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Old 03-09-2008, 02:33 PM
martyusa martyusa is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sharman View Post
The whole notion of an ambiguous discogram is very difficult for me to get my head around.

Do you have a follow up appointment?
I will tell you this. For the longest time I thought I was going crazy. From myself and the doctors looking at the size of the bulge, it wasn't making sense for the pain level I was having. Now granted, I had torn my hamstring as well. But it wasn't enough to offset all of the symptoms. So as soon as I was up to it, I had an EMG done. The only nerve problems were in the root itself. There was no nerve damage past that point. However the doctor could not see what was really going on.

I started to keep a log when the pain got worse, stayed the same or even got better. If I did nothing and I mean nothing, the pain was very tolerable. But if I even stood in front of the stove, the sink or anything that involved a slight bend too long, I would get pain. In fact, any serious mobility or compression would give me pain all over. My back and buttocks would burn, radicular pain would shoot down my legs and my toes would start going numb. I showed this to my doctor. That is when he decided on the discogram. A necessary evil for sure. If not for that test, I would have thought I was losing my mind.

Although it hurt like hell, I'm glad I went through it. We needed to find the problem and stop treating the symptoms. Now I know it's not in my head and so does my doctor....LOL

On a side note. If the disc is NOT the pain generator, the discogram will not be as painful. If it is painful at all.

Good luck and I wish you the best.
__________________
Martial arts for 25 years
Full contact MMA 7 years
Body building last 7 years
(no Problems)
4-07 Fall down step holding daughter
5-07 L5-S1 buldge MRI
9-07 L5-S1 herniation W/DDD and annular tear MRI
3 epidurals / 2 nerve root injection / 6 weeks of PT

8/01/2008 L4-S1 Posterior Spinal fusion only, using the PEEK ROD system. No Vertebral spacer and disc is still there. So is the pain!!!!

4 More weeks of PT and things are worse now than before.
I must train again.
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