I want to emphasize, do NOT go to a chiropractor or use an inversion table if you have a-fib or any other heart condition without talking to & getting clearance from your cardiologist. Both can result in a stroke.
Back surgery?
- Thread starter kickinbull
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Redgully
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This could be you issue and fix. I believe the company is close to having this fda approved. Their results from rotator cuff and tennis elbow trials are incredible.
abrams1997
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I had an acute herniated disc between my L5/S1. Thought I had just tweaked my back while moving the family. Continued to practice jujitsu almost daily, but stared getting sciatic nerve pain…first after sitting for hours, then regularly and randomly enough to go to a chiropractic pain guy. Over the next Year, went from once a month to every two weeks to once a week. Finally got an MRI. Had surgery within 6 weeks of that MRI. Woke up from surgery and instantly knew they had fixed the pain. Three weeks on my back in bed recovering. About 9 months and back to jujitsu. About 1 year or a bit more before I stopped fearing that I had blown my back up again. That was 2017. Since then I have bought a cow pasture, built a house, put in miles of fencing, started with cattle, aged 6 years.
I think you need to find a spine surgeon and when they finally tell you what is wrong, go find a different one, cold turkey and see what they come up with. My surgeon was 100% certain he could stop my pain and could show it too me on the MRI.
Good luck. Be praying. It is not a fun adventure and in no way do I want you to think I had a pleasant stroll in the park during my 2 year saga of sleepless nights and shifting in my truck to get comfortable and getting stuck and having to pull over and fall out of the car to recover. It is scary and frustrating and slow. BUT I did want to share some hope from my positive outcome.
That hurts looking at it. The top and bottom screws are at an angle.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Yep they are, I don't know why it was done that way.
faster horses
Well-known member
Do your research and find the BEST surgeon you can. I had a friend that went to the Spine Institute in AZ. That was a joke. Now those places are closed and in many lawsuits. Whatever they did, did nothing for my friend, except they broke her back which she
found out later.
Another friend had the mesh and I don't know what all, done in Mayo Clinic but it was extreme. She got the doctor she wanted and it took a long time to recover. She isn't totally out of pain now, but she can get out and check her cows whenever she wants; where before she was pretty much house bound.
Good luck to you. Please know back surgery is a last resort.
found out later.
Another friend had the mesh and I don't know what all, done in Mayo Clinic but it was extreme. She got the doctor she wanted and it took a long time to recover. She isn't totally out of pain now, but she can get out and check her cows whenever she wants; where before she was pretty much house bound.
Good luck to you. Please know back surgery is a last resort.
sunnyblueskies
Well-known member
My husband had lower back pain, from driving Truck for a living and then farming. It got so bad, he was living on pain meds, Chiropractor once a week or every two weeks. All that didn't fix it or really take the pain away.
He finally found a surgeon he liked, that's about 15 years ago. Fusing disks was in the talks, but the surgeon suggested widening the bone/vertebrae where the problem nerv was pinched. It was scary, but holy hell worth it.
He woke up pain free, first time in many years. Recovery was tough, because he felt great and wanted to do stuff. That's where you have to pay the most attention. Rest and physiotherapy. YOU HAVE TO. Otherwise its all for nothing.
In hindsight, he would do it all over again with the surgery. Of course he has to be careful and not act physically like a careless teenager. And if his back starts to feel sore after a really tough day, he takes a prescription painkiller and anti inflammatory, doesn't happen very often though.
All in all, as the others said, find a surgeon which gives you options and makes the most sense to you. Living in pain and on meds 24/7 just isn't living.
He finally found a surgeon he liked, that's about 15 years ago. Fusing disks was in the talks, but the surgeon suggested widening the bone/vertebrae where the problem nerv was pinched. It was scary, but holy hell worth it.
He woke up pain free, first time in many years. Recovery was tough, because he felt great and wanted to do stuff. That's where you have to pay the most attention. Rest and physiotherapy. YOU HAVE TO. Otherwise its all for nothing.
In hindsight, he would do it all over again with the surgery. Of course he has to be careful and not act physically like a careless teenager. And if his back starts to feel sore after a really tough day, he takes a prescription painkiller and anti inflammatory, doesn't happen very often though.
All in all, as the others said, find a surgeon which gives you options and makes the most sense to you. Living in pain and on meds 24/7 just isn't living.
GoWyo
Well-known member
Many chiropractors would do well to send their patients for an MRI first.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Fondren group in Houston is the place, people from around the globe travel there.
Travlr
Well-known member
Okay... with all the stories I've gotta tell one. Not so much the doctors... but how insurance can screw things up.
My BIL had a severe back injury that was job related. He worked in a mine and destroyed his back. The medical establishment put a cage on the outside of his back with rods running inside to stabilize his spine. Top to bottom, head to tailbone. The cage was supposed to be removed in a month, four weeks. While he was waiting with this huge and uncomfortable appliance attached to his back, the insurance company involved denied any further work. They refused to cover removal of the hardware. Maybe they thought he would come up with the funds to get it removed, himself... but the expense was outrageous and he didn't have that kind of money. He lived with the cage on his back for four months instead of four weeks until the insurance company approved removing the hardware.
My BIL had a severe back injury that was job related. He worked in a mine and destroyed his back. The medical establishment put a cage on the outside of his back with rods running inside to stabilize his spine. Top to bottom, head to tailbone. The cage was supposed to be removed in a month, four weeks. While he was waiting with this huge and uncomfortable appliance attached to his back, the insurance company involved denied any further work. They refused to cover removal of the hardware. Maybe they thought he would come up with the funds to get it removed, himself... but the expense was outrageous and he didn't have that kind of money. He lived with the cage on his back for four months instead of four weeks until the insurance company approved removing the hardware.
Rafter S
Well-known member
When I was in my early teens I was carrying a 5-gallon bucket of water in each hand and slipped and fell on ice. Messed my back up. For decades it would flare up about twice a year, where I'd spend several days walking very slowly, bent forward and to the left. There were a few times when I was in my late 20's when my wife would have to help me to the bathroom.
I went to a chiropractor once. When I walked out I was able to stand up straight. It was great. Fast forward to the next time it went out, and of course I went to the same chiropractor. By this time he had moved on to acupuncture. Don't get me wrong, I know a lot of people swear by acupuncture, and I won't argue with them, but this guy didn't have a clue what he was doing. It did me absolutely no good.
Finally, in my fifties, it got better. It's been several years since it gave me any trouble. I don't know why. I'd say maybe it's just because I'm older and more careful, but that doesn't make sense. One of the times it went out I was taking off a sock, the same way I'd been taking off my socks my whole life.
Maybe it's because I've been spending 8 hours behind a desk since 2009 instead of doing manual labor?
Herniated and bulging discs are a whole different story than what you have. Those are an "easy" fix (if any back surgery is easy). Arthritis, narrowing and stenosis of the bone are complicated. Get 2nd and 3rd opinions and listen to the Drs. Don't make medical decisions based on advice from a cattle board.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Seriously travel to the Fondren group in Houston they are not cut happy. I went doctors said this is where you are and this is where you will end up. Call us when you decide.
Again this bunch has interpretators for the foreign clients that fly in.
I had major back surgery 30 years ago. I wish I did it 35 years ago. I had pins/screws and a fusion. The fusion was bone slivers from my hip bone."My father had three back surgeries
and NEVER followed the Drs order for recovery". I was told I needed to lie on my back or walk for six weeks. I was lucky enough to be able to this by the 5 week I was walking 10 miles. I am on medicare now and virtually have no back problems. Depends on the Dr and your recovery. It took a full year to get back to normal. For years I play over 100 rounds of golf, and now I unload a ton of seed from my truck. GOOD LUCK
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
You have to remember on certain surgeries there are no do overs!
Definitely want spinal surgery to be right the first time.
Definitely want spinal surgery to be right the first time.
faster horses
Well-known member
I was to have back surgery for spinal sinosis. I was in shock when the doctor told me. I went because I have pain and numbing in my left leg. So I went for the pre-op right away. That doctor asked me, are you in a lot of pain. I wasn't. Some, but not a lot. He said that back surgery should be a last resort, often times it doesn't turn out well. That was 5 years ago, at least. I take one Gabapentin at night and if I'm on my feet a lot, I take one then. I'm doing fine with just that. Sure glad I ran across that pre-op doctor. I tried calling him several times after that, but he was never in. Did he cross my path for a reason? I'm sure of it and I'm thankful.
I realize my situation is/was different than the rest of you.
Houston sounds good to me. I wish my friend who is still suffering had gone there first. I did just find out, she had curvature of the spine and that last surgeon thought that was causing the pain. So he straightened her spine, but it's been 2 years and it still hasn't helped. She also has Parkinson's and her husband did some research on it and found. Parkinson's can cause back pain. Anyway, it's a terrible situation.
I realize my situation is/was different than the rest of you.
Houston sounds good to me. I wish my friend who is still suffering had gone there first. I did just find out, she had curvature of the spine and that last surgeon thought that was causing the pain. So he straightened her spine, but it's been 2 years and it still hasn't helped. She also has Parkinson's and her husband did some research on it and found. Parkinson's can cause back pain. Anyway, it's a terrible situation.
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Travlr
Well-known member
Your "girlfriend" has a "husband"?
Sorry... my mind needs more caffeine this morning.
sunnyblueskies
Well-known member
Overall I think we can say with certainty, there are a lot of us with back pain or back problems. =D Think it has something to do with our daily life?
faster horses
Well-known member
Almost too normal isn't it. Yes, she is a great friend and has a husband, 2 kids, and 3 grandkids. Glad I cleared that up.
To be clear, @faster horses is female.
