Back Pain issues

[gridsmasher2000]

I know, funny place to be asking these kinds of questions but i figure hell I spend enough time here and I know theres a wealth of info from the people here. Since I got out of the army in 2004 after iraq ive always had some lower back issues, last year about this time i had a really terrible sciatica episode, I went to the local VA hospital and they gave me a shot and some steroids and physical therapy and it all went away, but I was told that they were not going to do an MRI... Fast forward to now, I have tricare (thanks to a retroactive class action lawsuit against the military) and can see a private physician. Lo and behold the sciatica comes back and my civilian doc right away does a lumbar MRI which comes back with results of a partially protruding L5/S1 disc putting pressure on the sciatic nerve... Ive been through 2 sets of the epidural steroid injections and things just got worse every time so Im supposed to see a neurosurgeon next week about possible laser endoscopic surgery.. Has anyone had this done here and if so, were you impressed or not impressed with the outcome. I am kept up all night long by this nerve pain from my ass cheek to my toes and muscles twitching constantly, even with 2 7.5 loritabs every 4 hours it does not stop. just desperate for relief I guess and wanted to pick the brains of like minded people.

Thanks.

 

[Bugman]

I can't offer any advice, but thank you for your service, and I hope you and the doctors find a solution to your problem. That must be a miserable thing to live with. Best of luck to you.

 

[locker669]

have you ever seen a chiropractor?

 

[Insidious]

Try this.

Take a broomstick with 3 to 5 pound weights on each end.
Hold said stick behind your neck, horizontal with the ground.
Spread your arms and grab each end.
SLOWLY over the course of 60 seconds bend over as far as you can trying to touch your nose to your knees. The key here is to be gentle and do not press yourself.
Hold it for 15 seconds
Straighten up slowly over 30 to 60 seconds.

Repeat about 5 times and do it as many times a day as you can.

 

[gridsmasher2000]

Hey I appreciate the responses. The appointment for my initial surgeon consultation is monday at 2:45pm. As far as the exercises go, the doc says dont do anything else, even mow the lawn, while the disc is pushing on my sciatic.

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

My brother had a similar problem and let it go. He ended up with 3 years of severe pain and what turned out to be a pocket of leaking spinal fluid in his back...which could have caused real problems had the sack burst. Do what you need to do to resolve the issue so you don't end up with similar problems. In the meantime, basil steeped in hot water to make a tea is good to ease the spasms. Also, remember that your spine follows your eyes. So, if you have to turn or bend, let your eyes lead the way and it will lessen pressure a bit. Good thoughts coming your way. And, as bug said, thank-you for your service!

 

[TropicThunder]

This might sound really odd, but it worked for my mum when she was having pain with her sciatic.

She used one of these incline boards to ease her back pain. I watched her stand on it for a few minutes a day (feet pointed up) and it eased the everything in no time. Her doctor told her than it can stretch the muscles in just the right ways to relieve the pain. It worked really great, since you don't have to exert yourself at all to stretch them.

I would still recommend asking your doctor, and while its certainly not a solution to the cause, it can probably help ease tension.

Good luck.

 

[Wildtime]

It sounds like you've got a herniated disc. Not too surprising considering how much a modern day soldier is expected to carry these days (I know, I was one of them). Unfortunately, I suspect you were saddled with the ALICE pack, which is one of the worst designs for a rucksack in terms of ergonomics.

I can't comment on the effectiveness of an endoscopic discectomy, as I work in trauma surgery, but it seems a lot less invasive than your other options (i.e. laminectomy). This means the risk of infection is considerably lower, the operative site is minimized and there will be less scarring. Should the operation prove to be ineffectual, you've still got a lot more options on the table, but I'm hoping everything will work out for you in the end.

Please don't take this as definitive medical advice. Your doctor will outline the risks and procedure for you, as well as alternatives if you still have your doubts. I'm just offering you my opinion.

 

[gridsmasher2000]

Yes, the evil ALICE pack, you are correct sir. Plus body armor, full combat load of ammunition and not being able to stop or slow down because of pain #1 because youre a sergeant and cannot look weak in front of the young troops, and #2 because the medics are just going to say youre faking it to get out of the work. Cannot tell you how many times the word "malingering" was used in verbal counseling when I would complain about this shit. What really rubs my ass is that the VA hospital refused to do an MRI, just Xrayed it and called it "traumatic arthritis" whilst keeping me doped up on controlled release morphine to shut me up. I got my discharge changed to medical retirement due to a class action lawsuit where 4000 other iraq vets were discharged for PTSD, deemed unfit for duty, and handed a meager 10% discharge (legally they are supposed to give 50% retirement automatically... Took 8 years to get it straitened out) Long story short I got my Tricare back last year and found a doctor that actually gave a shit.

Saw the surgeon today and he let me look at the actual MRI pictures... MY GAWD is that what a herniated disc looks like? Shit thats fugly! yeah use the next 6 days to let the anti inflammatories get out of my system and I go in next tuesday morning for the procedure.

Sorry for venting a lil, its 1am and the meds havent killed the pain enough tonight for me to be able to fall off to sleep yet. Thank you all for your interest and kind replies. Ill keep this updated if anyone cares, it will be just a simple bump the day after the surgery. You people have a wonderful week!

 

[gridsmasher2000]

Well, it's done. Told ya I'd bump with an update. I had a Micro-discectomy on tuesday morning. The leg pain is COMPLETELY gone but now theres this damn post-op pain issue. The hard bruise surrounding the glued incision was more than I expected but Im learning and getting stronger every day on how to get up and back down easier. All in all, a good experience and well done procedure.

 

[Wildtime]

I'm glad the surgery went well. Hope the recovery period goes just as smoothly.

 

[Flatfoot]

I'm sorry to hear about your back pain. I've been experiencing the same thing, lately. Also, I'm curious. What did the class action lawsuit against the military pertain to?

 

[gridsmasher2000]

Ahh the class action case was pertaining to my discharge.. I was medically discharged in 2004 for PTSD but given a 10% disability rating from the army where the regulation states if you deem an individual "unfit for duty" they must give a minimum discharge rate of 50% which is medical retirement. The suit involved more than 4000 other veterans who were done this way and the court agreed the department of defense violated their regulations. You can read about it at www.ptsdlawsuit.com So I got my Tricare benefits backdated to july of 2004 and that covered all my medical expenses for the family and allowed me to get this procedure and to NOT have it done at the VA hospital.
Thanks for the support and lettin me vent again. 🙂