Back Pain Support Group

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care. In fact, about 3 in 4 adults will experience back pain during their lifetime! The term back pain includes pain affecting the neck, midback and low back. Acute back pain may begin suddenly with intense pain but typically lasts fewer than three months. Usually, chronic back pain is persistent, steady, and...

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Anyone else there have an annular tear?

Bettme13
Bettme13
I had a discectomy last year @ this time & at 6 weeks after went baxck to work. 2 weeks later slipped on some ice & the pain returned. I have been told the only thing that can be done is a fusion. I have been doing my best to suffer through the horrible pain. I take 1-2 lortab 10 a day and a muscle relaxer @ night.

Then last week I bent over to hug my 4 yr old neice & she lifted he legs up & pulled me over. Now it is even worse & I have been doing ice/heat & even went to an accupunturist & it isn't getting any better. My husband just doesn't understand & I think sometimes he thinks I am just being lazy. Although he would never say anything, he just gets quiet & has a disgusted look on his face.

I would love to have a some what normal life again, but I really can't affordd to be off work for 3 months for a fusion. How on earth does anyone afford to do that? I've been in & out of hospitals over the last 9 years for one surgery after another. So I have NO desire to have another one. I just don't know how much more I can take.

Does anyone else have knowledge/experience with something else working?

I've done chiro, accupuncture, PT, yoga, anti-inflamatory pain pills & muscle relaxers
deleted_user
deleted_user
You probably re-herniated the disc. They don't take the whole disc out. The take only the part that is herniated out.

Why on earth did you pick up a 4 YEAR OLD!! Didn't your doctor tell you to do no lifting over 20 lbs??? I don't even pick up 20 lbs. because even that is pushing it. NEVER pick up anything you don't HAVE to. That includes children. LOL

Just because a disc is herniated doesn't mean you HAVE to have fusion. You should get at least 2 more opinions before jumping under the knife again. Unless your spinal cord is being compromised, DO NOT HAVE SURGERY. Stay as conservative as you can. If you have fusion, you'll find that you're going to need more and more surgeries down the line. It causes the levels above and below to become unstable, and then you're sunk.

Your best bet is to get a referral to pain management where you'll have options for pain relief. Ask your doc for a referral. That is AFTER you've gotten 2 other referrals for opinions on whether or not you actually NEED surgery. Don't take one doctors word for it.

Best of luck and God bless. Hugs, Lee
Bettme13
Bettme13
I didn't pick her up. She wrapped her arms around my neck & then lifted her legs. I realize they didn't take the entire disc. I have a tear in the disc that leaks the acidic fluid onto my sciatic nerve. So no presssure on it just constant irritation from the fluid.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I "googled" the procedure for repairing an annular tear, and found that they are using laser, and making a 3mm to 7mm cut (small and repairing it that way with laser. That way it is minimally invasive, and gets you back on your feet MUCH quicker.

I'd look around and see who uses laser for repairs like that.

I'm sorry I misunderstood your post. Best of luck and God bless. Hugs, Lee
deleted_user
deleted_user
Like Lee said, go get a couple of opinions and see if anyone can give you some other ideas or opinions. If you need to have a fusion, I can tell you that 3 months is not even realistic when it comes to going back to work.
I had a 3 level/360 fusion, and at the year mark it was when I started feeling more "human".... Needless to say, I never returned to work because I had tons of complications, so Hun, if you can, stay away from surgery, but if that is the one only solution, make sure to do it with a Neurosurgeon, NOT an Orthopedic surgeon. Do not count on going back to work in 3 months, plan on a longer medical leave, and from now on no twisting, lifting or bending the wrong way, those activities can only hurt you more.... Take care!
deleted_user
deleted_user
My annular tear at L-5 it went a year before anybody did anything.I had a diskogram and pain injections in my 3 an month apart. The surgeon had a plan but W/C wouldn't agree so I ended up with a neoruosurgeon.she is wonderful. I had multi level fusion 5 mos ago. I'm not near ready to go back to work. Like you I've had 9 surgery's sense 2006.For breast cancer and I really thought this would help but it seems to have irrated my breast surgery site.and muscle graft I don't know what would have been better.
Bettme13
Bettme13
Lee, can you tell me the site you saw the laser treatment? I haven't seen that when I have searched. I know last year my Dr said something about heat ablation not being very sucessful treatment...but I'm not sure its what you are talking about.
jasp435
jasp435
I do have an annular tear at T8-9, but I don't know if it itself is causing pain or if it's the herniations above and below. I do know that it has not yet herniated, however.

Do you have pain in other areas of your spine? Like Leeall said, it is highly likely that the disc has reherniated. I had a discectomy and it later reherniated as well.

As far as other treatments are concerned, you might want to look at getting into pain management with longer acting medications instead of frequently taking Lortabs. Lortab is a shorter acting breakthrough medication. You need something to control the pain for longer periods of time. I can't take Lortab because it makes me itch and I'm very spaced out when I do take it. Instead, Percocet is what I use for breathrough. It works well and doesn't leave me "spaced out."