to help their pain.
Either way...we are here to support and empathize.
Hopefully you can share a bit more about your journey and what Drs. you see and what treatments you are getting now..
Please be aware that the boards a bit slower on the weekends...especially a holiday one like this one.
Hope you can do something that brings you joy this weekend:)
I have seen three Orthopedic specialists over a span of time. First I was diagnosised with a slight kyphosis ( which I think is true, because a lot of people told me that my spine is slightly curved). What triggered me to go to the doctor was muscle spasms in the lower back. You know, painful and sharp pulling of the muscles.
The treatment the doctor gave me was a combination of physical therapy to develop the back muscles and some medication which involved some muscle relaxant I guess.
The rest of the Docs I consulted gave me the same treatment of physical therapy + medication. Once I did an X-Ray, but it was cleared with nothing unusual about
the spine.
The problem is, I don't think these treatments are having much effect; the pain is getting no better. I've learned to hate medication because I am looking for a treatment, not for a temporary release from a constant pain.