Back problems.......

[GreenheadJim]

My wife found out today that she has a herniated disc in her lower back. The doctor told her that the only way to fix it is surgeory. They are going to try to treat it first with a cortisone shot and a whole bunch of pills. She is in shear agony. She won't even talk about have a operation. Any helpful tips out there?

[redduck]

Make her get the surgery. Wife had same problem several years ago. Was in screaming agony for weeks and to make long story short. Finally saw the right MD and had surgery. Instant relief. Still has a few problems but not in pain.

[Jelly]

make her get the surgery, the pills are nothing but narcotics, seriously

[Deagle]

Pills and shots are just a mask for the pain. Surgery will fix the problem. I went through the same thing with my dad last year. I told one of my customers who had already had surgery to convince my dad to have it. He looked at dad and said, " I ain't got to tell you to have surgery. You will be begging for it before long." He was right. I had to pick him up like a child one day and put him in the car. Mom took him to the hospital, they operated, he was home the next day, business as usual ever since. He said the relief was immediate.

[bigwater]

greenhead jim..


give me a call.. got some info that can help

big

601-941-3345

[GordonGekko]

haven't had a back problem...but in know from personal experience a cortisone shot HURTS....hope she gets the surgery and feels better soon.....

[Blackduck]

I'd make sure you exhausted all othe options before going under the knife. PT, anti inflammatory meds ect. If the pain is pretty constant and moderatly intense then go ahead. I'd also get a second opinion even though these things are pretty straight forward most of the time.

[Buckwabit]

I had the Surgery also, Best thing I'Ve Ever done. Once you hit botttom, something's got to give...

[grnheadhuntr]

Mine's not as severe as being herniated, but I've got 2 bulged discs. The doctors told me right away to have surgery. That was 9 years ago and I still haven't had it.

[blgros1]

buddy of mine did treatment. They put you on this table and strap you to it then it slowly contracts your back muscles, kind of like opening and closing a slinky. He did 20 sessions of this and it helped him out a bunch. The treatment is perdy expensive, but the doctor said it was alot safer than surgery. Maybe you can look into it??

[Rice]

I have the same problem with my back it will hurt bad for a few months but with rehab it WILL not be completely gone but you will be almost normal again...I dont have time for the surgery I just know my limits

[BamaK9]

several years ago I had the same issue, f'd it up moving skid blinds around over outside of Cleveland. Things finally came to a head, was dang near screamin when I got out of bed, hopped to the shower and after 10 min of a scalding shower loosened up enough to go to work.

The key thing when it comes to surgery, is to let the man who is the best in his field do it. If you have insurance, its gonna cost the same for you whether you let the expert in his field handle it or if you let Achnad the local butcher do it.

I went to Healthsouth in Birmingham to Dr. Stan Faulkner, (His family has a farm over round Merigold and he laughed his booty off when I told him where I hurt it, he hunts near there too) When I was in pre-op, I was surrounded by MLB players, NFL players and one freakin WWE wrestler all going in to have procedures done by this fella so I felt comfortable with the choice I had made.

I am 95% now and don't regret anything at all, if you want to know how to get in touch with him, just let me know. DO NOT let some quack start cuttin on her!!

[bigwater]

decompression therpay. that schit works and its a very viable option to surgery.. if you want more info call me.. insurance pays for this.. 601-941-3345

[Seymore]

Been there, done that. 3 Surgeries at L5-S1 and a neuro stimulator. It all depends on who does it. My surgeon didn't and is trying to do fusions a new way. A 65 year old doctor can't learn how to do an entirely new technique by attending a 3 day Holiday Inn residency program.

Bottom line is when he was finished all the hardware was loose and I never got fusion because he didn't prepare the bone bed properly. Walked around a year in pain because no one wanted to try to fix his mistake. Unfortunately, once you start down a road with a surgeon, it's like you are married to them. Fortunately and only because my Dad is an ortho, I was able to get someone who would go in and redo it. It was a salvage operation and not one to "fix" me. I'm left with permanent never damage on the left side of my body, foot drop and pain. I have nerve blocks every 4 months and can't walk for long without it killing me. Twenty year career down the drain because I can't be there consistently.

End result is Social Security disability which I hate. Hurting all the time. The only time it is tolerable is when I'm in the recliner with gravity reduced on it and the neuro stim running. If I plan to do something I have to be prepared to deal with the consequences for 3 days afterwards. The two levels above the fusion need operating on now but I'm to scared after the last screw up.

Know your surgeon. Ask questions; how many have they done, how long have they been doing this technique, what's their success rate, where did they train, what sort of continuing education do they do and what does it consist of. There are a million more but that give you a list to get started.

Best of luck. PM me if you want to know more and I'll be glad to talk with you.

[Unkljohn]

I had fusion surgery in the cervical region of my spine. I had herniated discs between C4-5-6, and a bulging disc at C6-7. The neurosurgeon fused C4-5-6 and he wanted to go ahead and do 6-7 while he was in there, but I wouldn't let him. Told him I could live with a little pain, in order to keep some degree of mobility. Looking back at it, I probably shoulda let him go ahead, because I do still have pain and muscle twitches in my left arm and leg. I'm not going to fuse 6-7 though, until it's unbearable. I am probably at 80% of what I was before I had to have surgery and I had it just over 2 years ago.