swamp
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Post by swamp on Jul 15, 2014 11:54:58 GMT -5
Not implying that you're overweight, but I have a friend who told me that losing weight made a huge difference on her spine issues. I just lost 40 pounds
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on Jul 15, 2014 11:57:28 GMT -5
Not implying that you're overweight, but I have a friend who told me that losing weight made a huge difference on her spine issues. I just lost 40 pounds Excellent! That's going to help whether you find you need surgery, or not. The more excess weight you can get off the less strain on those discs.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Jul 15, 2014 12:04:01 GMT -5
Not implying that you're overweight, but I have a friend who told me that losing weight made a huge difference on her spine issues. I find advice like this to be so trite given the actual issue that Swamp has described. Sure for general back pain, losing weight probably will help. For an issue where the nerve or spinal cord is being pressed on to the point that the person's leg is going numb ... good luck actually moving enough to exercise or even walk. When my SIL had a piece of her disk break off and press against her spinal cord, she couldn't barely walk. There was no just lose weight. My husband lost a bunch of weight because he was in so much pain he couldn't eat with his problem and basically just ate hydrocodones. Unfortunately, some issues can't be solved with just losing weight or going to the chiro.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2014 12:09:36 GMT -5
I am doing both chiropractor and PT treatments. Foot still numb a month later. You might consider changing your chiropractor. I found there to be a world of difference between them. Sis has this same problem, went through surgery, it helped a little, but she still has a lot of back pain and is now addicted to pain meds. She went through hell with the surgery and said she'd rather spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair than to go through it again. I hope if you do have the surgery you have a better outcome. Back pain sucks, I know. Sorry, no help with making your decision. There is also a world of difference between surgeons, just sayin'
My friend just had back surgery for a slightly different problem and he is really happy with the results. He has a way to go for full recovery but he knows he is better off already. The guy across the room from him in recovery that had a different surgeon isn't so happy.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jul 15, 2014 12:13:16 GMT -5
Not implying that you're overweight, but I have a friend who told me that losing weight made a huge difference on her spine issues. I find advice like this to be so trite given the actual issue that Swamp has described. Sure for general back pain, losing weight probably will help. For an issue where the nerve or spinal cord is being pressed on to the point that the person's leg is going numb ... good luck actually moving enough to exercise or even walk. When my SIL had a piece of her disk break off and press against her spinal cord, she couldn't barely walk. There was no just lose weight. My husband lost a bunch of weight because he was in so much pain he couldn't eat with his problem and basically just ate hydrocodones. Unfortunately, some issues can't be solved with just losing weight or going to the chiro. Just like a failing hip. There is a woman that TD works with who needs a new knee desperately. However, she is easily 100 lbs overweight. The doctor wants her to lose weight before he'll consider surgery. Yeah.....right. It hurts to move (even something like getting into/out of a pool is not possible) and she should be using some sort of walking aids now to protect her other joints. It really is a catch 22. But as Mutt said, she has something impinging on a nerve and you really shouldn't let that impinge forever, or the nerve will be permanently damaged. So waiting a long period of time (to lose weight) could have even worse results.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jul 15, 2014 12:21:04 GMT -5
just about the only exercise I can do is swimming.I haven't tried the elliptical yet maybe I can do that
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2014 12:23:34 GMT -5
I'd probably give it a couple months at least. Just cause I'm a big chicken when it comes to surgery though .
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jul 15, 2014 12:25:21 GMT -5
I'd probably give it a couple months at least. Just cause I'm a big chicken when it comes to surgery though . I planned on giving it 6 months. The doctor told me if I wait that long the nerve damage will be permanent
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2014 12:27:02 GMT -5
I guess the doc knows best. Or so they say anyway.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jul 15, 2014 12:32:53 GMT -5
I'd probably give it a couple months at least. Just cause I'm a big chicken when it comes to surgery though . I planned on giving it 6 months. The doctor told me if I wait that long the nerve damage will be permanent Yep... Foot drop is one of the risks of a hip replacement and for many, the disability becomes permanent....you really don't want this, I know a lot of people who work very hard to try to regain some control of their foot. I would be getting a third and fourth opinion.
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dannylion
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Post by dannylion on Jul 15, 2014 12:34:06 GMT -5
I am not a medical professional, but I have transcribed orthopedic surgeons' clinic notes for 12 years. From my observation, the progression of treatment is always from conservative, nonsurgical options such as physical therapy (or good, qualified chiropractic care), anti-inflammatories, rest, and time, through more invasive treatments such as epidural steroid injections, and then to surgical intervention when more conservative measures do not provide satisfactory relief. However, when there is numbness, and particularly in the case of foot drop, the recommendation for surgery moves to the front of the line because of the possibility of permanent nerve damage. This is something you might want to discuss with your doctor or seek a second opinion about.
Sending good thoughts that you and your doctor can determine a treatment regimen soon that you are comfortable with so you can get relief.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jul 15, 2014 14:16:34 GMT -5
He is a neurosurgeon who works for a large orthopaedic group. He's in their back office.
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cael
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Post by cael on Jul 15, 2014 14:26:08 GMT -5
Interesting to read all the responses and sorry you're going through this, Swamp. My mom just got news she has 3 herniated discs - she'd seen a neurologist for testing because of her leg weakness/pain and some other things. She's seeing a pain doctor soon or something? But they recommended surgery for her I think, not sure if they'll try a chiro first. She isn't experiencing a lot of pain, but she has some in her legs and they get really weak when she walks more than a little bit. Maybe I'll see if she's asked about trying a chiro... the possibility of back surgery is really freaking her out I think.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jul 15, 2014 14:46:54 GMT -5
And I have seen my MRI and report. My chiropractor got them and explained them to me and showede the pretty pictures of my squished disc poking my sciatic nerve.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jul 15, 2014 16:55:07 GMT -5
I'd keep in mind that with a numb foot you can hurt yourself in other ways. I didn't realize my lower back issues were making me a little clumsy. I tripped down the staircase holding DS and strained ligaments in both my ankles and cracked a bone. Then I broke my toe. I had a couple of other incidents. I was dropping things, etc. It's amazing how when it slowly deteriorates over time you are not really aware of it. I've already turned ny ankle twice.
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achelois
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Post by achelois on Jul 15, 2014 17:18:46 GMT -5
I had back surgery ten years ago at L3-4 because the disc was displacing the spinal cord and causing me to lose control of my right leg at times and fall. I also had numbness, tingling and sometimes pain along the outer part of the right leg, knee, and foot.
I did not have foot drop, but the last two toes of the right foot were numb and the sole of the right foot felt burning sensations.
I had the surgery, was in overnight and left the next afternoon. I had pain that was controlled with pain pills for a couple days. I was allowed to drive after a week, but the doc would not let me return to work for two months. I am a nurse, as you probably remember, and did a lot of lifting and bending etc.
It was well worth it for me.
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tcu2003
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Post by tcu2003 on Jul 15, 2014 19:06:02 GMT -5
Complete with numb lower leg and foot drop. Yes or no. Yes. My mom just had this done in the last year after slipping on the ice a couple of winters ago. She was miserable with similar side effects to what you've mentioned for two or three years, and has seen remarkable improvement since the surgery.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Jul 15, 2014 19:23:55 GMT -5
Been through these exact same symptoms with DH's L5 disc.
The first time, he waited about 4 months to have the surgery. The relief was instantaneous and he was sorry he waited so long in such pain.
The second time, he waited again, only to wait so ling that he simplu angered the sciatic nerve to the point that it took about 6 weeks for him to feel relief. The top of his foot is still numb and probably permanently so, now.
As for neurosurgeons, the best are at, or train at, Johns Hopkins. Don't settle for anyone. Check the larger medical centers near you for someone who trained at JH. I can highly recommend someone in Boston. The surgery itself is very cool--1 inch incision, on a table that rotates and turns you upside down so your butt is up in the air. DH had more soreness in his upper body from the surgery position than he did from the surgery site itself, LOL. Both times, he walked out less than 24 hours after the surgery and spent 2 months recovering at home. A small percentage of people have a 3-peat (they can't exactly dig around in there pulling out random un-ruptures pieces). We're hoping DH is not in that statistic.
Good luck. Get a good neurosurgeon who will not hesitate to pull the trigger on surgery if and when surgery is warranted.
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tcu2003
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Post by tcu2003 on Jul 15, 2014 19:48:39 GMT -5
And I agree about getting a neurosurgeon instead of an ortho.
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Artemis Windsong
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Post by Artemis Windsong on Jul 15, 2014 21:14:38 GMT -5
My friend had this problem and ended up having surgery.
One ad mentioned a Lomax machine to help with this. I think that is what it is. Chiros advertise on our TV stations. I'll try to watch a little more closely.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2014 2:51:23 GMT -5
Now stop drinking so you don't fall on your hot a$$ Sorry, probably not really a joking matter to you. How did the surgeon react to you going to a chiro? My brother's doctor went nuts that he'd would let a chiro touch it with that damage. Find a place with an inversion swing/table. Try it out and see if it gives you any relief from numbness. If it does then maybe serious muscle strengthening in the core would help you. No relief, then surgery. If the protrusion is interfering with the nerve, it can take a long time after surgery for the nerve to repair itself. The longer you wait on that, the longer the damage takes to heal. Have you done steroid shots yet?
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jul 16, 2014 7:14:37 GMT -5
Surgeon was fine with chiropractor. Encourages it.
Told me to start Pilates to strengthen core. Which I will do.
I'm looking for a doc to do the cortisone injections. The one here can't get me in until October, and the other that I know of I won't go to.
The chiropractor does traction on me.
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Jul 16, 2014 7:20:19 GMT -5
Pilates is wonderful. Just start lightly! I'm sure you know that. :-) There are some great (free) videos on you tube.
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olderburgher
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Post by olderburgher on Jul 16, 2014 8:09:02 GMT -5
I had spinal surgery that worked. Still have some residual numbness in the back of one leg but most of it went away there and all went away in the other leg. All the pain has been gone too and that was what was the worst of it. Went into surgery in pain and awakened pain free. The problem with pieces of discs is that they can bulge out but they can also fragment inwardly and do permanent damage and you can't predict which will be which next week or next month.
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bookkeeper
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Post by bookkeeper on Jul 16, 2014 9:41:11 GMT -5
I had a herniated disk a few years ago. I saw a few docs, had lots of tests, etc. The ortho doc did a steroid injection which actually made it worse. Then I went to a neurosurgeon who wanted to do surgery, which is what they do after all. I convinced him to let me try therapy first. He also added traction and by the end of summer (after 3 mos.) I was cured!
I'd recommend you see a neurologist/neurosurgeon with a neurology/neurosurgery practice rather than orthopedic. In my experience, Ortho docs and anyone affiliated with them like to do surgeries. I know many people who have undergone surgery for back issues and not one of them has been cured. Sometimes the surgery brought a bit of temporary relief, sometimes not even that and they all had to under go multiple surgeries. None of them was ever able to go back to work afterward. Just be aware back surgeries don't always solve the problem and sometimes create new ones. This was my experience. I had a herniated disk that was causing numbness and tingling in my right arm. Working as a bookkeeper on a computer all day only made the situation more painful. I sought help from two different chiropractors, and in the end traction was the only thing that helped. I bought my own traction apparatus and put myself on an every other day schedule. The chiropractors came up with some great exercises and stretches that helped as well. I did not go back in for multiple adjustments, because I got no long term relief from the adjustments. I did not seek other medical care.
It took about 6 months before it got better. I would soak in the hot tub first and then traction for 5 to 10 minutes. I also became mindful of my sleep posture and used a neck roll instead of a pillow.
Today I am mostly pain free from this ailment. I do have to be careful not to lift anything heavy or I can feel the same spot on my spine talking to me. Since I left my job, I have a much stronger core due to not sitting all day at work and this has helped my spine as well.
My father had spinal fusion surgery on 3 vertebrae to alleviate leg and foot pain from the sciatic nerve. The surgery went well, but once he had sciatic nerve pain, it never really went away for very long. He still has bouts of pain running down his leg. I am sure he would have been in worse shape without the surgery, but surgeons aren't magicians. They don't have a magic wand that can make your body work like it did when you were 20.
Swamp, your case sounds pretty serious with the foot drop and surgery may be in your future. Be careful at home not to lift the kids or any of their gear. Your kids are probably old enough to understand that Mom needs their help and can't lift them or other heavy things until the back is better.
Good luck with your decisions regarding surgery, we all hope the best for you.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jul 16, 2014 11:25:34 GMT -5
Just contacted my attorney friends who do medical malpractice in the Syracuse area. That group got good reviews from them.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jul 18, 2014 20:30:29 GMT -5
So after all these treatments I no longer have very much pain. But my foot is still numb. WTH?
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TrixAre4Kids
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Post by TrixAre4Kids on Jul 18, 2014 22:41:14 GMT -5
I'm glad your pain is better. It takes awhile.
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