My aching back!!

[kel_pattons]

Please help, I am exhausted, as I write I just want to cry. I have been unfortunate to have back pain for eight years now. I have went to many doctors, many hospitals, many physical therapists. It used to be that I would have pain sometimes, but for the past eighteen months its cronic, everyday pain, that prevents me from sleeping or working and has caused my depression. I have taken every kind of medicine possible, I have been to physical therapy 9 different times with no relief at all, I have had nerve blocks on my back, which made it worse. None of these damn doctors are helping, they want me to try more and more medication and I keep telling them that it does not help, not even the pain medications work anymore. I have two cysts, one on each side of my spine that do hurt and feel as though I am being pulled from the inside if moved, pluse I have a herniated disc (see below for the MRI). I am tired and just don't know what to do anymore, why won't they do surgery? Please help if you can.

MRI Results:
Moderate bilateral facet hypertrophy. The pars are somewhat difficult to evaluate. It is difficult to exclude the possibility of right sided L5 pars defect though this is not a definitive finding. There is a 3mm central disc herniation in close proximity to the right S1 nerve root but not displacing it. No central spinal stenosis. There is moderate bilateral neural foraminal narrowing with disc extending to the neural foramen. On the left, the exiting L5 nerve root is superiorly displaced by the disc and on the right similar but less severe changes are noted.

[MInute Maid]

High Noon is suggesting you read around more about this and I agree.  Knowledge is power and you may feel more in control of your symptoms if you understand what is happening.  The tone of your post sugggests that you are not just tired but afraid, and this is perhaps because you need some answers.  You have maade a good start by asking on here for advice.  I hope you find a resolution.

[High Noon]

The cause of back pain, especially when it is not injury or trama related , is difficult to diagnose. You note that you did not hurt your back- that this is a progressive disorder.
PT tries to stabilize and strengthen the back but will not help if the cause is unknown and/or it is not musclar related.

You want to consider surgery, however it appears that the doctors you have visited are not suggesting this. It could be because it is not warranted and/or the possibility that surgery will eliminate the pain is questionable.

All of that said, I would recommend you see the neurologist but do not push for surgery.
You may be suffering from a disorder called TMS- a number of good books on the subject have been written by Dr. John Sarno. You may want to explore those findings.

Good Luck

[kel_pattons]

That is just it, I did not hurt my back, it has been something that has been a gradual onset for me, it just has been relentless in its endeavors though. I have a second and a third and a fourth opinion however, they all do not concur, the latter of the doctors seems to think the the others have not dispensed the right amounts of the same medications I have already been on, I say it's pure foolishness on their parts. I am bound and determined when I see the nuerosurgeon on Wednesday, that this doctor will help me, he has too, i'm running out of options. This last part is for you so called medical professionals out there: When your patient profoundly tells you that the medications and physical therapy and nerve blocks are not working, listen to them, don't hear what you want to, don't rush them out of the room because you are behind in schedule, don't send them home in pain and chalk it up to the fact that at least you made another 90 dollars off them, instead, try remembering why you are in the medical field in the first place, maybe then, you will turn into human beings and treat these people like they were your own, because remember this, someone out there is treating your own the same way you are treating theirs, and this applies to more than one walk of life.

[kellsc]

Hey Kel. My name is Kell.  I would suggest going to a different doctor and getting a second opinion.  Check up on the doctors before seeing them and maybe get references.  Maybe go to someone out of town in the big cities. I heard that they are better in the big cities and know more of what they are doing. Maybe see a neurologist.  I have a large bulging disc at L5 that is extremely painful to my lower back and right side.  I'm out of work right now because I cant work more than 4hours at a time and I get work that and keep full  time which keeps my insurance.  I'm in the process now of getting a second opinion.  I had injection in my back which has not helped.  How did you hurt your back?  Did you hurt it at work?  Yea ...I am doing Physical therapy right now and it hurts worse when doing those exercises.  Well I hope something gets done right for you as well as for me.  I cant stand the pain or medication.

Kell
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