Pain Management at Teaching Hospital

[Jim M2]

Hi Dale,
Thank you for correcting me. I agree 100% with what you've written. I made a hasty generalization about these kinds of treatments. There is a reason they are prescribed, not only do they sometimes work, they're very conservative.

Jim

[mmglobal]

Jim... I'm so sorry that things have not improved in the 4 years since your surgery. I remember when you had it done and know what a tough road you've had... that difficult time transitioning from being hopeful for a quick recovery... hopeful for a slow recovery... hopeful for any recovery... then understanding that this is what you get.

Pain Management can be helpful, but I'm not sure I understand why you have to give up. You did the original surgery because you were in bad enough shape to justify taking the risks. You are still there and after a failed ADR at 1 level, you still have many options. I understand that it would be easy to pursue options if the indications were clear, but they are not.

Call me some time... I'd like to catch up. You still up in Seattle?

All the best.

Mark

[Maria]

Good luck! Maria

[Jim M2]

Mark,
Yes, I'm still in Seattle. I'm doing okay. Could be better, could be worse. When I say "give up" I mean I've given up expecting to manage this by my own devices such as exercise, restrictions, over-the-counter remedies (glucosime) and the like. The PM is just to get me through another year or two. I'll re-evaluate then.

Maria,
This is excellent news to see how you've been improving! Do you think your painful discs have given up the ghost? Are you naturally fusing at the painful levels? Most of the doctors I saw pre-ADR told me I would probably get better in a decade or more without surgery.

***
Mark and Maria,

Regarding options, I know there's many innovations such as the Coflex that Dr. Bertagnoli showed me last September. At the moment I'm too timid about surgery, even if it's fairly conservative and mostly reversible (like Coflex). I'm doing okay. I just want to do better and wait a little longer.

Thanks so much,
Jim

[elias2117]

Jim, sorry to hear that your still in some pain. I to had a spine surgery that failed to relieve my pain for the simple fact not all back pain comes from nerve or disc.Most people suffer from muscle-skeletal injury and really don't need surgery, so unless you have a positive sign of disc or nerve issues then you might want to look into PROLOTHERAPY! I have been fighting back pain for 6 yrs now with all tests showing negative results except for a Diagnostic Muscle-skeletal Ultrasound. That test showed major damage to my lower back muscles(tendons) Multifidus which is important in every move you make and very painful if damaged. I have been doing prolotherapy for several months which has reduced my pain, I'm two treatments into what the doc said would require about 6-8 so it take patients and time. Maybe prolotherapy isn't for you but maybe it's just what you need,becuse if your in a PM stage then what could it hurt. Luck for you there is a well known prolo doc near you. This treatment works after all the Mayo Clinic supports it. I hope you find relief and never give up. Best regards,John.


http://www.aaomed.org/page.asp?id=40&user_id=83128

http://www.getprolo.com/

http://www.drmarkwheaton.com/Prolotherapy.htm good info

http://drreeves.com/ lots of research

[dshobbies]

After I insisted a friend with severe back pain get a current MRI, she discovered her pain was muscular. She had prolotherapy and is doing much better. It's considered 'alternative medicine' and isn't covered by most insurances but may be worth trying when all else has failed.

Wishing you better days, Dale

[elias2117]

Well it's paid by insurance but must be done by a doc who is in network and then must be medically reviewed. I have had prolo paid for so maybe I'm lucky, I think in the future it will be covered just because it will save money and works very well. Tell your friend to do more sessions than the doc recommended I have read that doing just enough to cure the pain will only result in the problem reversing. The who point in prolo is getting new tissue and make the joint stronger not just to stop pain. It has happened to me now I plan on doing a year of it to insure the problem never comes back. I wish your friend the best with prolo and a speedy recovery. Best regards, John.