[Maria]

I'd say if you need your wife's help to dry off your feet then you definitely should be seeing a spine specialist in terms of a consult.

I would think a doctor would order some muscle relaxers for you to take when you start to get really tight or painful and see whether that helps ease off the spasms. That's usually first line medicine along with Nsaids that a regular Primary Care doctor would prescribe or maybe an Ortho.

I've never been to a chiropractor in my whole history of back probs. I did go to Osteopathic doctors (D.O.) because they can do manipulations and are actual physicians so therefore can prescribe as well.

With regard to your PM doctor he should adjust whatever he's considering doing based on what you tell him your symptoms are now. If he persists in the same treatment for symptoms you no longer have then you might want to consider going to someone else. Injections are where the $ is at with PM however if you are seeing an HMO PM that's probably not the case.

I still think that when you are in spasms if you got a shot of Toradol which is so benign compared to many other things that can be suggested that would help a great deal to at least break up the cycle. It's ever so much more effective than the oral medication Toradol (non steroidal anitinflammatory medication).

Also I do recommend reading that website of Chirogeek's because that is incredibly informative and even looking at your old MRI report you can read about what you have on that and what Chirogeek has written and maybe you will see where some of your symptoms may be coming from and/or things might make a bit more sense to you. I will admit that the beginning of the spine journey can be very confusing because one wonders what on earth is going on and what it could possibly be or what do these symptoms mean and it's all very scary. Educating yourself as best you are able will help you to ask better questions when you do see the doctors and to get better answers out of them and possibly ones you will better understand. I always write my questions down before going in to see my Ortho, I write down what he replies and I ask for a copy of my MRI or xrays or any tests I have done. I like to get a copy of his notes as well but being that my case was WC (Worker's Comp) that doesn't usually happen. If I am referred to a specialist or 2nd opinion surgeon tho I do always ask for a copy of his notes/recommendation.

Good luck with your continuing spinal journey. Sounds like you have to do a lot of guarding or protecting your movements for fear of setting off painful spasms or that you are still pretty locked up.