Anyone here had successful treatment for a fractured lumber disc?

[dixiegrrrrl]

Poor Mr. dixie had a bad fall, landed hard on lower back, and after months of pain, hoping it would go away, had MRI, which shows, and I quote
"compression fracture L-4 and bulging disc".
Earliest we can see neurosurgeon is next month.

Was wondering what the most recent treatment options are and what has worked for others.

[BainsBane]

1. That sounds serious

I have a lot of back problems, herniated and degenerative discs. When I have a flare up I got to a rehabilitative/sports medicine specialist, who in turn gives me a referral for physical therapy. I avoid orthopedic surgeons because I don't want surgery, but in the case of a fracture it might not be avoidable.

Certain things ease the pain, which is caused by inflammation around the site. In addition to the typical anti-inflammatories like Ibuprofen, I find that cutting out or greatly reducing the amount of added sugar and white flour I eat helps with the pain. A number of foods have anti-inflammatory properties. Usually they are the stuff we know is good for us, but there are specific ones that have more than others you can google. Chondrosamine chondroitin also can help quite a bit, but it is expensive and you can't skimp on the dosage.

That sounds really painful. I hope he can get some relief.

[Warpy]

2. Yes, it's time for surgery in his case.

I can't imagine the pain he's in. When your back goes, everything goes with it.

Depending on how bad the fracture is, he could have a plate inserted, bone harvested from his pelvis and inserted, or rods to keep the vertebrae apart enough for him to heal The disc could be removed and the area fused with harvested bone. There are a lot of different options out there and my knowledge is 10 years out of date.

They've gotten much better at lower backs over the years but they're still pretty conservative on everyday backaches. Surgery can reduce his pain after he heals and maintain function you don't think of when you think lower back like urinary and stool control. He also has a chance of being pain free when he finally heals.

IOW, he'll be better than he is now. Even if it doesn't take care of 100% of the pain, it will be a grumble instead of a shriek.

ETA: He might be able to see a good orthopedic surgeon a little quicker. Those guys do backs, too.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. orthopedic surgeon

Hmmmm......now, that would be an idea for a 2nd opinion.
Many thanks for that thought!

[CanSocDem]

4. What worked for me...

...keeping in mind that I'll do whatever I can to avoid 'getting into bed' with the medical industry.

While still working as a truck driver I jumped down from a trailer, landed awkwardly and immediately felt a problem. I was in El Paso so I had to grit my teeth back to Canada. By the time I got time off to deal with it a month or so later, it wasn't feeling too bad.

I began to ignore it until one morning(the day after spending a couple of hours in a spirited rec hockey game), I couldn't get to my feet. Rolled out of bed onto the floor and stayed there for a day until the pain subsided enough to call a cab and go to the emergency.

They looked at my Xray, pointed out the most recent crushed disk and another one that had fused back together and determined that my bone density wasn't up to par. And that if the muscle surrounding the back bone is strong enough, those crushed disc's are manageable. So they sent me too an osteoporosis specialist who prescribed some steroids to boost my bone density.....

And I retired from rec hockey and trucking, walked a few miles every day, ate better and built up the muscles in my back. I feel great but I supplement my therapy with cannabis.


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[dixiegrrrrl]

5. Yeah, apparently that pain is memorable.

Mr. Dixie could not move from the floor for over 30 minutes, and then only to the bed, where he stayed for a couple hours.
Being stubborn, he would not let me call for medical help.
I do so wish we had legal pot here, but we live in one of the most severe penalty states.

[CanSocDem]

6. "Pain" is a challenge.

Most people don't want to deal with it so their first and sometimes only response is to control the pain. ModernMedicineINC has that covered with a variety of products and the consumer feels well served. The system is sustained...

My hat is off to MrDixie for choosing NOT to take the easy route and for giving himself the opportunity to heal. This is the first step in freeing yourselves from the medical marketplace.

Not to make too much out of it but 'pot' is highly illegal where I live as well. But it is not unavailable. I believe maintaining my health is worth the risk which after 49 years doesn't seem that great. There is a very dependable underground market somewhere near you. Hopefully you will discover it.

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