Any conservative care success stories?

[cp7959]

Deb,

I think each case is different. Your Annular tears and disc bulges could have been there before the MVA and may have nothing to do with your problem. Or maybe a flare up of an existing pathology.

Your pain could stem from muscular spasms due to the MVA.

Did the MRI show any disc compression? If a surgeon can not correlate your symptoms with radiological findings I wouldn't rush into surgery.

I know it's seems like an eternity, but 4 months is not that long of a time with what your dealing with. Try and give your back a little more time to heal naturally. Easier said than done.

[jsewell]

Deb,
CP sounds like a good advice post. Have you tried medication for muscle spasms? how about acupuncture? I had some breaks in my spine including my neck which resulted in no choice but surgery. Also my spine curve was effecting my breathing so that was also an easy decision to have surgery. but CP is correct and no spine surgeon will operate without the radiological confirmation of the pain. I should say they shouldn't as far as what I have learned.
judy

[sahuaro]

I was also injured in a MVA, with c5/6 extrusion, among other injuries to shoulders and wrist. Physical therapy, including traction, massage and prescribed exercises held off surgery for 7 years--in the sense of easing but not eradicating symptoms--but when signs of spinal instability appeared, surgery was necessary.

[mmglobal]

here is an amazing success - cervical case.

Success Story

[Deb]

Thanks for replies everyone. i have had 2 mri scans, one week and then 3 months after mva.

For pain i have been on several types of prescribed meds, avoiding injections so far.

The chronic butt pain drives me nuts and only eases off after a nights sleep.
Because i was injured from side impact into hip area, i don't know if the L5 fracture, the squashed bulging discs, or some unidentified damage in pelvic region is cause of pain, and i don't think the surgeon i saw knows either. If i simply damaged a disc when lifting at least i would know the cause of any pain as a starting point.


Thank you for the link Mark. More time might help, but feels chronic now. I found an article "Natural history of lumbar disc hernia with radicular leg pain....." and learned that the body more readily resorbs free fragments and disc extrusions, rather than contained herniations which is what i have.

I was reading about "myofascial release" and wonder has anyone tried it. There are lots of muscle layers, nerves and joints in our pelvic / posterior. i thought it might be a safe treatment to try. Would be a miracle if it helped. Water exercise therapy has not helped so far. kind regards, Deb

[Maria]

I used to have alot of this done while I was working and before and after both of my spine surgeries. I had very chronic burning pain in my buttocks and low back and into my legs for years post my 2nd spine surgery and had alot of this work done on my whole back for a year along with starting an opioid pain medicine in 2001 and 10 years worth of lumbar ESIs. I did get good relief after a few years and have now been off Neurontin for over a year (took it for 12 years re the burning pains).

I don't consider myself a success story re no surgery tho didn't have a 3rd spine surgery as recommended by many and have done better than expected I think and well enough for my own liking to date which I believe is because L5 S1 finally autofused after many years of ridiculous pain it seemed to have caused! Or rather horrendous vs. ridiculous! Good luck!

[Deb]

Thanks Maria. I still have to wear a soft brace and go lightly for another month or two because my fractured and compressed L5 is slow healing. Chronic pain is new to me, very draining mentally. I hope to be lightly 'active' again soon and try myofascial release, maybe accupuncture as well, in addition to light physical therapy. It may help or may be no help i know.

I read this article recently by a famous weightlifter about how he recovered from major spine injury without surgery. Sounds extreme and very hard to believe, but who knows? Would like to see mri images to verify.

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/tr...fortheback.htm

Deb