Nerve Damage S1/L5

[jsewell]

I am so sorry you had such a bad appointment. Was this a doctor ? Let us know when you reach the original doc what he says . Again sorry.
Judy

[housemd89]

Originally Posted by jsewell

I am so sorry you had such a bad appointment. Was this a doctor ? Let us know when you reach the original doc what he says . Again sorry.
Judy

Thank you. Well I phoned up today and all they told me was his name was Mr Murray, so not sure what he is. I explained to my original doctors secretary what happened and even she said that it was strange, she has left a message for him to call me back.

[theBadCormorant]

Originally Posted by housemd89

Thank you. Well I phoned up today and all they told me was his name was Mr Murray, so not sure what he is. I explained to my original doctors secretary what happened and even she said that it was strange, she has left a message for him to call me back.

Are you British ? As curious as it may seem, very eminent surgeons in the UK drop the doctor bit and revert back to being known as Mr, Mrs or Miss - Apparently it is quite an honour for fellow doctors to bestow this status on another of their colleagues. So if you are in the UK and Mr Murray is a surgeon, then "Mr Murray" may be someone who is well worth listening to.

This apparent 'down grading' of status from 'Dr' to 'Mr' goes back many centuries to the days when Barbers carried out surgery; Doctors have to take the hippocratic oath "to do no harm" and as surgery in the 16th century often done great harm, doctors needed to stop being doctors before wielding the knife.

[housemd89]

Originally Posted by theBadCormorant

Are you British ? As curious as it may seem, very eminent surgeons in the UK drop the doctor bit and revert back to being known as Mr, Mrs or Miss - Apparently it is quite an honour for fellow doctors to bestow this status on another of their colleagues. So if you are in the UK and Mr Murray is a surgeon, then "Mr Murray" may be someone who is well worth listening to.

This apparent 'down grading' of status from 'Dr' to 'Mr' goes back many centuries to the days when Barbers carried out surgery; Doctors have to take the hippocratic oath "to do no harm" and as surgery in the 16th century often done great harm, doctors needed to stop being doctors before wielding the knife.

Yeah it's the UK i'm from. Tried numerous times to contact the original Ortho I seen but still not heard back from him. I have now booked a consultation with a chiropractor next week so hopefully he'll be more helpful than the useless NHS.

[theBadCormorant]

I can never make my mind up whether the NHS do very little for back problems because there is not much they can do, and doing nothing is the best course of action, or, do they do bugger all because they don't like spending any money. They certainly like spending our taxes on funding their fantastic salaries and pensions.

The hell I have been through this summer and the NHS's contribution was a few packets of cheap pills that cost less than a fiver! WOW

I'm sure your chiropractor will suggest all manner of benefits from their magic hands, then relieve you of a few hundred quid over the next few months.

I never know who to believe when money is changing hands.

Anyway, best of luck with the chiropractor

[housemd89]

Originally Posted by theBadCormorant

I can never make my mind up whether the NHS do very little for back problems because there is not much they can do, and doing nothing is the best course of action, or, do they do bugger all because they don't like spending any money. They certainly like spending our taxes on funding their fantastic salaries and pensions.

The hell I have been through this summer and the NHS's contribution was a few packets of cheap pills that cost less than a fiver! WOW

I'm sure your chiropractor will suggest all manner of benefits from their magic hands, then relieve you of a few hundred quid over the next few months.

I never know who to believe when money is changing hands.

Anyway, best of luck with the chiropractor

Totally agree, it doesn't help when you have different doctors telling you different things. They seem all too happy to just throw painkillers at you.

What's wrong with your back?

I actually got a deal on groupon for the chiropractor, a consultation and 3 treatments for £40. I thought it's worth a try, wouldn't have paid the original price as it's far too expensive.

[theBadCormorant]

Originally Posted by housemd89

Totally agree, it doesn't help when you have different doctors telling you different things. They seem all too happy to just throw painkillers at you.

What's wrong with your back?

Nothing that major in comparison to some on here. Long story so I will try and condense it down to a brief outline.

Early 40s, was first signs of problems, really minor stuff, bit stiff from time to time etc.

46, developed problem with hip that was causing problems with my hillwalking/climbing. Seen loads of DRs/physios, every diagnosis was different.

47, After a sneezing fit developed massive hip pain, never had pain like it, so bad I got the doctor to do a home visit, he phoned ambulance, xrays at hospital showed nothing, had to wait a few days for an MRI that showed slipped disc at L4-L5 squashing the L4 nerve. Things continued to get worse for a couple of weeks, lots of pain, lots of numbness but it was the motor loss and atrophy that prompted surgery. Went in for surgery, pre op examination surgeon noted murmur in patella reflex that had been absent a week earlier. Decided not to operate on the grounds that I may self heal, and self healing would be a millions times better than anything surgery could do.
Another 3 months before pain free, but as long as 2 years to loose numbness and regain a good level of fitness.
Lots of cycling, lots of pilates.
Never got back to my hill walking but could easily cycle 50 - 100 mile in a day.

52 (15 months ago) started to be bothered with buttock pain in other leg, almost certainly due to S1 nerve contact by bulging disc at the lumber sacral (LS) junction (this had showed up on MRI 5 years ago but was not causing any problems then) Another MRI was done and showed no change in the bulging disc at LS but improvements in the disc at L4 L5 So plenty of reasons why left leg was better, but no explanation as to worsening situation with right leg

Next 12 months were awful, problems sitting and walking, lots of mild pain, even cycling more than 5 miles was becoming a major day out. In a straight leg test could not lift right leg more than 5 degrees.

June this year, woke up one morning with massive pain, numb heel and little toe, awful calf pain. Dr says it's a classic LS herniation. 6 weeks of utter hell, but now pain free for the first time in 15 months, numbness mostly gone, still very scared and spend a good part of the day lying down (hence my internet activity) I have started up with my pilates and doing a fair bit of cycling (done a 40 miler last week) In a straight leg test can achieve > 45° and limited by hamstring rather than nerve pain.