I have had the same condition of severe L5/S1 degeneration with calcified disc and bone on bone since the early 1990s. I was preparing to have Lumbar Spinal Fusion in 1993 when I saw a program on ABC 20/20 that said the screws used for the surgery were not approved by the FDA for lumbar fusion, and they were breaking off and causing paralysis in some. After that
I changed my mind. I think they have been approved by now.

I coped by taking Cox-2 Inhibitors for over 10 years which caused kidney disease. No one told me that might happen. Now I can’t take any anti- inflammatory meds. I have also taken Gabapentin for pain. I tried Lyrica also, but couldn’t tolerate it.

I had a lumbar MRI done at University of Michigan in 2011 for something else, and my Neurologist told me he didn’t think that L5/S1 was causing my pain. He told me that people with the worst looking MRIs often have no pain. And some of the ones that’s MRIs look the best have the worst pain. So an MRI doesn’t necessarily indicate a need for surgery, or that surgery will make the pain any better.

Over the years I tried many types of Physical Therapy and finally found an excellent PT in 2015 that discovered that my pain was actually from Sacroiliac Dysfunction and Piriformis Syndrome which were helped by several months of Manual Physical Therapy.

I also take 5mg of Flexeril twice daily. I have to be careful not to bend over and twist as it aggravates the problem. Also when standing I’m not supposed to put my weight mostly on one leg as it makes it flare up.

Manual Physical Therapy isn’t taught in schools, it is something that a PT learns afterward if interested. It is best to find a PT that mainly works with patients who have had spine or orthopedic surgery.

NJ