MRI results = Disc protrusion/annular tear and severe neural foraminal stenosis

Janderso

Janderso

Jeff Anderson
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I've had back issues for many years. In the last six months I have noticed sciatic type pain on both sides and a moderate to severe, at times, nerve activity down the legs.
I also find if I am machining or standing in one spot for a while I have stiffening and quite a bit of pain.
I wasn't expecting this diagnosis. Several of my lumbar vertebrae are involved with severe central canal narrowing as well.
I am scheduled to see my primary doc today and she will send me off to a neurologist to see if there is any permanent nerve damage.
I know many of you suffer from back problems, I'm wondering if any of you have found relief from steroid injections/epidural?
Physical therapy?
I'm at the discovery stage of this new development.
I do not want surgery!
Thanks for your thoughts.
Jeff
 
I've had similar issues for the last 11 years to varying degrees, at 2 points in this period I haven't been able to walk for a week each.
What has helped me is lots of physical therapy, both moving on my own and with help of a rehab trainer to help me figure out what exactly needs to be trained up to help with spine stability.
I know some people find it controversial but chiropractors has also helped a bit, just have to find a professional one and not a quack..

Late edit: Only consider surgery as an absolutely last resort.
Exhaust all other options with patience first.
 
The first thing I would do would be to get a high potency bottle of B complex vitamins. They are all water soluble vitamins so
safe to take every day. They are not a cure all but certainly are beneficial for healthy nerves. You are on the right track going to
a neurologist.
 
My doctors couldn't do anything for similar problems, I basically couldn't walk more than about 100 feet any longer. I stopped by the sporting goods store on my way home from the last doctor visit and picked up an inversion table on sale for $100. Ended the problem in a couple of days. About 10 minutes/day of hanging upside down did wonders for me. This was about 10 years ago and I'm still going, and I haven't been to a doctor since.
 
I had fusion back surgery over 35 years ago(I'm sure they used hammers and chisels at the time). Lumbar region. Had significate nerve damage that was able to be cared for in a positive way. I don't take any pain meds, I only try to keep myself in fairly good shape. I'm 62 and still have my bad days, but staying mobile even on those days was the key for me.
 
I have had degenerative disc issues for many years. Got so bad I could barely walk. I had one epidural injection many years ago and fortunately that took care of the worst of the pain but it has been a constant companion since. What I found helped more than anything was exercise. I started taking a class at the Y called gravity, which uses the commercial version of the Total Gym that you see Christie Brinkley and Chuck Norris use on TV. It is a full body workout and the stretching and core exercises kept me relatively pain-free as long as I was working out. When I stopped I definitely felt it. I think a big piece of it is piriformis stretching.

Good luck.
 
My younger brother has had the top 3-4 vertebrae and same at the bottom of his spine fused. On top of that rotator cuff on both sides. He's disabled and has no feeling in his hands and they are so swollen all the time he can't make a fist. On his first surgery they almost killed him. He was swollen from his cheeks down to his chest and had no neck and couldn't breathe. When he complained to his nurse she called him a sissy so got dressed somehow and went down and checked himself out and walked the 10 blocks home at 3am in downtown Stockton. I think the only reason nobody mugged him was he truly looked like a zombie being black and blue from his eyes down to his chest. When his doc came in the next morning to check on him and found him gone he called and my brother told him what happened and they sent an ambulance to get him. When his doc examined him he broke down and cried at the sight of him. Of course that didn't stop his doc from charging again for another surgery.

I experienced the most excruciating pain I've ever felt when my neck basically locked up. Aspirin, no meds even dented the pain. Went to a chiropractor and he X rayed my neck and from basically 50yrs of everything I did as a mech/welder/fabricator always looking down I had no natural bow in my neck pinching a nerve. My neck was so frozen I had to drink with a straw because I could not even look straight ahead only down. The only thing the chiropractor did that was good was the X-ray , none of his stuff worked and could not lay on a couch. Luckily there was a new acupuncturist in town straight from Bejing university. I am terrified of needles and never would have contemplated this but had not slept in 4 days as if I laid down the pain got worse until I had to get up. She did her thing and I could for the first time look level and was able to sleep. Down form a constant 10 to about a 8. Went back next day, down from 8 to 5, could now turn my head a little and drink normally. Went back day to two later and down from 5 to 2/3 and after a few days back to normal.
Sorry for the long book.
 
Wow,
You guys have been there and done that.
My wife swears by her accupunturist. She does yoga too. I'm 63, in pretty good health. I have a lot to live for. I would like to nip this in the bud as soon as I can.
Thanks for the support.
 
Hang in there. I'm proud for ya that you want to avoid surgery. And are at least skeptical of western med. I have been through the ringer and learned that with the right therapy I can avoid it and be not only be ok but defy the odds. But there are a bunch of quacks on both sides and I'll be the first to admit in both of my dire scrapes i was insanely lucky to find the right person and I found the cure. The problem with the spine is its treated as its fragile and it is not. It's far more robust than surgeons would have you believe. DiscoDan hit the nail on the head that stretching and strength are key and more and more vital as we age. My neck problem was relieved by acupuncture but it took stretching and exercise to counteract those decades of work that took me in the wrong direction.
Best of luck.
 
I've had lower back issues for a few years now. Lots of injuries of various types over many years roaming this planet. But, the last year or two have been pretty bad. A couple of weeks ago my wife told me that since I sleep on my side that I need to put a small pillow between my knees when I sleep. (She was an ER nurse for most of her life and knows a thing or two..)

So, WTH? I thought I'd give it a shot. Had a little 'camping' pillow and I stuffed it between my knees at night. Took a night or two to get used to it but ----- problem solved!

Now, I wake up with no back pain whatsoever. I still can't push it like I did when I was younger and by the end of the day my back is tired but I'm not in pain all day like I was before.

So, if you sleep on your side, give it a shot. The pillow I'm using compresses down to maybe 2 or 3"; it's not huge, but, it's enough..

(Also, physical therapy is GREAT and so is staying in shape. I do my PT exercises (mostly yoga stuff) E V E R Y morning right out of bed. Have missed maybe 10 days in the past 3 years. Life changing, I tell ya..)

MK
 
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