Degenerative Disc Disease-MRI results

[Guest guest]

This is exactly what my MRI showed at L4 and L5. The steroid

injections are to help with the pain - doctors try these first to see

how the patient responds. There is a series of 3 of them, spread out

over a period of weeks. These injections were given to me by an

anethesiologist in an out-patient setting. Steroid injections like

this are not harmful - if they work this will help with the back

pain. Only long term use of steroid medication taken orally can cause

some wicked side effects.

These injections are given subdermally, in the lower portion of the

spine. First an anethesic injection was used. There was some pain for

me in doing this, but my doctor first wanted me to go this route

before he would even consider surgery.

The first injection kept pain away for 15 hours. The next 2 did not

work at all. I have done some research on people who have had this

injections and it appears they work better on men than women. I still

haven't discovered why.

Yes, you may want to see a neurosurgeon. I did that. After a complete

exam, he said I did not need surgery. Fortunately, my neurologist

recommended a truly bright orthopedic surgeon specializing in back

care and spine care. I saw him after I had the steroid injections and

his next step was to have me take Vioxx and most importantly go to

physical therapy to learn exercises to keep my spinal column open and

strengthen my back. All this time I was on some kind of medication

for back pain, Percocet, Ativan, Robaxin, but I grew to trust this

surgeon and his knowledge.

After a year or so of all this which began with a herniated disc, I

begged the orthopedic surgeon for back surgery. I had it, a fusion at

L5 which turned out remarkably well - it has been three years now

since I had it. My surgeon was so terrific. I recovered in less time

than expected and was off all pain medications in less time too.

I asked numerous questions, had my doctor draw diagrams, learned how

to read X rays and MRI's - this man taught me so much and that was so

important for me. He really took his time with me, plus he made

hospital rounds 2X a day and sometimes called during his lunch hour

to see how I was.

I still continue to do the exercises I learned plus new ones for the

care of my back. You might want to go to spineuniverse.com and look

around for some helpful information.

None of my back problems were related to CMT. You might be interested

to know that a long time ago both Charcot and Marie thought our nerve

problem centered in the spine; however, Tooth stepped in and with his

research which was that CMT was due to the weak peroneal muscle

(located in the front of the leg).

~ Gretchen