Anyone had spinal fusion ?

[kingrollo]

Surely you're already working on your core if you do yoga and Pilates practice (daily?) Does the stretching also work your hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors etc which can cause lower back issues if tight or imbalanced? If you have an office job, make sure your set up and chair are right

Have you had a full MRI on your neck and back recently to check the overall structure?

What I meant was - I was in too much pain last week to do my exercises - now the pain is down to a niggle should I resume the core exercises today now

MRI shows slight wear on L5/S1 disc and minor facet joint arthritis - I have been told these are normal or even good for a guy of my age - What I have been told in the past is that a minor bit of arthritis seems to be having a big impact. GP reckons its more muscles going into spasm which gives me the pain.

Neck - all clear on MRI.

my brother doesn't do any exercise and is 17 stone - doesn't have any of these issues ! I just wonder if I am pushing my body beyond its natural limits

 

[vickster]

What I meant was - I was in too much pain last week to do my exercises - now the pain is down to a niggle should I resume the core exercises today now

MRI shows slight wear on L5/S1 disc and minor facet joint arthritis - I have been told these are normal or even good for a guy of my age - What I have been told in the past is that a minor bit of arthritis seems to be having a big impact. GP reckons its more muscles going into spasm which gives me the pain.

Neck - all clear on MRI.

my brother doesn't do any exercise and is 17 stone - doesn't have any of these issues ! I just wonder if I am pushing my body beyond its natural limits

Have you tried acupuncture when the muscles spasm (as well as a good sports massage regularly to back, shoulders, glutes, hamstrings, hips, painful when done properly but worth it)

Certainly avoid any major spinal surgery except as a last resort or in an emergency. I had a back op 25 years ago, all been okayish since but have had numbness in my left leg since the op. I saw a neurosurgeon last year as was having symptoms of slipped disc again, but all broadly ok on scan (normal for age, some degeneration in neck but v little scar tissue around op site, he was impressed by the job done all those years ago)!

 

[kingrollo]

Have you tried acupuncture when the muscles spasm (as well as a good sports massage regularly)

Certainly avoid any major spinal surgery except as a last resort or in an emergency. I had a back op 25 years ago, all been okayish since but have had numbness in my left leg since the op. I saw a neurosurgeon last year as was having symptoms of slipped disc again, but all broadly ok on scan (normal for age, some degeneration in neck but v little scar tissue around op site, he was impressed by the job done all those years ago)!

Yes the acupuncture \ dry needling really helps .

I just can not comit to regular cycling/training because of these flare ups (3 this year) - I was looking for a permanent fix - I am guessing spinal fusion isn't that fix - I am not bad enough, it seems very risky - I suppose I wonder what treatments follow nerve ablation - but not as far down the line as spinal fusion.

I wonder if keep patching myself up - get back on bike gym /yoga / pilates - am I creating problems further down the line.

Or should I just accept 'patch and go' is how it is for me

 

[Milkfloat]

I spent a fair amount of money on IDD therapy in the effort to avoid surgery, it is basically being put on a computer controlled rack that stretches you. This provided immediate relief, but was not long lasting. In the end I went under the knife, but was able to avoid fusion. I was told that fusion may be necessary, but it really is a last resort. In the end spinal decompression, a discectomy and a laminectomy gave me my life back. Cycling prevents pain returning and even during my time in hell before the operation, cycling was the one relief (until I got off the bike)

 

[vickster]

Why would you be creating further problems down the line? Just avoid anything that might put undue stress on your lower back like lifting heavy weights, doing high impact aerobics etc

Have you discussed your situation / other options with a neurosurgeon (you may need to do this privately to get the time needed / see the 'right' person)? It may be that pain management as needed is the way to go (again, maybe see a specialist).

If there isn't a major or urgent structural issue for a surgeon to fix, then maintenance is the way to go. It's how athletes train after all

Everyone has wear and tear in their joints, it's a fact of ageing whatever the lifestyle (our skeletons aren't actually designed for 80 years of full on use)

 

[kingrollo]

Why would you be creating further problems down the line? Just avoid anything that might put undue stress on your lower back like lifting heavy weights, doing high impact aerobics etc

Have you discussed your situation / other options with a neurosurgeon (you may need to do this privately to get the time needed / see the 'right' person)? It may be that pain management as needed is the way to go (again, maybe see a specialist).

If there isn't a major or urgent structural issue for a surgeon to fix, then maintenance is the way to go. It's how athletes train after all

Everyone has wear and tear in their joints, it's a fact of ageing whatever the lifestyle (our skeletons aren't actually designed for 80 years of full on use)

I think the above sums up where I am. I just get really frustrated and angry grrrrrrrrr !

I have an appointment with the guy who did my nerve ablation on Jan 2 - I will ask him of any other options

Why would a neurosurgeon help ? - Excuse my ignorance but I though they were people who operated on brains ?

 

[vickster]

I think the above sums up where I am. I just get really frustrated and angry grrrrrrrrr !

I have an appointment with the guy who did my nerve ablation on Jan 2 - I will ask him of any other options

Why would a neurosurgeon help ? - Excuse my ignorance but I though they were people who operated on brains ?

Umm no they deal with nerves...there’s a big mass of them which run down through the spine!
Some neurosurgeons deal with brains but lots also specialise in spines.
They’re a bit less hammer and chisel than orthopaedic surgeons.
Was your ablation done by a pain specialist? (They’re usually anaesthetists or neurologists, the non surgical nerve Drs )

NHS has info about treatments for mechanical back pain (which sounds like what the GP has disgnosed)
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/back-pain/treatment/

Another thing to bear in mind is that back pain is super common as we’re not actually designed to walk upright nor sit for long periods (as the surgeon told me years ago)

 

[kingrollo]

Umm no they deal with nerves...there’s a big mass of them which run down through the spine!
Some neurosurgeons deal with brains but lots also specialise in spines.
They’re a bit less hammer and chisel than orthopaedic surgeons.
Was your ablation done by a pain specialist? (They’re usually anaesthetists or neurologists, the non surgical nerve Drs )

NHS has info about treatments for mechanical back pain (which sounds like what the GP has disgnosed)
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/back-pain/treatment/

Another thing to bear in mind is that back pain is super common as we’re not actually designed to walk upright nor sit for long periods (as the surgeon told me years ago)

The abalation was done by a pain management specialist.

My private and NHS physio feel the problem is with my facet joints sticking - it been happening since my 20's - biggest help was the steriod jabs - and Yoga - but now I have reached 56, I can't have any more steriod jabs (NHS not funding) and I am not sure is yoga may actually make things worse.

Thank you for the links - most of those excercises are known to me - Will pop over to the gym and give myself a stretch.

 

[vickster]

The abalation was done by a pain management specialist.

My private and NHS physio feel the problem is with my facet joints sticking - it been happening since my 20's - biggest help was the steriod jabs - and Yoga - but now I have reached 56, I can't have any more steriod jabs (NHS not funding) and I am not sure is yoga may actually make things worse.

Thank you for the links - most of those excercises are known to me - Will pop over to the gym and give myself a stretch.

You could have the injections privately? However, you can only have 3 into the same spot in your lifetime I believe as the steroid can destroy cartilage cells and tissue

 

[kingrollo]

You could have the injections privately? However, you can only have 3 into the same spot in your lifetime I believe as the steroid can destroy cartilage cells and tissue

I can't afford them privately. I have had more than 3 already - I had no choice I was in total agony for 18 months in my mid 20's - only the jab would stop the pain.

 

[roadrash]

My private and NHS physio feel the problem is with my facet joints sticking

have you discussed facetectomy surgery without a spinal fusion, I don't understand why you mention spinal fusion if the problem is with your facet joints
the facet joints often have osteophytes....a bony projection associated with the degeneration of cartilage at joints. which compress the nerve resulting in pain,

 

[itboffin]

I found myself facing this same choice about 4-5 years ago, after a couple of years of increasing neck pain I finally snapped and went private, luckily for me one of the spine world specialist happens to work not far away from me, anyway long story short I had an MRI which showed my C6 is completely crushed on one side and the nerves inflamed hence the pain that even stupid dosed of tramadol and codeine couldnt help.

The only long term option was for a replacement disc, a risky procedure where they go in through the throat to avoid the central nerve system as much as possible, aside from the huge scar this leaves there's still the risk of paralysis and or various nerve damage, this surgeon is or was one of the few people in the world to be able to perform this op and he was brutally honest with me about the risks and recovery.

What he did say is if you can change your lifestyle so as to postpone the procedure, do! for me as an IT office worker for the most part that was easy, what I hadn't realised just how many things in everyday life put stresses on your spine, needless to say the not lifting or carrying heavy things has been a problem and simple things like the way i have to sleep now i.e. flat with no pillows, not being able to cross my legs, anyway you get the point.

As many others have said consider all the options and really do your research.

I'm still living the modified life with a reminder from my body every now and again, I'm hoping if i leave it long enough this replacement procedure will be more common in the UK as it is in the USA, as i said I work in IT and i'm always happy to test new things but not when its on my body.

Good luck and speedy recovery.

 

[rivers]

My mother had a spinal fusion about 20 years ago. It left her permanently disabled and out of work until she passed away (unrelated). I'm not sure what exactly went wrong, but she lost feeling in her left leg, had a pump installed to deliver pain meds for pain management. She also had an electrical device installed to help with feeling in her leg. She was in near constant pain and had several surgeries in an attempt to fix what went wrong. Just be cautious and ask lots of questions. When it goes wrong, things can go very wrong.

 

[DCBassman]

Somehow missed this.
Fusion worked for me, L3/4/5, but uou have to really need it. And I'll go against the flow here - the guy who did it was ortho, he had to repair the mess that neuros had made earlier. But YMMV, as always.

 

[jifdave]

I just had a S1/L5 fusion on 16th December.
After many years of back pain I was finally diagnosed with a Pars defect causing spondylolithesis.

I finally gave in to surgery after my third spinal injection. The first two were great and lasted around 6 months, the third lasted just over a month.
I was out of bed walking within 5 hrs of surgery and have been well ahead of a standard recovery.
I was only in for 3 days.

I’m now a month post surgery and my recovery has only been walking several times a day averaging about 5 miles a day over 2/3 walks.
I’m fairly confident I could get back on the turbo today but have decided to wait until my first meeting with my consultant at the end of the month

if you have any questions feel free to DM me.