Re: Searching for information - Diane

[Guest guest]

Diane,

Two search vehicles to start with are: www.pubmed.gov

and Spine, a biweekly journal:

http://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/pages/default.aspx

You will only get the abstracts, but that will no doubt occupy you

for awhile!

Use key words such as, Scoliosis + degeneratvie disc disease or

Scoliosis + adjacent segments, scoliosis + outcomes, scoiliosis +

flatback and you will see what the world of research offers.

Here are links to 2 articles to get you started:

" http://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/Fulltext/2004/09010/Adjacen

t_Segment_Disease_after_Lumbar_or.19.aspx

http://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/Fulltext/2004/02010/Late_Complica

tions_of_Adult_Idiopathic_Scoliosis.15.aspx

It is all very tedious...but interesting if you have time. You will

begin to see who is who in the Scoli world, and see that DrBridwell

and Lenke generate a lot of research re : us guys!

I know we would all love to see your photo, please put it in the

photo section of the group....attached photos only go to those who

recieve the group via email. Just start your own album.

Let us know how you do Thursday.

Take CAre, Cam

>

>

> Hi Cam,

>

> My next appointment is at the local Orthopaedic Clinic with Dr. Sara

> Kane-Smart. It is this Thursday, Dec. 18, (they had a

cancellation, so

> could fit me in). My husband had a really good experience there

when he

> had a herniated disc. He says they will probably do x-rays on

site, and

> they seemed very competent. His herniated disc healed itself

without

> surgery...they gave meds and suggested he wait as surgeries aren't

always

> the best option since success rates were 50/50. So I am optimistic

that

> they will get things going in the right direction and will work

with my

> PCP to give me some good options for working with insurance on a

> specialist if necessary.

>

> I would love it if you would point me to the research on

degenerative

> disc disease/transition syndrome in Pubmed. I really want to

understand

> what is going on so that I am not in the dark when the dr. starts

> talking.

>

> By the way, I attached our family's Christmas photo so you can see

who

> you're talking to. I'm the one in black. With your trained eye

you can

> probably tell that all 3 girls have scoliosis, too. As you can

see, the

> original surgery got me quite straight; I just have the lower back

pain.

>

> Thanks again for all the support!

>

> Diane VDW

>

>

> Diane,

>

> Sounds like you were well prepared to talk to your doctor and

> directly affect how your care will work going forward....and thats

a

> great thing!

>

> You may already know this, but early or accelerated degeneration of

> the discs ( and other joints ) below long fusion is now identified

> as a common problem in our population. I guess its really taken

> until a lot of us " aged up " and it was recognized as a common late

> outcome. I have seen it identified as " transition syndrome " or just

> plain old vanilla " degenerative disc disease " . Let me know if you

> want me to point you to some of the research in Pubmed.

>

> You can have an MRI or a CT scan...and probably will eventually

have

> both. I started with an MRI when they were trying to figure out

what

> was first going on. The metal implants can make the images hard to

> see....but we all seem to have them, so they must be useful.

>

> Let us know when you get your next appointment scheduled.

>

> Take Care, Cam

> ____________________________________________________________

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