Wholy Brand new to this.......and Scared

oes ali · #1 (**permalink**) 03-22-2009, 01:06 AM

Hi All. Thanks for all the notes of welcome. I'm making my way thru them..

Today i received the notes from my Pain Clinic Dr. that is also a surgeon......that did the discogram.

I was a L*D nurse for years, have NO CLUE as to ortho......... but here is what his reports said:

Discograms:
L2-3 Opening pressure 15psi, pain to pressuree was 50 psi peak pressure was 84 psi. numeric pain score of 10. severely degenerative with full thickness posterior annualar tear.

L3-L4: Opening pressure 15 psi, pain to pressure was 45 psi peak pressure was 70 psi. Numeric pain of 8. The disc archetecture was moderately degenerative. P2 concordant pain response.

L4-5: Opening pressure 16 psi, pain to pressure was 40 psi and peak pressure 82 psi. Numeric pain score of 10. The disc archeticture was severely degenerative with both anterior and posterior annular tears.

L5-S1: Opening pressure 23 psi, pain to pressure was 55 psi and peak pressure was 85 psi. This reproduced pain down the left leg and in the low back. The disc architecture showd sever degenerative disc disease witha full thickness left posterior annular tear reproducing P2 concordant back and P2 concordant leg pain.

Conclusion: An awake and cooperative patient

who gave consistent responses. There was not a normal control disc, however the patient was reliable. The patient had reproduction of her usual back pain at L2-3, L3-4, L4-5 and L5-S1, which was considered P2 concordant, and reproduction of her left leg pain at L5-S1 that was concordant also.

okay, someone explain all this to me Lucy?????

Maria · #2 (**permalink**) 03-22-2009, 03:46 PM

Hey Ali,
I think the more reliable and expert sources here can explain this discogram to you but it looks like to me that you've problems from L2-L5S1 that might need addressing. In other words.. no wonder you've so much pain!

Ok, I'm no expert in spine information either except being a long term lumbar spiney/more currently feeling the cervical issues going on.

We nurses really get stuck with some spine stuff going on...(RN/NP for nearly 3 decades/retired re spine issues).

dshobbies · #3 (**permalink**) 03-22-2009, 06:37 PM

Ali,

OUCH

. I was surprised by the number of nurses complaining of back problems but after talking to a few of them, I no longer wonder. This is a serious issue and seemingly ignored by the medical community at large. I'm surprised w/c hasn't interfered. In CA, what about OSHA?

A discogram discovers which discs are pain generators and it sounds like you have 4 bad levels. Speaking only from personal experience with absolutely no expertise, you may be heading for surgery where your choice of doctors is beyond important.

Good luck and keep us posted, Dale

oes ali · #4 (**permalink**) 03-22-2009, 10:34 PM

i've been trying to do some reading on the net, and i'm not sure if i'm reading correctly or not. Since i am looking at 4 disc's would i be able to do 4 adr's?

I think my problems result from a whole life of one thing or another! Nursing IS hard on the back, lifting patients, standing for hours on end.... and then I rode horses and was thrown more times than i remember, skied with many tumbles for years, and then went to the dogs........ lol literally. And i of course didn't pick an easy breed........ I stand a minimum of 3 hours to prepare on the day of a show, then for 15 minutes in the ring........ then another 30=1 hr to brush out all the stuff .......... and all my guys think they cannot get in the car on their own, they need to be 'lifted' all 90 lbs of them. not to mention all of the crates and equipment. My one crate alone is close to 80 lbs it is a big flight crate for when we fly.

I think we need to start educating our younger generation to proper back care..... as it needs to last a lifetime! We don't think about it when we are younger until it is too late. I'm only 50 but feel like 90.......... Oxycontin does absolutely nothing for me. They are 10 mg but zip nada. I take 2 - 3 endocet and they work better...

Gil Denis · #5 (**permalink**) 03-23-2009, 12:42 AM

Hi Lucy

I agree we need to educate the younger generation,

My spine is falling apart and it is mostly from Construction, Sports, Skiing, Genetics

I am Almost 50 and need to be fixed in the near future

Keep us posted

take Care

Gil

oes ali · #6 (**permalink**) 03-23-2009, 01:44 AM

lol Gil

That is my standard Ricky Ricardo "you need do sum splaainin Lucy".....

Could someone kind of explain to me what each one of these mean? I've underlined the part that i 'think' is important. Other than i hurt, lol. We have a major storm moving in and barometric pressure is dropping like mad......... no percipitation all winter and now we are getting it.

L2-3 Opening pressure 15psi, pain to pressuree was 50 psi peak pressure was 84 psi. numeric pain score of 10. severely degenerative with full thickness posterior annualar tear.

L3-L4: Opening pressure 15 psi, pain to pressure was 45 psi peak pressure was 70 psi. Numeric pain of 8. The disc archetecture was moderately degenerative. P2 concordant pain response.

L4-5: Opening pressure 16 psi, pain to pressure was 40 psi and peak pressure 82 psi. Numeric pain score of 10. The disc archeticture was severely degenerative with both anterior and posterior annular tears.

L5-S1: Opening pressure 23 psi, pain to pressure was 55 psi and peak pressure was 85 psi. This reproduced pain down the left leg and in the low back. The disc architecture showed severe degenerative disc disease with a full thickness left posterior annular tear reproducing P2 concordant back and P2 concordant leg pain.

Conclusion: An awake and cooperative patient who gave consistent responses. There was not a normal control disc, however the patient was reliable. The patient had reproduction of her usual back pain at L2-3, L3-4, L4-5 and L5-S1, which was considered P2 concordant, and reproduction of her left leg pain at L5-S1 that was concordant also

mmglobal · #7 (**permalink**) 03-23-2009, 02:34 AM

pain response at L5-S1?

It's interesting that there are references to concordant pain at L5-S1 and L3-4, but not at L2-3 and L4-5 which were both rated 10/10 pain.

Do you remember the discogram and your responses?

I know people with 4 ADR's, but it's possible that some of the levels are too far gone to still do ADR... you'll need to be evaluated (BY SOMEONE WHO HAS THE OPTION OF DOING THE SURGERY THAT MAY BE INDICATED!) "Not a candidate for ADR," spoken by someone who could not do a big multi-level procedure may be a valuable opinion, or it may be colored by the experience level of, or options available to the surgeon.

Mark