Ruptured and torn disc

[Andre]

Looking for any advise with a torn disc condition. I ruptured the disc and MRI shows it is healing but has a tear that is not. I now have pain movingdown my right leg and right buttocks, some tingle and numbness in leg and foot. Only taking Tramadol and Tylenol 3's. Going for another MRI and discussion with a surgeon about a partial fusion procedure. Any adviseout there?

[jsewell]

Andre,
I want to welcome you to the forum. I am possibly the person on here with the most fused levels. C-4 thru L-4. Various reasons why along the last 4 years.
I don't really have any advice though.
judy

[John Galt]

I have a similar situation and I'm doing everything I can to avoid surgery.
My advise to you is to do the same. Try Physical Therapy, Prolotherapy or Ozone, to name a few. The pain may go away after about a year so wait it out if you can. Also, consult with doctors who use non-surgical methods to treat back pain. In the US spinal fusions are done way too often, they are money makers for hospitals, surgeons and med device makers. If you do get surgery get a few opinons first.
Good luck.

[AmigaDave]

Originally Posted by John Galt

I have a similar situation and I'm doing everything I can to avoid surgery.
My advise to you is to do the same. Try Physical Therapy, Prolotherapy or Ozone, to name a few. The pain may go away after about a year so wait it out if you can. Also, consult with doctors who use non-surgical methods to treat back pain. In the US spinal fusions are done way too often, they are money makers for hospitals, surgeons and med device makers. If you do get surgery get a few opinons first.
Good luck.

I would agree with John, avoid surgery, unless there is 100% clear reasons for surgery to repair a structurally damaged part of your spine. I had an Artificial Disc installed on Dec. 10th of 2006 and my pain got worse after the surgery, not better. I was forced into an early retirement at the age of 51 in July of 2007, because of this increased pain and continuing deterioration of my spine.

Do everything you can to rest and allow your spine to heal, but you probably need the new procedures that are being developed using injections into the ruptured discs. Good results are being shown with the following experimental procedure:

A new hope for back pain sufferers? - CBS News

(Begin quote from linked article)

Which brings us to Dr. Kevin Pauza, a founder of the Texas Spine and Joint Hospital in Tyler, Texas.

"I spent decades treating patients who've had surgery, the surgery was fusions," Dr. pauza said. "Patients would do well for a year or two, and they'd always come to me and need more help."

In his experience, fusion was usually the wrong answer: "The spine's made to be a structure that bends with every movement we make, and if we immobilize a segment of the spine, the adjacent segment breaks down. That's known as the domino effect.

"So my thought was, can we do something to that disc so that we don't have to fuse it? Can we bring the disc back to life?"

And that's the headline of this story. Just imagine: A procedure that repairs and re-grows discs, that doesn't involve spinal fusion, that's no more than minimally invasive, outpatient surgery.

The inspiration came to him when he thought about something as basic as how an ordinary cut heals.

"I realized what heals a cut is something that's very simple: It's two products that are in you and I, they're in everybody."

In our blood plasma - they're called thrombin and fibrinogen. For the cut to heal, the two components come together, and they make a substance called fibrin.

When the two components, in concentrated form, are injected into the disc through a kind of squirt gun Pauza invented, just like epoxy glue, they combine and become fibrin.

Injected into the damaged disc, the compound acts like a sealant, filling cracks and crevices, and eventually allowing the disc to re-grow. "It allows our degenerated disc to turn into a young, healthy, normal disc," said Dr. Pauza.

(End quote from article linked to above)

Even if the above procedure is not available yet, I still suggest that you try to avoid surgery and use all other methods available to you until these new procedures are approved and available to the public.

I have been suffering for over 22 years without a single day of relief, and recently my pain has been increasing to the point of immobilizing me for over 90% of my day, but even with my level of pain and problems, I am not sure I will agree to another surgery and will do all I can to obtain these new injection therapy treatments.

[astrosue@yahoo.com]

The article you posted is what led me here. I agree. Actually, an extremely conservative spine surgeon has declined 3 times to operate and fuse me; so I am quite interested in this new procedure. A recent visit to a doctor revealed that I have 5 herniated disks. The pain is getting in the way of life.
I am trying to find who else and where else this injection of disc work is being done. I am in New York near NYC so there should soon be someone here I hope.

[apurvakmr]

Dear Andre,
I hope my post will give u confidence.
I suffered a very serious l5/s1 rupture during end of 2009 that caused unbearable pain in left leg. It was as if someone stabbed me in the upper high and dragged the knife down to ankle. And the pain persisted for a long time. I was confined to bed for nearly two months. Whats worse-at that time i was nearing end of my PhD work and my wedding was to be held 4 months later. It was really the most depressing phase of my life. But now everything is absolutely fine and I am happily married. The key to my recovery (which of course was without surgery) was proper rest and correct course of physiotherapy. The integral part of my therapy was application of traction, and heat. That combined with lot of discipline, I was able to completely recover from the ordeal. Of course, the pain was gone in 2 months but I reverted to complete mobility after some 5 months. When I say complete mobility, I mean being able to do everything that included intense lab work.
U have got to be a little patient and perfectly disciplined now on. I had to say good bye to contact sports (I loved to play cricket). Now am doing great, but am very very cautious all the time. I dont lift anything heavy and never bend quickly. Life does change after disc herniation, but certainly not for worse. We need to be careful and respect the condition at hands and move on with life. Remember, respect your back-no heavy weight lifting and if u are into physical fitness, try to limit to walking or mild jogging after consultation with a doctor. I am sure u will recover well. Have a great life.