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Low back pain & neuropathy issues
Spine Health | Last Active: May 26, 2022 | Replies (213)Comment receiving replies
I feel your pain...literally! I am 63 (in a month) and I also suffer from chronic pain. My lumbar and cervical spines are in real trouble! At one point I stopped walking for over 2 years because of the pain. I also had severe, I want to die pain in my left arm to fingers that came from my cervical spine. I went to a pain doc who gave me a shot. The shot was the answer and thankfully it worked for years!
As for my lower issues, I saw 4 docs. They all tried lots of things that didn't work. Three years ago I moved and went to one doc who was good for nothing. I searched and searched and finally found a pain doc who is about 1-2 hours away (because of traffic, it can be longer). He has worked MAGIC on my lumbar spine!. He uses a fluoroscope to find the sweet spot, based on my MRIs and what I tell him. His shots usually last 8-12 weeks if I behave.
I agree with Jim. You are too young to be homebound. Do some research in your area for a good pain doc. Read reviews by patients and other docs.
A couple of sites you can use:
vitals.com
Zocdoc.com
nationalpeerreview.com
WebMD.com
ratemds.com
Hope this helps.
Ronnie
Replies to "I feel your pain...literally! I am 63 (in a month) and I also suffer from chronic..."
In my opinion your in the hands of the medical industrial complex which runs on money from patients. The sicker you are the more money they can get out of you or your insurance. Ancient philosophers centuries ago recognized that every thing is connected including physical health and emotional health, but none of that means you have a certain condition such as depression. They often treated my pain with anti-depressants which ended up doing nothing helpful and somethings harmful for me although they may help others if they really need them.
If you are rejected for insurance try going for social security disability (Medicare) otherwise go to public health (Medicaid) for care, your taxes paid for all that so now is the time to use it. Depending on your state you probably have an agency that deals with rehabilitation so contact them for assistance they can pay some medical bills and help you get what you need with the goal of going back to work.
My point is, if there is one, you need to be a partner in your treatment. If they will not let you do that then you need to find a new medical provider if possible. If not possible then try to get the ones you have on your side. Of course you may run into those medical people, I have, who are only in it for the money, in which case you need to try to find someone else. Good luck and may God be with you. 19lin
I don't have lots of money but thankfully I have Medicare and a great secondary policy.
@grandmar Same here. The medical folks in my area still reside in the dark ages. I do what I can to take care of myself. Have lost all trust in doctors. My issue.
@grandmar I too have had problems with my spine, both lower and cervical. I have cervical radiculapathy from a compression fracture, and it causes "pain to die for". A little over a year ago I had a laminectomy to relieve the pressure from my L5-S1 on my spinal cord. It worked for my left side hip and leg acute leg pain. However, my right side hip and leg pain remained and it was going to need rods and pins to correct. My surgeon said I should try everything else first.
Two courses of PT, acupuncture and 3 pain drugs were not helping. Then I read about Active Release Technique (ART) on Mayo Connect. I checked it out on Google and decided to find a chiropractor in my area who was trained and certified to do it. I found a great chiropractor and in 3 weeks, going twice a week, my pain was basically gone! I was so surprised and happy. It's been 9 months now ; I see him once a month and I am off all the pain drugs and walking. I'm so very happy. I'm 69 years old. I recommend you check this out.
The theory is that our muscles and nerves get bound together due to some trauma at some point in time. Working the muscles with deep deep tissue pressure and movement of your limbs can release the bound muscles and nerves. It worked for me.
Gail B
Volunteer Mentor
I am so, so happy for you!! I look forward to the day when I will be pain free.......I hope!!!!!
I actually went to see a neurosurgeon last week. I've decided on surgery. Since the injections in my lumbar is giving me relief, the doc suggested starting with my cervical spine first. I am having 2 discs removed and 2 artificial discs to replace those. He showed me my MRI and how bad the stenosis is. At this point, it looks like surgery is my last option. He told me he usually does not operate on a patient when seeing them for the first time but when I listed all the non-surgical interventions I've gone through, he approved the surgery.
As for my lumbar spine, that will be next. He said he has several ideas about what can be done. I don't know what they are, but one thing at a time.
Thank you for the suggestion. I hope that you continue to be pain free and take advantage of all the things you could not do while suffering.
Ronnie
If you don't mind me asking, where do you live??
There are old fashioned docs all over. I have been to docs who have told me fibromyalgia is not a real condition. Basically, they implied I'm a lady who over reacts. So, I understand your frustrations.
Since you are deciding to have major surgery, may I recommend that you seek a second opinion about your cervical surgery? I'm not doubting your surgeon, but it's always a good idea before having major surgery you check with another doctor. Also, please be aware that both surgeries you mentioned may not relieve your pain, but may keep you from needing a wheelchair. My brothers have both had multiple back surgeries and have told me to be very careful because once you start with fusions eventually you end up having more and more of your disks fused. I don't know that your surgeon has fusion in mind for you, so this is just a suggestion. My laminectomy was an outpatient surgery where they sawed off part of my disk to remove the part that was impinging on my spinal cord. Just make sure you do your research before going to surgery. It took a year to be fully healed from my outpatient surgery.
I'm wishing the best for you and relief of your pain. My shoulder has also improved with the ART treatments. You sound very hopeful and having a positive attitude is a big part of recovery.
Gail B
Volunteer Mentor
Hi Gail,
Thank you so much for your input; I really appreciate your concerns.
I have been researching surgery on and off for over a year. My surgeon did speak to me about fusion and the reasons why he really does not do it anymore. It is what you said about needing additional surgery later on. He will remove the 2 discs that are creating the issues in my cervical spine, then replace them with artificial discs.
I've done my research on this doc and I haven't found one bad thing said about him. I went on about 5 or 6 different sites. I saw a surgeon at Johns Hopkins 5 years ago and he told me then that is wasn't a question of IF surgery will be needed, he said it was a question of WHEN. I wasn't ready for surgery at that point. I felt I had not exhausted all the non-surgical options. 5 years later I barely walk and I had to retire 2 years early on disability, taking a BIG hit on my pension. I had no choice since I could no longer do my job the way it needed to be done.
My hubby and I do feel comfortable with this decision. I will let you know how things go.
Again, thank you for all your input!!
Ronnie
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Either you have lots of money or superior insurance. I cannot get an MRI or anything else due to my age and having depression. Yup, my pain is caused by depression. No history of this. Things went high tech and "no history".