Any conservative care success stories?

Deb · #1 (**permalink**) 12-05-2011, 03:57 AM

Hello,
this is my first post. i was in an mva 4 months ago and the side impact caused fracture and 15% compression of my L5 as well as disc bulges at 4/5 and 5/S1.

The fracture is slowly mending so far but disc bulges are no better and significant posterior disc height has been lost, but not anterior. Some annular tears have appeared at the two discs as well.

Surgery has not been recommended so far. I am in constant pain in lower back and buttocks, even without working since the accident. It is not certain that no other joint damage occurred, such as pelvic region, though nothing major showed up on mri of this area.

I was wondering if there are any non surgery success stories posted here somewhere, as i am badly in need of some inspiration at this point, especially any images of reduced disc bulges/protrusions achieved by the patients own body over time. thanks and regards. Deb

newhere · #2 (**permalink**) 12-05-2011, 09:41 AM

I fight with this pain 10 years. If you have annular tear,i think the pain is discogenic. Over long period no one ever suggest surgery,until now. After i did discography whic was totaly positive,they recomend surgery to fix annular tears. Please dont wait so much,because than is late for everything. Search for good doctor,who gona help you,not just give you the pills etc....

jsewell · #3 (**permalink**) 12-06-2011, 05:11 AM

WElcome Deb,
Has your doctor suggested any help in relieving your pain? I have had lumbar epidural injections which have helped tremendously. Of course you can see by my signature that i have also had tons of surgery too.
Just wanted to welcome you as i did not have any luck for the most part with conservative care.
judy

cp7959 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-06-2011, 01:07 PM

Deb,

I think each case is different. Your Annular tears and disc bulges could have been there before the MVA and may have nothing to do with your problem. Or maybe a flare up of an existing pathology.

Your pain could stem from muscular spasms due to the MVA.

Did the MRI show any disc compression? If a surgeon can not correlate your symptoms with radiological findings I wouldn't rush into surgery.

I know it's seems like an eternity, but 4 months is not that long of a time with what your dealing with. Try and give your back a little more time to heal naturally. Easier said than done.

jsewell · #5 (**permalink**) 12-06-2011, 08:08 PM

Deb,
CP sounds like a good advice post. Have you tried medication for muscle spasms? how about acupuncture? I had some breaks in my spine including my neck which resulted in no choice but surgery. Also my spine curve was effecting my breathing so that was also an easy decision to have surgery. but CP is correct and no spine surgeon will operate without the radiological confirmation of the pain. I should say they shouldn't as far as what I have learned.
judy

sahuaro · #6 (**permalink**) 12-07-2011, 02:24 AM

I was also injured in a MVA, with c5/6 extrusion, among other injuries to shoulders and wrist. Physical therapy, including traction, massage and prescribed exercises held off surgery for 7 years--in the sense of easing but not eradicating symptoms--but when signs of spinal instability appeared, surgery was necessary.

mmglobal · #7 (**permalink**) 12-07-2011, 02:29 AM

here is an amazing success - cervical case.

http://www.ispine.org/forum/ispine/1...ess-story.html

Deb · #8 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 11:50 AM

Thanks for replies everyone. i have had 2 mri scans, one week and then 3 months after mva.

For pain i have been on several types of prescribed meds, avoiding injections so far.

The chronic butt pain drives me nuts and only eases off after a nights sleep.
Because i was injured from side impact into hip area, i don't know if the L5 fracture, the squashed bulging discs, or some unidentified damage in pelvic region is cause of pain, and i don't think the surgeon i saw knows either. If i simply damaged a disc when lifting at least i would know the cause of any pain as a starting point.

Thank you for the link Mark. More time might help, but feels chronic now. I found an article "Natural history of lumbar disc hernia with radicular leg pain....." and learned that the body more readily resorbs free fragments and disc extrusions, rather than contained herniations which is what i have.

I was reading about "myofascial release" and wonder has anyone tried it. There are lots of muscle layers, nerves and joints in our pelvic / posterior. i thought it might be a safe treatment to try. Would be a miracle if it helped. Water exercise therapy has not helped so far. kind regards, Deb

Maria · #9 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 07:25 PM

I used to have alot of this done while I was working and before and after both of my spine surgeries. I had very chronic burning pain in my buttocks and low back and into my legs for years post my 2nd spine surgery and had alot of this work done on my whole back for a year along with starting an opioid pain medicine in 2001 and 10 years worth of lumbar ESIs. I did get good relief after a few years and have now been off Neurontin for over a year (took it for 12 years re the burning pains).

I don't consider myself a success story re no surgery tho didn't have a 3rd spine surgery as recommended by many and have done better than expected I think and well enough for my own liking to date which I believe is because L5 S1 finally autofused after many years of ridiculous pain it seemed to have caused! Or rather horrendous vs. ridiculous! Good luck!

Deb · #10 (**permalink**) 12-18-2011, 07:28 AM

Thanks Maria. I still have to wear a soft brace and go lightly for another month or two because my fractured and compressed L5 is slow healing. Chronic pain is new to me, very draining mentally. I hope to be lightly 'active' again soon and try myofascial release, maybe accupuncture as well, in addition to light physical therapy. It may help or may be no help i know.

I read this article recently by a famous weightlifter about how he recovered from major spine injury without surgery. Sounds extreme and very hard to believe, but who knows? Would like to see mri images to verify.

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/tr...fortheback.htm

Deb

Maria · #11 (**permalink**) 12-18-2011, 01:55 PM

Talk about a glutton for punishment! I guess this person is obcessed w/lifting weights tho I think I'd have stopped at the first few injuries sustained.

It's an uplifting (no pun intended) article in a way tho it's been quite some time since I worked out in the gym and don't remember what most of these exercises are so have to look them up.

I'm pretty conservative about what I do to exercise these days as I find that when I've tried to work out and I've tried many times I always end up flaring something up be it my neck or low back and often both so I just mostly walk for exercise and maybe one day I'll get back into some lightweight gym routine tho I can't see me ever doing anything too heavy duty.

The last thing I want to do is injure anything else (it just seems to happen with aging!)! Thanks for the link however as it was an interesting read. Good luck with your progress and hope the chronicity of the type of pain you're having will wear out as I do know all too well how draining chronic pain can be!

Deb · #12 (**permalink**) 12-28-2011, 05:21 AM

Has anyone tried or personally seen results of...

"Intramuscular oxygen-ozone therapy in the treatment of acute back pain with lumbar disc herniation: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, clinical trial of active and simulated lumbar paravertebral injection."

Intramuscular injection with ultra fine needle seems like a very low risk treatment, compared to most others.

61% of patients pain free at 6 months is outstanding from a risk versus benefit perspective. Personally I am increasingly fearful of having any spine surgery from some of the disturbing outcomes i have read. regards, Deb.

Intramuscular oxygen-ozone therapy in ... [Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2009] - PubMed - NCBI