posted
My husband's MRI came back showing some arthritis in his back along with herniated disks in the low back, with the lowest one pressing on the nerve.
He has been unable to work for the past two weeks and we just aren't sure what to do!
The LLMD gave him a script to see a physical therapist and also to see a neurosurgeon. None of us (hubby, me or the LLMD) are keen on the idea of surgery and I think it's premature to even consider it.
However, since my husband is on coumadin, he can't take NSAIDS and so he can't bring down the inflammation that way. I'm not sure how much good PT will be . . . I guess we can see.
The doctor mentioned that the Neurosurgeon may suggest an epidural of cortisone. When I mentioned that steroids are really, really not a good idea for a patient with lyme, he said that it might be the lesser of two evils - if hubby can't work, we have NO income coming in!!
I guess we'll wait to see what happens, but I wonder if anyone has suggestions or has had this problem. What did you do?
Posts: 160 | From Abington, PA, USA | Registered: May 2005
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5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
Hi Danser,
M sympathy's on your hubby's herniated disc. It's unspeakable pain.
I herniated a disc 5 years ago & had surgury. The surgury as it ended up just solved my nerve pain but didn't take away all my lower back pain. Still there.
But I had to wait 2 months to have the surgury & the pain got less over time on its own. I was told some do & some don't.
In retrospect the back surgury to repair the disc started my lastest relaspe for which I am still trying to recover from.
Don't know if I would have this disc repair surgury again. As I have 3 bulging disc that act like they are getting ready to blow, it's a weighty decision.
The surgury was very hard for me to re-bound back from. I know some people who have had it & don't have as much of a problem as I did .
You can pm me any time.
I hope your hubby can feel better soon
Hang in there,
-------------------- 5dana8 Posts: 4432 | From some where over the rainbow | Registered: Sep 2005
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5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
I just wanted to add. Does your hubby have a small, medium or large herniated disc?
And if so is it pressing on the nerves that control the bladder & bowels?
These questions he should be able to ask his doctor as they can usually tell from the MRI & symtoms.
These where some of the reasons why I opted for surgury. Mine was a large herniated disc and the shratenal from the herniated disc was pressing on the nerves that control my bladder.
Hope he can feel better soon.
-------------------- 5dana8 Posts: 4432 | From some where over the rainbow | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
He is having no bladder problems or any shooting pains down his leg. It's just the excrutiating pain in his lower left side of his back. Two bulges are minor and one is large enough to be hitting a nerve. I have read that it can get better with time.
I didn't know if anyone would advice chiropractic or some other manipulation that might help.
We just want to avoid the steroids if at all possible.
Posts: 160 | From Abington, PA, USA | Registered: May 2005
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Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
Hi,
I herniated a disk years ago in a car accident, long before Lyme. My back would go into complete spasm if I sneezed, carried groceries, etc., and I was working full-time at a corporate job at the time so it was a mess.
I did go through physical therapy for a while (couldn't take enough time off of work to do the full courses, but got a good start, then learned exercises to do at home). It did help to a degree, along with ultrasound therapy that the physical therapist, and later a chiropractor used.
Even though I was scared to try chiropractic in case it worsened it, I will credit chiropractic treatments with stabilizing my back enough to the point where I rarely had a complete spasm. However, I went to frequent chiropractic treatments per week, for years, so it wasn't a short-term commitment.
There is a local person with a clinic in my city by the name of Pete Egoscue who has written several books on pain relief having to do with a series of exercises he prescribes to stabilize the musculoskeletal system.
I have the books but have never personally tried the exercises. However, a friend of mine who is a contractor/handyman uses the exercises in the books and he said they have made a huge difference with relieving back pain that he gets on the job.
Just a thought. But with herniated disks, I would never do anything without consulting the orthopedist first.
When my back was at its worse, I had to be on muscle relaxants which would release the spasm but of course made me too tired to work or drive.
Good luck, Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
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5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
Hey Danser,
Buldging discs are different than herniated disc. When a disc ruptures they call it a herniated disc.
Not to mininize the pain from bulging disc's can be very bad
PT can be very helpful in stretching out the spine, very very slowly though. So the bulging discs can slide back in place.
Pool workouts used to help alot too. Some PT's use pool therapy but the smell of chlorine kills me lately.
My insurence doesn't cover PT so I do special excercises my ortho guy gave me + my jane fonda tape "start up" for stretching & lenthening my spine.
I haven't been to a chiroprator yet. My mom says a chiropractor ruined her back but my aunt swears by one. I guess it depends on getting a good one.
Hope he can get rid of his pain soon
Make sure to talk over everything first with your ortho doctor
p.s. dido on what Jill said. Muslce relaxants helps along with ice & alternating with heat too.
-------------------- 5dana8 Posts: 4432 | From some where over the rainbow | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
Strangely the LLMD is not sending him to an orthopedist but to a neurosurgeon.
I did a search online and it appeared that the terms "herniated" and "bulging" disks were interchangeable.
I don't think we'll really know what we're dealing with until he sees the neurosurgeon on the 25th.
Posts: 160 | From Abington, PA, USA | Registered: May 2005
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AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
I think chiropractors are great..... but ask around make sure you get a good one.
Acupuncture can help with pain too.
surgery doesnt always help the pain and there are risks. I know someone who had surgery and was told there is the possibility of parilization.
posted
Yikes! I SOOO hope you can avoid surgery. If you go the surgery route, consider laparoscopic/laser disc surgery instead of the conventional method.
Check your PM.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
Just curious, did this show on x-ray or on MRI only?
For something as serious as back surgery I would get 2 or 3 opinions from different surgeons. Hubby had a former coworker with a bulging disk -- one doc wanted to do surgery and the 2nd doc suggested specific exercises -- the exercises worked and the patient avoided the surgery.
I think it would depend somewhat on which disc was involved as to how easily it could be treated. One in the neck or near the waist gets a lot more wear and tear.
There are a lot of options out there -- have seen ads for spinal decompression but don't know much about it.
Bea Seibert
P.S. Hubby's PCP made an appointment for him in a week with a doc who specializes in structural alignment. This guy has some experience in sports medicine among other things. Will be interesting to see what he thinks about hubby's lower back pain and shoulder pain as x-rays have been normal.
A sports medicine doc might possibly be an option for your hubby for a 2nd opinion.
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Foggy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1584
posted
Sorry to hear about his experience. Been there, it's awful. Definately see the PT & see how he does. PT may use ice, heat, TENS, ultrasound, traction etc. Steriod injections are merely a band aid to get you by during PT. My Ortho said many asymptomatic patients have bulging discs. MRIs don't define pain.
However, Disc disease bulges & stenosis can be excrutiating. He also said annular disc tears are hard to detect and can cause pain. Sacraliliac joint inflation can also be painful.
That injection caused so much damage, no pain relief, got worse, in fact, & loss of progress that it wasn't worth the gamble. Severe pain makes you do desperate things.
I found a TENS unit to be very helpful. Got me through the rough spots & I wear it all day.You need an Rx but it worked well.
I didn't try Vax-D or Prolotherapy but I would look into them in the future, if need be.
Posts: 2451 | From Lyme Central | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
The spine seems to be a popular topic as I have had 3 spinal fusions. 3 verts in cervical and 3 thoracic which was after 2 years redone to fuse Tll thru the tailbone.
Now the shoulder blades feel they are not connected to the spine.
I went to ortho surgeon 1st time with floppy foot, stumbling all the time.
Still have a lot of pain which Vicodin and Parafon Forte (muscle relaxant) are doing a good
job of keeping under control until I find out if I have LD.
The Parafon Forte (Chlorzoxasone) is a old muscle relaxant and doesn't have the severe side effects
that Flexeril does. I can't use anything with flexeril's sides because I am already on Ritalin
for chronic fatigue. You may ask your MD about trying it. It is also pretty cheap.
Posts: 13 | From Fort Wayne, IN | Registered: Aug 2006
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I think you're saying that your fusions were surgically created? I almost wish I could do that. Unfortunately, I already have at least one if not more auto-fusions (not surgically created). This doesn't make me a candidate for spinal surgery according to several docs. I will admit though they are not Neuro or Ortho types.
-------------------- Toodles, Sal Posts: 195 | From Tampa, FL | Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
The fusions were surgically done but now I am not sure they were needed.
None of the surgeons (I have had total R shoulder replacement, L shoulder cuff repair, and carpal surgery of both wrists.) have said there is arthritis.
Now I am losing control of both bowels and bladder and wonder if it is LD or fusions.
Posts: 13 | From Fort Wayne, IN | Registered: Aug 2006
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-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Tutu, never heard of prolotherapy, sp?, until you mentioned it. I clicked on one of your links to learn what it is. Tutu, perhaps you could give Treepatrol this link with your links on this subject. I don't think I've seen that mentioned in there, but I may have overlooked it too since I didn't know what it was! lol
I've had 2 back epidurmal shots given to me; 1 two days before I quit work & other 2-3 wks. later.
Neither helped me, but it didn't help having 22 boxes of stuff (all occasion holiday decorations & my 5' xmas tree decorated for every holiday) to put away which husband piled in the middle of our kitchen so I had to work on them daily to get them down the basement or throw things away!
I also had physical therapy on many different occasions; each time got much worse EXCEPT water exercising helped until I became allergic to CHLORINE SMELL/jacuzzi. Bettyg
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posted
Pat had excruiating sciatic back pain twice, 7 months apart. The first time, she was tortured and disabled for 2 weeks, then it gradually got better on its own until it was completely gone.
The second time, was much worse for much longer. Her MRI also showed a herniated disc pressing on a nerve. She was referred to 2 different neurosurgeons.
We met a nurse who had the same condition who was operated on by the first neurosurgeon. The surgery left her disabled and in excruiating pain. She later had steroid injections for her pain. Eventually the pain was gone, but she remained permanently disabled and could no longer work as a nurse.
Pat cancelled her appointment with that surgeon.
The second neurosurgeon said Pat needed surgery. After a lot of talk, he finally admitted that the pain will get better with or without treatment, but he still wanted to operate. Pat didn't return to that surgeon.
After 3 months, the pain got better and finally went mostly away.
Following a tip, Pat suddenly stopped using anything with aspartame. She had started the habit of drinking diet drinks as her only liquid when Lyme messed with her taste perception and she suddenly hated water.
Within 3 days after quiting the diet drinks, she felt better, and the frozen shoulders and hips of the past 3 years, and the sciatica were permanently gone. That was almost 3 years ago.
Posts: 61 | From Florida, USA | Registered: Aug 2005
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