Is surgery the only option for 3 herniated discs,3 bulged discs and spinal stenosis?
I also have scoliosis and severe OA.My doctor said if I dont get surgery I will be in a wheelchair by 40 I am 32!email is lis_maiuri@yahoo.com Thank you all so much!
Answers:
It really depends on the degree of severity of your stenosis. But in 90% of the surgical patients, they weren't a candidate to begin with. I think the outcome for surgery and chiropractic care (according to AMA) is about the same...
Try conservative care like chiropractic before resorting to surgery. Surgery comes with additional complications post surgery which you cannot avoid once you have one...so it is always best to try other means before surgery is considered.
But keep in mind that I said it depends on the degree of stenosis. If stenosis is severe enough, the neurologic damages could be permanent and can be an emergency surgical case...however, judging from what your orthopod as told you..that you'll be wheelchair bound in 10 years..I'd say you are probably more in the category of conservative care than surgical one...you'd be considered the other 90% who should've waited...long term outlook is often a tool used by surgeons to get people to do surgery...surgery is often unnecessary unless the condition will cause immediate harm...
The reason being, if you use those 3 bulging discs...the lost motion will be compensated by the levels above and below which causes those levels to wear and tear faster..in 5-10 years, you'll be right back to where you started from...you'll have more bulging discs to cut out...not to mention scar tissues which can be another set of problems altogether...
then after another fusion...5-10 years and you have to have another one...get the point? Age of patient is a big factor nowadays because of this...Surgeons telling their patients to get early surgery for long term prognosis (in back pain) are not being ethical...
It's funny how orthopods and neuro surgeons alike develop conscience after they retire from active operative years and feel that they've done way too many surgery than necessary lol...
Good luck...
i would deffinatly get the surgery. i have a bulged disc and cant wait to get mine and hopefully get rid of the cronic pain
I had the same thing and was in the bed for about 4 months, I hurt to breath. I did not have the surgey, no insurance and could not afford it. I am now 43, and this has been going on now for 3 years. After I made several trips to the Dr I bought a "Teeters hang up". (they have a web site I bought mine from online)It is an invertion table. You hang upside down by your feet and it allows the disc to have better blood flow. I could not get around with out mine. I use it every day. Now I still have to be carfull of doing certain things. (mopping just kills my back) But I have 4 grand children and I play with them in the floor. However I did have to give up my job, I sat in an office all day and that does not work for me. I have to be able to move about every hour or so. But I wish you good luck and hope you get better soon. As for as the surgey that is a call you and your family should make together.
it would be a very good idea to get the surgery!! if you don't get them fixed you could end up living a terrible life. most doctors say that you feel better after the surgery.
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Answers:
It really depends on the degree of severity of your stenosis. But in 90% of the surgical patients, they weren't a candidate to begin with. I think the outcome for surgery and chiropractic care (according to AMA) is about the same...
Try conservative care like chiropractic before resorting to surgery. Surgery comes with additional complications post surgery which you cannot avoid once you have one...so it is always best to try other means before surgery is considered.
But keep in mind that I said it depends on the degree of stenosis. If stenosis is severe enough, the neurologic damages could be permanent and can be an emergency surgical case...however, judging from what your orthopod as told you..that you'll be wheelchair bound in 10 years..I'd say you are probably more in the category of conservative care than surgical one...you'd be considered the other 90% who should've waited...long term outlook is often a tool used by surgeons to get people to do surgery...surgery is often unnecessary unless the condition will cause immediate harm...
The reason being, if you use those 3 bulging discs...the lost motion will be compensated by the levels above and below which causes those levels to wear and tear faster..in 5-10 years, you'll be right back to where you started from...you'll have more bulging discs to cut out...not to mention scar tissues which can be another set of problems altogether...
then after another fusion...5-10 years and you have to have another one...get the point? Age of patient is a big factor nowadays because of this...Surgeons telling their patients to get early surgery for long term prognosis (in back pain) are not being ethical...
It's funny how orthopods and neuro surgeons alike develop conscience after they retire from active operative years and feel that they've done way too many surgery than necessary lol...
Good luck...
i would deffinatly get the surgery. i have a bulged disc and cant wait to get mine and hopefully get rid of the cronic pain
I had the same thing and was in the bed for about 4 months, I hurt to breath. I did not have the surgey, no insurance and could not afford it. I am now 43, and this has been going on now for 3 years. After I made several trips to the Dr I bought a "Teeters hang up". (they have a web site I bought mine from online)It is an invertion table. You hang upside down by your feet and it allows the disc to have better blood flow. I could not get around with out mine. I use it every day. Now I still have to be carfull of doing certain things. (mopping just kills my back) But I have 4 grand children and I play with them in the floor. However I did have to give up my job, I sat in an office all day and that does not work for me. I have to be able to move about every hour or so. But I wish you good luck and hope you get better soon. As for as the surgey that is a call you and your family should make together.
it would be a very good idea to get the surgery!! if you don't get them fixed you could end up living a terrible life. most doctors say that you feel better after the surgery.
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