Annular Tear-Severe Pain

@hacienda Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I think this is the link you were referring to. Annular Tear or Fissure: The Great Masquerader By Michael N. Brown, DC, MD, DABPMR-PAIN. Reprinted with permission. -- http://priclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Annular-Tear-or-Fissure.pdf

Have you been diagnosed with a tear?

hx recurrent vertebral fx' L. SP.(17 documented) and T/11 T/12. 3/5/21 PEDEST. hit by Ford F-250 in park lot and run over, hit from behind.Fx displace rt elbow, fx r. med/lat. epicondyles, lac. head..morel lavaliere pockets, massive swelling, early blood clot greater sap...Feb. 2022..Clot Soleil Vein rt calf, on 90 dis Eliquis. PC saw no need to X-ray my back although I kept saying back was worse. MRI 2 weeks ago. No New FX'. NEW....ANNULAR TEAR @ L/5 S/1 WITH INCREASED CROWDING OF NERVES S/1 (ALSO NEW: ATROPHY OF PARASPINOUS MUSCLES) EXERCISE RELIGIOUSLY. This new PC doesn't understand why my pain has increased and is harder to deal with. My Chronic R.D. is 1-6 sec. return rather than .5 seconds. Injury also caused lymphedema. Since I am more sculpt. to infection and blood clots, etc...don't want to try injections. I think the terrific blow I took to my back caused the 'NEW THINGS." Age is also a consideration. I have always been very active..77 yrs young and run a business. I take 3 hydrocodone in 24 hrs. I would benefit on some days with 4. I did lymph. massage until the clot was found.

Yes, thank you. Sitting is the worst for me. Riding in a car and driving. Long periods of standing and bending with work in the kitchen etc. It is hard to plan my day and enjoy things I used to do.
I don't know if this is why my pain has increased(tear and atrophy of paraspinous muscles since an injury but am suspicious. I have a hx of vertebral back fractures. Good luck to your Mom.

When I had my TLIF my surgeon said he found and fixed a lot of tears and scar tissue. I know I still have an Annular tear or a new one and I think it's leaking fluid because my last MRI shows fluid around L4 and L5 and says it may be a postoperative seroma. Really? I had my back surgery 1 1/2 yrs before my last MRI. I have severe sacral and tailbone pain and I know it's an annular tear that is leaking! Several months ago I accidentally threw away my main pain med Xtampza because I didn't know it was still in the bag. When I got it filled they didn't have enough for the full prescription so it was only a partial fill. I called the Dr and got her to order the rest of my fill. OMG the pharmacy wouldn't fill it because I shouldn't have run out. I was in the pharmacy crying waiting on them to see if there was any way possible. This lady got out of line to come talk to me. She works for a Dr that specializes in fixing annular tears! She said some can be Toxic ( Leaking Fluid) and those are the ones that cause a lot of pain. I called his office and they emailed me all the new patient forms to fill out and wanted my last Disc (MRI etc..) I faxed it all and in a few days they called me back. I was going to schedule an appointment and that is when I learned he was Cash only and it would be 13,000. I was heart broken! So I gave up until tonight. I am getting the Nevro Spinal Cord Stimulator. I just had the trial done and it worked! All my sacral/tailbone pain was gone as was a lot of other issues! I have had steroid injections and Nerve blocks from L3 down to my tailbone and I am on a lot of pain meds... Xtampza ( is like a 15mg long acting Oxycodone), Percocet 10 mg 4 a day, Lyrica 75mg , Robaxin 1,000mg, Lidocaine patches and other over the counter meds and nothing is working! The pain meds keep me sane and from crying but I am still being tortured by the pain. I am going to request another MRI to check on the fluid and make sure there isn't more fluid.. I would like it fixed and will continue to search for a doc that will do it but for now I am looking forward to getting the permanent spinal cord stimulator in a few weeks
If those of you that suffer with this have not tried a Spinal Cord Stimulator you should ask your pain management Dr about trying one! They did the NEVRO one on me and it was amazing!

Hello @rnpj2000 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Wow, you have been through a significant journey with this pain. I can't tell you how elated I was to read the positive outcome of the Nervo stimulator for your pain, but agree, that I would want to know if there was a leak just to be sure!

Did you mention the leak suspicion to your spine doctor?

@mishpaula This is 100% my issue since January 2021. Did you find any relief since?

Welcome @michcua, I see that you also posted in an older discussion which no one seems to be following. @mishpaula has only posted once and has not returned since starting this discussion. Hopefully other members with experience of pain from an annular tear can share their thoughts or suggestions.

@hacienda mentioned this article in a post earlier in this discusssion that may be helpful.
-- Annular Tear or Fissure: The Great Masquerader By Michael N. Brown, DC, MD, DABPMR-PAIN. Reprinted with permission.:
http://priclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Annular-Tear-or-Fissure.pdf
Have you been diagnosed with a tear?