OK, I don’t want to sound like I’m whining, but I have a lot of back pain, and am considering surgery. My doctor is just OK, and kind of rushes through our meetings, and I have some remaining questions that I forgot to ask him. I know some experienced medical people like to help out on here, so I’m hoping one of you will find your way to my question.
I have had disc problems for quite a while, at least 5 years. I’ve had a discogram (I’m considering surgery, but not quite sold yet) and it appears that my L5-S1 is my main cause of sciatica of the 3 discs that are herniated. That one’s pretty far out of line, 11-12 mm. I have read a lot about how traction often helps control disc pain, though for some people it doesn’t work. But I’ve never heard that it makes it worse. Can that be an indication that something else might be wrong that they could have missed? What other disc or spine problems might make sciatic pain worse with traction or general decompression?
I thought I once read an article about how for a lot of people with common disc problems/sciatic pain find flexing the back muscles (like laying on your stomach and hyperextending the torso up and back) makes the pain better. But for some, that kind of motion makes it worse and the opposite, curling up in a ball decreases the pain, and it means there is something else wrong with the back. I’m one of the people where curling up in a ball (fetal position) makes it feel better.
I guess I’d just like to get other opinions that microdiscectomy is really what I’ll need. I feel like there might be some other issues that my doctor has glossed over and it might decrease my chances of a successful surgery. I’ve already gone to a different doc for a second opinion, but forgot to bring this up.
My MRI wasn’t that interesting. Just a herniation L5-S1 and L4-L5 and a smaller bulge L3-L4. L5-S1 is sticking out farther on the right, thus my right leg pain. And the radiologist indicated that it’s apparent on film that it is hitting the nerve (Duh!). There was some foraminal narrowing but forget the details. No stenosis.
Thanks. Super fat 10 pts if you get through all that, don’t call me a whiner or self-indulgent, and help me understand.
