
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...
It certainly is a gamble if you elect to have back surgery-I think too it depends on what they are suggesting to do. I also had the lumbar fusion as Mike did and that was in March of this year and then it didn't work and I had to have another one just 3 weeks ago. I feel better this time and I am more positive so I'm just praying in 6 months that the doctor can give me good news.
You are the only one that can really make that decision and it is a chance you take-like Mike I had the shots and everything else, but I could not go on and had to do it I wasn't going to live the rest of my life like that since I am only 36 and was very active. My mother has had back pain for quite some time and she said after dealing with me during my recovery she would not have back surgery and just deal with it. I wish I had more positive feedback also, but feel free to email me if you have any questions about lumbar fusion if that is what they are suggesting.
Take care and Happy Holidays!
You haven't said how long you have been in pain, but only having been to a chiropractor, you have not put much effort into treatment yet, and have had no official diagnosis. Don't do anything rash since pain can make people do things prematurely, and there are doctors that would do surgery unecessarily.
Please see a doc...get x-rays and an MRI. Get a diagnosis, and try medication and physical therapy for a while first.
I waited 15 years for surgery, and I don't recommend that, either.
*I think a big consideration for anyone should be the type of surgery and who is doing it. You do hear of failed surgeries all the time. I would find out as much as you can about your surgeons success rate.
They took out the discs between l4 and 5 and l5 and s1.....the results were unbelievable.
I would consult your doctor - and chriopractor - (m chiro told me right off the bat that it was a herniated disc - the docs just kept giving drugs - and didn't do anything until it was too late),
My advice: get an MRI and Cat-scan - find out as much as you can about what is wrong. Be assertive with the Doctors, and find good ones! - they are there for you, not just to give drugs - pain is subjective and harder for them to diagnose clearly....and take the recovery seriously....do the exersizes, listen to the physiotherapist, and find out what works best for you, how you handle the recovery stage will determine the end result
good luck!
j