Comments on: Neurology and Neuropathology

By: Niels

Niels — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:10:03 +0000

Apparently, as per my GP, CAT scans offer better results than MRIs for back problems (necks are different). For information on back issues I recommend Hamilton Hall’s book. He is an orthopedic surgeon and offers an easy read dealing with typical back problems and how to deal with them.

By: Linda

Linda — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:05:39 +0000

Hi Nichole,
Sorry to hear about your situation. Curious to know if you have tried acupuncture? I too have back issues that are caused by canal stenosis and likely arthritis starting in the hip and spine and have been suffereing a few years now. I’ve just turned 50 but haven’t been able to function normally for a few years now. I just booked surgery yesterday but that won’t be taking place until next year … the waiting list is long. Acupuncture is keeping my pain at bay it seems for now … has helped me tremendously since Dec. Because I am extremely fearful of doctors it has taken me years to get to this point and even consider surgery. Been through 20 years of chiropractic adjustments, spinal decompression program x 2, physiotherapy, traction and now doing the acupuncture. It’s just a thought … but maybe worth trying!?! Good luck!!!

By: Kathy R.

Kathy R. — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 07:45:02 +0000

Hi there, boy oh boy ! can I ever relate ! well… I HAVEN’T had any opertations… yet ! my dad had 2 and still has pain , but now it’s in his hip down his leg. My story is, in 1991, I was rear-ended 2x’s in 3 months… L4, 5 bulging… Muscular/skeletal trama. But I kept moving and stayed in shape/fit. 4 yrs. later after so many chiropractors,accupucturists,swimming,physio, being put into tradtion. I became very depressed. Went back to original surgeon only to be told , I was inoperable ?? Calisified ? I walked out feeling quite defeated. this was about 1998. during all this time, I refused to take anything other than extra pain tylenol and Naproxen. My poor tummy :O( Ironically I ended up taking drugs.. not the legal kind for 10 months, cause of pain. not proud of it… but I have to admit, it took the pain right away. So, I haven’t touched that stuff since. still only on the Naproxen , now on Lyrica.. Lyrica makes me really dizzy and sleepy, so I can’t have a life during the day if I want to go out !! end of April I got hit on my passenger side… pretty hard. Hit and Run… don’t ask about ICBC !! I didn’t get the plate # !!! just before that, I had a CT scan and exrays, very narrowing of the spine. So I’m told this is spinal stenosis. that’s what my dad has/had. I’m petrified to have surgery, as approx. 80% of people I speak to, and believe me, I DO stop people on the street and politely,sincerely ask them about the cane/or limp they have. Truly, more times , than not it’s back problems ! Surgery WAS done. and the pain HAS lessened. but they still have pain and new pain elsewhere. that’s my fear.. between and betwicks. I will phone and come in to see your facilities, talk about the laser operation.
Another thing I wanted to talk about is: I lost 62lbs. quit smoking… then got hit recently… now gained 22lbs. back. working on loosing more weight but want to talk about laser suction ? fairly new. Question, if someone wants this procedure, should they have back surgery ? and if so, which comes first, and how long in between ?? it would be my tummy ,hip/thighs/bum… maybe.. depends on price of course… and if I can have that much done. because of pain. I’m limited to excercise. I do yoga & TRX very good,google it. and swim,walk, walking hurts after a short time. So I can’t lose the fat I ‘ve just recently lost ! now quickly coming back. funny how our cells remember so well LOL… grrrr. The last accident only exasperated my pain, now more prominent on the right. I have nerve damage in left foot for about 20yrs. sciatica for yrs. it’s something I’ve learnt to live with. Wow, didn’t think I would go on and on… obvious that I’m getting tired of dealing with the pain now… My heart goes out to all of you who suffer with the pain. I ‘ve found myself putting my legs up on the wall with my bum against the wall lying down… is the most wonderful position for me. Wish I could sleep like that !! It’s a yoga position !! try it ! I meditate to relax as well… don”t forget to breath… blessings ~

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Mon, 23 May 2011 15:07:53 +0000

I have mild DDD throughout my lumbar spine and my L5-S1 herniated disc is healed but I still have numbness in my foot and severe back pain the same as when I had the herniation that wasn’t seen on my second MRI. They neglected to do the T2 weighted views during the MRI. I wonder if that could hide the herniation? Anyway no discogram, abnormal EMG showing disc compression but no surgery here in Toronto. At times like this I wish I had surgery when I had a herniated disc. I can’t work and can barely walk. I wish we had this place where I live. Oh yes I;m broke and can’t travel anywhere to get my back looked at. I’m tired of injections and meds don’t help. Help.

By: Antonio C.

Antonio C. — Wed, 18 May 2011 19:18:25 +0000

I am a 52 year old man. Back 2004 I sliped and fell from ice that was never cleaned. At that time I fell so hard that it knocked me uncocious, I cracked my L5 and broke a finger. after all the findings i was put on light duty at work.I was treated very poorly from my employer due to me being tendatios I went back doing what I was origanaly doing with the old job for finhe top producer in a sale position. I was no longer brining 2,000,000 in revenue, so I decided to leave and started with another organization. The only way I could funtion was on heavy pain meds {oxycodo job for finne very high dose}. I did all the physio that they could do and none of it worked. So 5 years against my doctors recomendations I went back doing what I was doing with my old job fo fininial gain. I saw my surgeon in 2007 and he told me to quit my job and go on insurance benifets and recomended a back fusion, it took me 2 years before I Here is where it really starts. I had the surgery ans then was sent home after 9 days. I had a nurse come in twice a day to change the dressing and take blood presure and so on. Ater 5 days she relized that I had a fever and no bowel movements. Was again admited to the hospital with them giving me antibiotics for 5 days and then again was released with still no bowel movements. Again the health care was coming in everyday to change my dressing take my BP and temp, after the the second day at home she saw that I was ballooning up, I never did tellanyone that I did not pee for 5 days. My health care worker call 911 and rushedd mr to hospital, by this time I was seeing things that were not there. I did not kmow who I was or where I was. The team of doctors finaly relized I had a severe sepsis infection. My body was shutting down at this point where I clinicly died twice within 2 days. This very disturbing to my family because I did not know who the were, the sepsis was killing me. My body thought i was dead so in shut my kidneysby this time my hall days of being back in the hospital, by this time i was hallunating so bad I thought everyone was tring to kill me. The had to put me on for 4 months for my kidneys come back. I could go further into this coments but it gets even worse, due to all that has happened 8 days turned into 4 months in the hospital. I will never be the same, I have been told now that I have PTSD. Just to put in a nutshell my life hase been ruied due to this fusion operation

By: NICHOLE PARADIS

NICHOLE PARADIS — Tue, 03 May 2011 07:06:21 +0000

Hi everyone, I am 33 years old, and married with 2 boys, 13 and 8 years old.. I work in the medical field, i work for 2 great doctors.. But i am off work yet agian, i was off this past june25 until sept 20, i went back , for 3 days a week, for 5 hrs a day.. Well i have had my back pain now for over 2 years now. I have no clue what i did…But like the doctors say at work, it could be something so small.. Anyhow, mine started out 2 years back, and it was bugging me, then one day i was getting up to get ready for work, but i couldnt move at all… I couldnt even get my kids up and take them to school.. So my doctor sent me for a xray, and it showed i had spinsbifida, mild buldging disc, and ddd. The pain continued, no advil, no back (robaxcet) didnt work at all. In all this time too, there were many days i couldnt move, i coulndt dress my self, i was and still am extremly exhausted, i barely get anysleep, because my pain in bad,, So 3 months later the doc gave me another xray, well it showed arthritis in all my facet joints of my spine, a tear in my spine the disc, had became worse and a couple other things.. So i went to see a specialist. and he had tried 2 nerve blocks on my right side.. i had no relief at all.. so then i tried physio, well no relief agian.. I am off work now, probley for good, im seeing another doc for pain clinic. I was told by my doctor(i worked for him) that im going to have this for the rest of my life, and that sucks..im 33 years old..i now take oxycocet 325 4 times a days which is barely helping so he told me to take a couple more if needed, also i take flexrill which is a muscle relaxent, and it helps a little..i barely get any sleep, i have no engery at all, im forgetful now, i never want to do anything, because im so sore…..im frustrated and moody because im sick of getting no answers, oh and the pain clinic doc said i had fibromyaga, which there is really nothing to take for that.. My pain in in my back, hips and down my legs.. SO EVERYONE I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND YOUR PAIN AND FRUSTRATION, THIS IS AWFUL..i believe alot people think that back pain is nothing, but it isnt… Best wishes to everyone

By: annie

annie — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:07:34 +0000

I had the same problem as your husband. One night I realised I couldn’t pee anymore. I have what is known (unfortunately, not very well known) as Cauda Equina syndrome. I have had to use a catheter for the past 25 years and will have to for the rest of my life. It also affects the bowels. You HAVE to get someone to listen to you. I am not sure how you manage this but don’t let anhyone send him home again with just more pain meds. That is what happened to me, noone realised how serious it was and even after being admitted to hospital it was two or three days before they operated by which time it was too late the damage had been done. I was left with saddle numbness, and the loss of bladder function and bowel problems.
Try calling an ambulance and telling them at the hospital he cannot pee at all on his own. That might well get someone listening. Maybe a little unethical but what the hell, they are just ignoring his very real problem.

Good luck

By: Ali D.

Ali D. — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 06:54:37 +0000

Hi,
I had an operation on my back (L4-L5) about 10 years ago. Now the pain is back and affected my daily life again. I need to see someone who reviews my pervious MRI scans and give me some advice on what should I do next.

Regards,

By: Paul M.

Paul M. — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:11:09 +0000

I”ve had back pain for the last 30 yrs, at first was told it was just in my head, after considering that the may be the problem because the pain never got better. After many years of suffering I finally got a mri which happened to reveal 2 pinched nerves at L4 and L5. Now they tell me there is nothing can be done to help with the pain. I am at my wits end, I am tried of taking pain meds that really don’t work anymore and my doc won’t give me anythingt stronger ( morphine sulfate) is what I take.
Is there anybody out there that can help PLEASE.

By: Elsie Seitz

Elsie Seitz — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:44:15 +0000

Just read about your problems I was wondering what the docs are doing for you. I have the bottom three dics that are bulging and right now they have put me on oxycodone and gabapentin which of course make you feel like a zombie and the pain is still as bad . Next they want to go and give me a Lumbar Epidural injection in my back and the next thing is a radio frequency lesioning these are both needles in my back and then they don’t know if work hopefully I hear back from you.
Thanks Elise Seitz