Thump

Hit the internet and start researching spinal specialists. Start close to you and work your way out from there. You are way past seeing your run-of-the-mill back doctor. Try to get in to see someone that deals with back and spinal injuries - someone with expertise in that area, like the doctor that worked on your foot. There has to be someone that can tell you what they see, what they can do, and how they are going to do it.

I'm 37 and I see the chiropractor every two months. I hit a guy head on when I was 15 riding a 350X 3 wheeler. Cup your hand like you are going to drink water out of it. Now look at it from the side, that's what my neck looks like. Good luck man.

 

TPC the guy I was supposed to see today is that guy. I'll be going to see him on Monday. According to his receptionist when I had called originally, he doesn't make appointments but she said he'd look over the MRI report. So I sent him all of that information and than he wanted to make an appointment to see which leads me to believe that he wants to do surgery. Otherwise he wouldn't want to make an appointment to see me.

 

Sounds like you are headed in the right direction. I've dealt with back and neck pain for almost 20 years. Nothing like what you've got going on. Your to young to be all crippled up like that. I love to ride but don't get a chance to do it much any more, sold my KX250 years ago. Hope things work out.

 

Thanks for the input. Ya, you're telling me. It gets depressing especially when I deal with dumb people who have no idea what it's like. I had a nurse telling me I shouldn't be on pain medications when the Dr. she works under was the one who prescribed it to me. I've got a SeaDoo RXP now but it makes my back hurt too so I don't get to ride it much either.

 

fusing them will stop the herniation from seeping the gel inside the disc and causing it to pinch your nerves b/w you vertebrae so i wouldnt see them having to fuse all of Lumbar region just the ones that are herniated. How is your sacrum region? Usually if your L5 is bulging then it effects the S1 joint.

 

Ask your doctor about Botox injections for pain. It don't solve the problem, but it sure releaves most of the pain. I'm getting them about everythree weeks in the painful locations. Now I'm doing more than laying on a bed all the time.
Tumba

 

Just got back from the doctor, the guy who originally did the surgery. I actually had a lot of hope for this visit but was let down. Like always he down plays the whole situation. "Pain is normal, you're going to have to live with it. Try more physical therapy" Well I don't buy it. It's easy for a Dr to say pain is normal and live with it, especially when it's not their pain. The surgeon rushed me out of the door as quickly as he can, didn't take the time to evaluate the situation and explain things that could help. I was told two of my disks were herniated by another Dr who specializes in this via my MRI, he denies it. He said it was only bulging and not herniated and there is no nerve damage. The pain is just coming from my muscles. However he gave me a prescription, he was vague about what it was. I took the time at the pharmacy to find out that it was a medication for nerve damage and pain. I asked him if it was going to be addicted or make me dependant. I got a firm no. Once again, wrong information, the pharmacist gave me a sheet on the medication which clearly describes it as a addicting medication. I'm so fed up with this ... For the guys who live in Florida and Central Florida I highly suggest not ever letting a Dr. Khanna operate on you. If he does a good job on the initial surgery than you're lucky. If you've got complications, don't waste your time with him. If you want a good orthopedic doctor in South Florida, visit Dr. Lestrange. He's willing to work with you to try to figure out what's going on etc. I've had phone conversations with him, not his P.A. unlike every other Dr. in the world. He's a good guy. It's a shame his hips can't hold up to the long surgery for a open back ...

 

Hey Thump,

Sorry to hear about your back problems. I'd start looking for another opinion and in the mean time DEFINITELY be doing physical therapy or its only going to get much worse. They physical therapy can help with the pain a little bit in the mean time. You'd actually be really suprised.

I have three bulging disks in my neck that I had identified when I woke up one morning and couldn't move my neck. It's happened several times before and usually goes away within 3 days but this time it didn't. I went to a neck specialist, had an MRI done as was told about the 3 bulging disks. I went through two months of physical therapy which I never thought would help. Low and behold after two weeks I started feeling slightly better and could just ever so slightly move my neck side to side. Two months later I was fine. Now I still have pain now and then and it's bareable but at least it isn't to a point where I can't move it like before.

In the mean time my physical therapist (he owns a company here in the midwest which does physical therapy for all the professional and amatuer teams in the midwest, just happens to live in the same town as me so I got lucky) recommended things to do with my posture while sitting at work, lifting, working out, and general life that will me it less prone for my disks to start hurting again.

He said the physical therapy will never make it go away or completely heal the disks but that it definitely can manage the pain if done right and keep them from pushing on the nerves which cause the pain.

I'd at least give it a shot. Anything is better then the pain I know you have to be going through right now.

Duke

 

Sorry to hear that Thump. Hope it all works out well.

 

That sucks Thump.

Since going to the chiropractor for several years now, I have heard a lot of people say good things about this place

http://www.uhhospitals.org/tabid/3577/Default.aspx

I know it's a long ways away from home, but maybe they could read your MRI and give you some suggestions.

For those that don't have back and/or neck pain, consider yourself very fortunate. It just wears you down after a while.

 

Can't they get the guy a chair or something so he can take a break?
That sucks though. But unfortunately you'll more than likely to have that pain for the rest of your life, barring some medical breakthrough.
My mom had back surgery after being hit by a drunk driver about 8 years ago. She had to have a couple discs fused and some pins and what not. She lives with the pain almost daily, and she doesn't take any prescription medication because she doesn't want to get hooked. It sucks, but there aren't many other options out there.
You see/read everyday about the next "miracle" cure for chronic back pain, but I'm sure you know all about those and what they really amount to.

 

One thing that makes a surprising difference is the type of mattress that you sleep on. I had chronic back problems from a water skiing fall that were alleviated by switching to an inflatable mattress, select comfort. Just my 2¢.

 

I've done a lot of PT which helped in the beginning but no effect as of recently. I think this is more than just PT. Like I said the Dr. Lestrange thinks it's a combination of the pins/rods need to be removed and now I've got some pain coming from my disks being messed up. Ontop of that I've got degenerative disk disease. I also had a bone graph from my hip from the initial surgery.

I've been to a Chiropractor. My back and hips are aligned so nothing that could be done there. Thanks for the input though.

The Dr. just doesn't feel comfortable doing the procedure since it's been a while and like I said his hips. He'd rather refer me to someone else. I think it's damn noble of him to instead of taking the job, the money, he turned it down. Makes me feel a lot better about listening to what he has to say. Trust me, I wouldn't be taking the medicine if I didn't have to. I didn't even know I broke my back when I did. I've broken my wrist and a few ribs without realizing it weeks later. So that shows my pain tolerance is pretty up there. The pain I got is so bad it makes me so annoyed, frustrated, and as of recently it's making me depressed and sometimes I just want to cry it hurts so bad. I've never felt that way because of an injury before.

I've got a Tempurpedic mattress and I've had it since I got home from surgery. The Drs made sure I'd be getting something good to sleep on. I've tried to the Select Comfort as well. But, I like the Tempurpedic a little more. Not to say to the Select Comfort isn't nice because it's awesome.

 

Check the link. They are spinal injury/disease specialists, not chiropractors. They have 13 specialists within the Spinal Institute group.

 

Thump,

I knew from previous posts on other forum that you had back troubles, but didn't realize it had progressed. I am amazed with all the pain you endure that you still take the time to make your vehicles look awesome!

Prayers are with you and hoping that you get some of your questions answered to your satisfaction. Wish I had some advice to give to you to make it all go away, but put your faith where it belongs and you will have peace.