Hi
Justed wanted to post my experience with Prolotherapy post-ADR, in case anyone else is interested or can benefit.
My recovery from ADR surgery was long and slow, and therefore my doc and I started investigating other pain generators that may have been exisiting concurrently with my bad l5-S1 disc. My back was much better: relatively pain free, feeling stronger and more flexible. However, I could not get rid of a portion of my pain specifically located right over my SI joint, and often radiated into the hip and thigh. Bending would feel a "pull" against this specifc spot. It definitely limited me.
Through some diagnostic injections it became suspect that my SI joint was inflammed and/or out of alignment. There is an excellent DELPHI forum on SI joint problems. If anyone is interested in checking it out go to kalindra.com and click on the link to sacroiliac resources. On that forum I learned a lot about specific exercises to ge the SI joint back into alignment, temporarily using a compression belt to keep it in place, and getting prolotherapy injections to strenghten the supporting ligaments to keep in it place. It took most of a full year, but my SI joint was fine after that.
Prolotherapy is not cheap, and not covered by insurance as it is considered an "alternative" treatment. SI joint problems seem to respond well to it. Docs use it for other spinal issues, but I am not sure what the outcomes are on that intended use.
If you suspect SI problems, check it out. On the sacroiliac joint resources site there are a number of prolotherapy doctors listed accross the country.
I recently had a setback, 4 years from my surgery. I freaked out and thought the disc was damaged or I had damaged another disc. None of that happened. Seems the doc suspects a flare-up of my notorious SI joint. So back to prolotherapy I go. Could be worse
Laurel