Back issues, ruptured disc

[barronj]

When I told the doc the rate at which I was taking the anti-inflamatory Etodolac 400mg, he kinda geeked, saying i was taking it too frequently. It says to take every 8 hours as needed, I was taking every 5-6 hours. Kept me pain free for most of the day, but I was spacey and you didn't have to ask me twice to take a nap. He prescribed Mobic instead, and that didn't do anything for me, so I went back to Etodolac, except I requested a 300mg version instead.

I never take the muscle relaxers or hyrdocodone during the day, except for a couple of times last week when I'd self weened off the Etodolac and the pain had built throughout the day, a steady 7.5 by 5 pm. I would then take a 1/2 a hydrocodone (7.5mg) and a cyclobenzaprine. This knocked the edge off.

Here's my MRI results, I don't see mm mentioned anywhere.

[Craizie]

When I hurt my back I went to Spine Team Texas.

The Dr. said I would need surgery to correct it. However, he advised against it.

He told me there were three outcomes of surgery. It helps your back, it hurts your back, or it remains the same. So basically you have a 33% chance of improvement and a 66% chance of no change or making it worse.

He told me to until I could no longer stand the paint. That was about 10 years ago.

[BLAKE]

I dealt with chronic back pain for years, including the sciatic nerve stuff you're talking about. Old Kung-Fu injury.

I had pretty much just resigned to the fact that that was going to be there the rest of my life. I don't like taking pills, so I just suffered through it.

Then about a year ago, we put a think foam pad on our hard-as-hell mattress and it magically went away. Everybody's situation is different, and mine will still hurt if I do a lot of heavy lifting or spend a weekend laying on the garage floor playing with the car, but there's a little anecdote that may provide some hope for you. Try changing your mattress situation before going under the knife. If you have a hard bed, try softer. If it's currently soft, try harder. Might help.

[akfodysvn]

Ive noticed that when I sit for long durations I really have a hard time getting back to normal. My erector spinae muscles spasm and won't let me stand up straight... fucking sucks.

Swimming is going to be your best exercise. Get lots of rest. Recover completely and start strengthening. Avoid all arching movements like pilates or yoga until you are healed. The fissure can just get worse if you push it.

My diagnosis was very similar but was the bottom 3 discs were herniating with degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis worse than it should be for my age.

A PT can get you some good stretches but I had much better results with an active release chiropractor who actually works with higher level athletes and will relate it directly to my job at the firehouse. He is far more knowledgable than any PT who was available to me.

Kelly Star is a pretty big time PT that has some stuff on the internet.

[black2002ls]

When I told the doc the rate at which I was taking the anti-inflamatory Etodolac 400mg, he kinda geeked, saying i was taking it too frequently. It says to take every 8 hours as needed, I was taking every 5-6 hours. Kept me pain free for most of the day, but I was spacey and you didn't have to ask me twice to take a nap. He prescribed Mobic instead, and that didn't do anything for me, so I went back to Etodolac, except I requested a 300mg version instead.

I never take the muscle relaxers or hyrdocodone during the day, except for a couple of times last week when I'd self weened off the Etodolac and the pain had built throughout the day, a steady 7.5 by 5 pm. I would then take a 1/2 a hydrocodone (7.5mg) and a cyclobenzaprine. This knocked the edge off.

Here's my MRI results, I don't see mm mentioned anywhere.

What rate were you taking the mobic (meloxicam) at? When I started taking it, it was 2 pills a day for 2 weeks.

As for muscle relaxer, talk to your doc about tizanidine, it is a low dose, I was able to take it throughout the day and function with little to no impairment. I could vary the dose as needed. It was typically 1 pill during the day and 2-3 at night. Though, a lot of drugs affect me differently, Hydrocodone and tramadol are like speed, I'm wired like I'm on crack.

When I hurt my back I went to Spine Team Texas.

The Dr. said I would need surgery to correct it. However, he advised against it.

He told me there were three outcomes of surgery. It helps your back, it hurts your back, or it remains the same. So basically you have a 33% chance of improvement and a 66% chance of no change or making it worse.

He told me to until I could no longer stand the paint. That was about 10 years ago.

I'm not sure how the other offices are with spine team texas, but the Rockwall office has gone to shit. They were using me as a revenue stream. Their staff was incompetent, and I finally switched to Texas Back Institute

I dealt with chronic back pain for years, including the sciatic nerve stuff you're talking about. Old Kung-Fu injury.

I had pretty much just resigned to the fact that that was going to be there the rest of my life. I don't like taking pills, so I just suffered through it.

Then about a year ago, we put a think foam pad on our hard-as-hell mattress and it magically went away. Everybody's situation is different, and mine will still hurt if I do a lot of heavy lifting or spend a weekend laying on the garage floor playing with the car, but there's a little anecdote that may provide some hope for you. Try changing your mattress situation before going under the knife. If you have a hard bed, try softer. If it's currently soft, try harder. Might help.

Mattress can make a huge difference! We bought a simmons beauty rest black last January and it made an immediate improvement in my condition.

[slingshot]

Daaayum... whatever you did you did it good!
L2L3 annular tear with disc protrusion (herniated disc) encroaching on the left nerve root, L3L4 and L4L5 annular tears, and the daddy--L5S1 annular tear with frank herniation not only encroaching but displacing the right nerve root! Get thee to a GOOD surgeon and get evaluated.
As for the comment about 1/3 get better, 1/3 stay the same, and 1/3 get worse? 20-30 years ago that was probably true. In my 27 years of practice it has changed a lot--prob 85% of the people I send that have surgery with the guys I choose get better... the surgical techniques and technology have improved tremendously over the last few decades. Good luck to you on your journey... wish you the best.

[black2002ls]

Daaayum... whatever you did you did it good!
L2L3 annular tear with disc protrusion (herniated disc) encroaching on the left nerve root, L3L4 and L4L5 annular tears, and the daddy--L5S1 annular tear with frank herniation not only encroaching but displacing the right nerve root! Get thee to a GOOD surgeon and get evaluated.
As for the comment about 1/3 get better, 1/3 stay the same, and 1/3 get worse? 20-30 years ago that was probably true. In my 27 years of practice it has changed a lot--prob 85% of the people I send that have surgery with the guys I choose get better... the surgical techniques and technology have improved tremendously over the last few decades. Good luck to you on your journey... wish you the best.

What part of the field are you in? Dr. Bartolomei did my surgery in 2012. Not sure if you know anything about him. I attribute most of my relapse to not being active enough and just a general disregard for my physical health for too long.

[soap]

Age has a lot to do with it. I've had something similar happened to me in my late teens. No surgery just lots of bed rest and took it easy that hole year that's why I said age has a lot to do with it. I'm 40 now if that shit happens to me today especially being fat the way I am now I'd be crippled.

[Craizie]

Age has a lot to do with it. I've had something similar happened to me in my late teens. No surgery just lots of bed rest and took it easy that hole year that's why I said age has a lot to do with it. I'm 40 now if that shit happens to me today especially being fat the way I am now I'd be crippled.

You tried to fuck a cow up against a wall, didn't you?

[Jewrrick]

You tried to fuck a cow up against a wall, didn't you?

No that's the reason for the brain damage

[black2002ls]

Age has a lot to do with it. I've had something similar happened to me in my late teens. No surgery just lots of bed rest and took it easy that hole year that's why I said age has a lot to do with it. I'm 40 now if that shit happens to me today especially being fat the way I am now I'd be crippled.

I love this assumption/statement. I can't tell you how many times someone looked at me funny when I told them I had back surgery and they would always accompany that look with the statement "you are too young for that to happen!". I always took everything in me not to say; Well motherfucker, obviously I'm not. I'm 27 with a herniated disc (or 29 with back surgery), If it were an age thing, this shit wouldn't have happened!

[Craizie]

I love this assumption/statement. I can't tell you how many times someone looked at me funny when I told them I had back surgery and they would always accompany that look with the statement "you are too young for that to happen!". I always took everything in me not to say; Well motherfucker, obviously I'm not. I'm 27 with a herniated disc (or 29 with back surgery), If it were an age thing, this shit wouldn't have happened!

Age does play a roll. Back when I was a kid / teenage I could fall off a roof and be back to stupid shit after I caught my breath.

Now it seems if I stand up too fast from my desk at work there is a 50/50 chance something on my is going to scream in pain.


Or maybe the falling off the roof bit is just now catching up.

[black2002ls]

Age does play a roll. Back when I was a kid / teenage I could fall off a roof and be back to stupid shit after I caught my breath.

Now it seems if I stand up too fast from my desk at work there is a 50/50 chance something on my is going to scream in pain.


Or maybe the falling off the roof bit is just now catching up.

I'll agree age can play a factor, though, it is a misconception that it is a requirement for back trouble. In most cases, it is due to not taking care of ourselves!

[Craizie]

I'll agree age can play a factor, though, it is a misconception that it is a requirement for back trouble. In most cases, it is due to not taking care of ourselves!

I first hurt my back @ 21 or 22. Was a forklift driver 12 hours a day 4 days a week. Hauling ass over dock plates w/o suspension took it's toll.

[slingshot]

What part of the field are you in? Dr. Bartolomei did my surgery in 2012. Not sure if you know anything about him. I attribute most of my relapse to not being active enough and just a general disregard for my physical health for too long.

Family Practice... in the trenches for 27 years.