Hospital waiting??

[dpearce4]

There are several studies that highlight xrays/MRI's etc are not necessarily any help in trying to find out WHY there is pain. In one of the studies they took 100 pain free volunteers, aged from between 30 and 75, and took xrays of the spine. In a very large proportion of the xrays there were obvious signs of structural changes - eg osteophytes, bulging/prolapsed discs, collapsed vertebrae, narrowed vertebral foramina. If the xrays had been ordered for a patient who was experiencing pain then such 'abnormalities' would no doubt be blamed for the pain. However remember the xrays were taken of subjects who had NO pain/symptoms.
Don't get me wrong, xrays/MRI's can play a helpful role, but they are not the be all and end all. Many other factors have to be taken into account. These include biopsychosocial elements and learned responses, associative memories etc etc.
Its a very complicated area, pain, which is why it is so difficult to treat.

well I was right having an MRI (decided it will be an urgent one so with in 4 weeks) and then another appointment with the consultant to decide if injections or operation.

the reason for my MRI is to see how bad the disc bulge is and where exactly it is so it can be treated its got nothing to do with the pain.

I have both pain, numbness and reduced movement from my disc bulges both upper and lower back, the upper back is causing difficulties in fine motor skills such as holding knives for chopping and stuff at work and also driving as struggle to change gear.

Lower back I have loss of feeling in both feet, and also intermittent in my saddle area (mostly when sitting) it isn't affecting my bladder or bowels yet so not a medical emergency like last time when I had part of the disc and vertebrae removed. they also think its 2 discs in my lower back this time not just the one.

 

[dpearce4]

I've been suffering for years with back pain, seen the consultant again a few months ago and was all geared up to finally have the operation only for him to tell me there's only a 18 to 25 percent chance of it working with the operation lasting 12 to 14 hours and then 9 to 12 months of work ( I work for myself ) gutted to say the least
Apparently I have four prolapsed discs which would mean rods and pins so there's not a lot they can do, but on the bright side I can carry on taking the pain killers and he says I'm not going to end up looking like a hunchback if I don't have the operation
The point I'm making is they can't fix everything unfortunately but I wish they bloody could

not the only thing they can do. you should talk to the consultant about artificial disc surgery, it is available in certain hospitals in the uk.

http://www.spine-health.com/treatme...bar-artificial-disc-surgery-chronic-back-pain

http://www.knowyourback.org/pages/treatments/surgicaloptions/artificialdiscreplacement.aspx

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg306

 

[MartinL]

. . . I have both pain, numbness and reduced movement from my disc bulges both upper and lower back, the upper back is causing difficulties in fine motor skills such as holding knives for chopping and stuff at work and also driving as struggle to change gear.
. . . . .

Have something similar with neck, (previous vertibral injury). Doc says the op is there whenever either I decide or he recommends I have it. However these words stuck in my mind!

"Well let me put it this way, I wouldn't be skipping down there to have it myself"!

Never really been troubled by any long waiting lists, maybe it's the car-parking fees that pay for it all around here?