[Maria]

Hi Brett,
You're definately not too young for these types of probs. I got injured at work at age 28 and I'd dare say that probably my spine was already predisposed to something going on. So youth doesn't really play a roll in are we too young or not.. just happens.

You didn't describe your pain pattern at all. From your MRI hard to tell if you might be experiencing discogenic pain, facet pain, or ?

I know you said you can't do all the activities you love however I wonder how truly limited you are with activities of daily living or things such as just getting up, bathing, grooming, sitting, standing,, walking and such.

Activities we love in our younger years can be considerably more active than in our middle aged years so that is why I wonder about your pain, limitations, and so forth.


I think you're wise to question physician recommendations as you are young for surgery altho I underwent my first in my late 30's.

Have you limited your activities quite a bit and gotten any kind of rehab like PT or had anything like lumbar ESIs recommended? I'd try to go conservative for a bit to see if that helps and if not then contemplate surgery. That'd be my strategy unless the MRI findings or other diagnostics are definatively necessitatiing surgical action.

Then again that's me. I had two discectomies over a period of seveal years. I was recommended to have another surgery (3rd) and more involved. I started to feel better and didn't (so far). My clinical findings surely do coinside wtih my past complaints so I can see why anyone who saw me back then would have recommended further sugery.

Have you tried any core strengthening exercises, epidural steroid injections and or just resting a bit and accepting it for now?

Will your back get better by waiting? Only you will know that. Will it get worse? Well it could.. however sometimes even a worsened clinical picture per diagnostic exams doesn't mean your pain is going to be worse. Just sort of depends.. Sometimes what does happen though is in the process of waiting our spine do continue to change and some of the degenerative changes can prevent us from being candidates for some of the more recent advancements in spinal surgery. However I'd not jump into surgery just because your films show something if your spinal pain isn't equivalent or worse in terms of spinal pain represented by the films.

Keep posting. Each person is an individual for what will work. Good luck and sorry to hear of your pain.