re: SI joint fixation surgery

[Guest guest]

Thank you very very much

I am one of those with a extremely unstable SI joint.

I have found a new pain management Doctor who is tops in his field in the

Washington DC area.

He has started injections and he said if they dont work the next thing is

radiofrequency ablation to the SI joint.

He says he has done a lot of them and that they work!

I think after many years of suffering and different doctors not knowing for sure

what was causing my low back- to right hip to foot pain, I think these

injections are showing that it has been the right SI joint.

For years the only thing they could show is that I have a constant right Sacral

Upslip and no one has figured out what causes it, thougth the guess is the

irritable SI joint.

Thank you for sharing, I have been desperate for a long time, but now that I

have gone to Dr. Dombrowski I think I have hope again.

Thank you for sharing and my prayers are to that woman suffering.

SI joint fixation surgery

- please read this conversation about SI joint fixation surgery & its

aftermath. It is quoted from the Piriformis Syndrome group at

piriformissyndrome/

" Hi. I am new to the group. I fell from my horse in 1994 and landed on my right

buttock and hip. I had pain at first but it was not all the bad. For the next 8

years I had short bouts of SI instability the would clear up after a week or two

on their own or with a short round of PT. I had 2 kids in 2 years and after

that, my SI problem worsened dramatically. I developed severe instability to the

point that the PT would spent 45 minutes realigning it and it would come back

out by the time I got off the table and to my car. I tried injections, months of

PT, prolotherapy- you name it. Then I went to Emory and had surgery- bilateral

SI fixation with right sided fusion. At first things felt better and I was

optimistic. Then, piriformis syndrome set in. So, I endured more injections,

more PT for a year and ended up having piriformis release done. Three weeks

post-op I developed severe pain down the outside of my right leg, the side I had

operated on. No one can

seem to figure out why. Everyone wants to think it is referred pain but referred

pain does not cause huge excrutiating knots in my IT bands. About a month after

the right leg started, it progressed to the left leg. I am now being treated for

chronic pain. I have to use a muscle stimulator on my right leg to loose the

grip the fascia has on my leg to help the numbness in my toes. I also use a tens

unit. The tightness in my IT bands pulls downward on my ilium which puts

pressure on my fusion causing more pain. My doctors main goal is to stay ahead

of my pain. My goal is searching for someone who can find out what is wrong with

me and can somehow fix it.

Those of you who are contemplating surgery, please think long and hard. I

thought about it for a year. My PTs told me I had the most unstable SI joint

they had ever seen. I felt there was no other choice for me. For all of you

though, be sure you can't live with what you have. I didn't think things could

get any worse. I was sorely mistaken. Anyway, good luck in your travels. "

" Dear AB - I am very grateful you shared your story with us. It is truly a

cautionary tale.

I empathize w/ your experiences of an extremely unstable SI/pelvis. I had an

hyper-mobile pelvis for a decade. The PT attitude was core strengthening

exercises & " We'll just keep putting you into alignment until it sticks " . Gee,

that didn't work.

I found a masterful PT. She said, " You're hyper-mobile there because you are

stuck in other places. " She worked on whatever needed to be worked on for 2 yrs

before the pelvis became stable. (And no core strengthening exercises!) Now I

" go out " if I don't wear my SI belt for vacuuming, etc. But she realigns me &

I'm OK in 1 or 2 sessions.

I shared your story w/ my PT. I knew your situation was bad, but she was pretty

shocked. She suggested you get a VERY GOOD personal injury lawyer & sue for

malpractice. She also said the case will depend on what the doctor told you

before the surgery.

To her, doing a SI fixation/fusion in your case didn't make sense. Once done, of

course, the piriformis would madly try to stabilize the entire pelvis, thus

causing Piriformis Syndrome. Then by doing a Piriformis Release, the piriformis

could no longer stabile the pelvis, so the job fell to the IT band. But it

couldn't handle the job, so the other IT band joined the effort. That is why you

have pain in both legs.

From a bio-mechanical perspective, once the SI joints were fixated/fused, the

dominoes were set in motion for everything that followed. And the greatest

tragedy is there is no way to fix it. She said the reason they sent you to Pain

Mgmt is the doctors have nothing left to offer you.

You could get massage or soft tissue work on the IT bands for temporary pain

reduction, but the pain will reoccur because of the enormous stress placed on

them.

On a personal note, she said she would never have that surgery (because of the

consequences) and she would rather live w/ whatever she had than have the SI

fixated. Once the SI is fixed or fused, it is predictable one would get

Piriformis Syndrome, and if one did a Piriformis Release, then IT pain is

equally predictable.

I have corresponded w/ several people who developed Piriformis Syndrome after an

L5-S1 fusion. In my non- medical opinion, an SI fusion is just asking for

trouble. But what do I know?

In the end, she said, " Pray for that woman " . In 3 yrs, I've never heard her

express opinions like that before!

One a more positive note, she said IF anyone can provide any kind of help to

you, it would be

CenterIMT Atlanta

500 West Lanier Avenue Hwy. 54 Ste. 303

Fayetteville, GA 30214

Phone: 770-716-8885

www.CenterIMTAtlanta.com

(My idea here - maybe a PT from there could provide expert testimony for a law

suit. Don't know - just an idea.)

I feel so badly for you! You have literally & figuratively been screwed. I will

pray for you. "

[Guest guest]

Pain Mgmt is unable to fix the underlying problem. PM doctors know next to

nothing about

bio-mechanical problems, which is what you have. RFA relieves pain for a few

months. But it

does NOTHING to fix the problem. There are muscle imbalances creating the SI

problem. Get

your muscles in the correct balance and your SI pain & all the other pains will

disappear. I

speak from personal experience.

P.S. I encourage you to contact the IMT center immediately & postpone your Pain

Mgmt

appts. The injections aren't going to help. If IMT doesn't work, you can always

go back to

Pain Mgmt. But I think you are just wasting your time at PM, when you haven't

tried IMT. You

will be amazed at what they can tell you about your body. Ask questions as they

work & they

will tell you what is wrong with your body.

Sorry, I have to go now. Talk to you later,

[Guest guest]

The RFA are a g-dsend and yes they do work. My first one lasted 9 months

completely pain free..when it wore off I had my first surgery and the second

one lasted a year, then I had my second surgery. I started with backpain 5

years b4 the first surgery and was able to hold off because of about 60 ESI

and facet injections. They are very helpful. I am having another MRI and

will probably be scheduling a fusion in the near future. I had another ESI

today.

Deb rn

From: spinal problems

[mailto:spinal problems ] On Behalf Of

Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 1:41 PM

spinal problems ;

spinal problems

Subject: RE: SI joint fixation surgery

Thank you very very much

I am one of those with a extremely unstable SI joint.

I have found a new pain management Doctor who is tops in his field in the

Washington DC area.

He has started injections and he said if they dont work the next thing is

radiofrequency ablation to the SI joint.

He says he has done a lot of them and that they work!

I think after many years of suffering and different doctors not knowing for

sure what was causing my low back- to right hip to foot pain, I think these

injections are showing that it has been the right SI joint.

For years the only thing they could show is that I have a constant right

Sacral Upslip and no one has figured out what causes it, thougth the guess

is the irritable SI joint.

Thank you for sharing, I have been desperate for a long time, but now that I

have gone to Dr. Dombrowski I think I have hope again.

Thank you for sharing and my prayers are to that woman suffering.

SI joint fixation surgery

- please read this conversation about SI joint fixation surgery & its

aftermath. It is quoted from the Piriformis Syndrome group at

piriformissyndrome/

" Hi. I am new to the group. I fell from my horse in 1994 and landed on my

right buttock and hip. I had pain at first but it was not all the bad. For

the next 8 years I had short bouts of SI instability the would clear up

after a week or two on their own or with a short round of PT. I had 2 kids

in 2 years and after that, my SI problem worsened dramatically. I developed

severe instability to the point that the PT would spent 45 minutes

realigning it and it would come back out by the time I got off the table and

to my car. I tried injections, months of PT, prolotherapy- you name it. Then

I went to Emory and had surgery- bilateral SI fixation with right sided

fusion. At first things felt better and I was optimistic. Then, piriformis

syndrome set in. So, I endured more injections, more PT for a year and ended

up having piriformis release done. Three weeks post-op I developed severe

pain down the outside of my right leg, the side I had operated on. No one

can

seem to figure out why. Everyone wants to think it is referred pain but

referred pain does not cause huge excrutiating knots in my IT bands. About a

month after the right leg started, it progressed to the left leg. I am now

being treated for chronic pain. I have to use a muscle stimulator on my

right leg to loose the grip the fascia has on my leg to help the numbness in

my toes. I also use a tens unit. The tightness in my IT bands pulls downward

on my ilium which puts pressure on my fusion causing more pain. My doctors

main goal is to stay ahead of my pain. My goal is searching for someone who

can find out what is wrong with me and can somehow fix it.

Those of you who are contemplating surgery, please think long and hard. I

thought about it for a year. My PTs told me I had the most unstable SI joint

they had ever seen. I felt there was no other choice for me. For all of you

though, be sure you can't live with what you have. I didn't think things

could get any worse. I was sorely mistaken. Anyway, good luck in your

travels. "

" Dear AB - I am very grateful you shared your story with us. It is truly a

cautionary tale.

I empathize w/ your experiences of an extremely unstable SI/pelvis. I had an

hyper-mobile pelvis for a decade. The PT attitude was core strengthening

exercises & " We'll just keep putting you into alignment until it sticks " .

Gee, that didn't work.

I found a masterful PT. She said, " You're hyper-mobile there because you are

stuck in other places. " She worked on whatever needed to be worked on for 2

yrs before the pelvis became stable. (And no core strengthening exercises!)

Now I " go out " if I don't wear my SI belt for vacuuming, etc. But she

realigns me & I'm OK in 1 or 2 sessions.

I shared your story w/ my PT. I knew your situation was bad, but she was

pretty shocked. She suggested you get a VERY GOOD personal injury lawyer &

sue for malpractice. She also said the case will depend on what the doctor

told you before the surgery.

To her, doing a SI fixation/fusion in your case didn't make sense. Once

done, of course, the piriformis would madly try to stabilize the entire

pelvis, thus causing Piriformis Syndrome. Then by doing a Piriformis

Release, the piriformis could no longer stabile the pelvis, so the job fell

to the IT band. But it couldn't handle the job, so the other IT band joined

the effort. That is why you have pain in both legs.

From a bio-mechanical perspective, once the SI joints were fixated/fused,

the dominoes were set in motion for everything that followed. And the

greatest tragedy is there is no way to fix it. She said the reason they sent

you to Pain Mgmt is the doctors have nothing left to offer you.

You could get massage or soft tissue work on the IT bands for temporary pain

reduction, but the pain will reoccur because of the enormous stress placed

on them.

On a personal note, she said she would never have that surgery (because of

the consequences) and she would rather live w/ whatever she had than have

the SI fixated. Once the SI is fixed or fused, it is predictable one would

get Piriformis Syndrome, and if one did a Piriformis Release, then IT pain

is equally predictable.

I have corresponded w/ several people who developed Piriformis Syndrome

after an L5-S1 fusion. In my non- medical opinion, an SI fusion is just

asking for trouble. But what do I know?

In the end, she said, " Pray for that woman " . In 3 yrs, I've never heard her

express opinions like that before!

One a more positive note, she said IF anyone can provide any kind of help to

you, it would be

CenterIMT Atlanta

500 West Lanier Avenue Hwy. 54 Ste. 303

Fayetteville, GA 30214

Phone: 770-716-8885

www.CenterIMTAtlanta.com

(My idea here - maybe a PT from there could provide expert testimony for a

law suit. Don't know - just an idea.)

I feel so badly for you! You have literally & figuratively been screwed. I

will pray for you. "

[Guest guest]

thanks Deb

Im ready to try it now- what I find is the injections to the SI, will they

pinpoint the pain area and while the lidocaine works its okay, but boy the next

day and days... it just aches..

So I think Im going to tell him just do the RF ablation!

The MD also ordered a clonidine patch to put on the area of pain- he said that

it helps the painful area as well as giving you the help with the BP that we

know jumps up with the pain. (He said its also an agonist to the pain pills so

you dont need as much.)

I have never had BP issues but yesterday when I got to the MD office it was

154/94! I couldnt believe it.

So obviously the pain is working on me.

I too am a nurse and boy have I gotten an education in pain management, ortho,

neuro et all.....

wendy

SI joint fixation surgery

- please read this conversation about SI joint fixation surgery & its

aftermath. It is quoted from the Piriformis Syndrome group at

piriformissyndrome/

" Hi. I am new to the group. I fell from my horse in 1994 and landed on my

right buttock and hip. I had pain at first but it was not all the bad. For

the next 8 years I had short bouts of SI instability the would clear up

after a week or two on their own or with a short round of PT. I had 2 kids

in 2 years and after that, my SI problem worsened dramatically. I developed

severe instability to the point that the PT would spent 45 minutes

realigning it and it would come back out by the time I got off the table and

to my car. I tried injections, months of PT, prolotherapy- you name it. Then

I went to Emory and had surgery- bilateral SI fixation with right sided

fusion. At first things felt better and I was optimistic. Then, piriformis

syndrome set in. So, I endured more injections, more PT for a year and ended

up having piriformis release done. Three weeks post-op I developed severe

pain down the outside of my right leg, the side I had operated on. No one

can

seem to figure out why. Everyone wants to think it is referred pain but

referred pain does not cause huge excrutiating knots in my IT bands. About a

month after the right leg started, it progressed to the left leg. I am now

being treated for chronic pain. I have to use a muscle stimulator on my

right leg to loose the grip the fascia has on my leg to help the numbness in

my toes. I also use a tens unit. The tightness in my IT bands pulls downward

on my ilium which puts pressure on my fusion causing more pain. My doctors

main goal is to stay ahead of my pain. My goal is searching for someone who

can find out what is wrong with me and can somehow fix it.

Those of you who are contemplating surgery, please think long and hard. I

thought about it for a year. My PTs told me I had the most unstable SI joint

they had ever seen. I felt there was no other choice for me. For all of you

though, be sure you can't live with what you have. I didn't think things

could get any worse. I was sorely mistaken. Anyway, good luck in your

travels. "

" Dear AB - I am very grateful you shared your story with us. It is truly a

cautionary tale.

I empathize w/ your experiences of an extremely unstable SI/pelvis. I had an

hyper-mobile pelvis for a decade. The PT attitude was core strengthening

exercises & " We'll just keep putting you into alignment until it sticks " .

Gee, that didn't work.

I found a masterful PT. She said, " You're hyper-mobile there because you are

stuck in other places. " She worked on whatever needed to be worked on for 2

yrs before the pelvis became stable. (And no core strengthening exercises!)

Now I " go out " if I don't wear my SI belt for vacuuming, etc. But she

realigns me & I'm OK in 1 or 2 sessions.

I shared your story w/ my PT. I knew your situation was bad, but she was

pretty shocked. She suggested you get a VERY GOOD personal injury lawyer &

sue for malpractice. She also said the case will depend on what the doctor

told you before the surgery.

To her, doing a SI fixation/fusion in your case didn't make sense. Once

done, of course, the piriformis would madly try to stabilize the entire

pelvis, thus causing Piriformis Syndrome. Then by doing a Piriformis

Release, the piriformis could no longer stabile the pelvis, so the job fell

to the IT band. But it couldn't handle the job, so the other IT band joined

the effort. That is why you have pain in both legs.

From a bio-mechanical perspective, once the SI joints were fixated/fused,

the dominoes were set in motion for everything that followed. And the

greatest tragedy is there is no way to fix it. She said the reason they sent

you to Pain Mgmt is the doctors have nothing left to offer you.

You could get massage or soft tissue work on the IT bands for temporary pain

reduction, but the pain will reoccur because of the enormous stress placed

on them.

On a personal note, she said she would never have that surgery (because of

the consequences) and she would rather live w/ whatever she had than have

the SI fixated. Once the SI is fixed or fused, it is predictable one would

get Piriformis Syndrome, and if one did a Piriformis Release, then IT pain

is equally predictable.

I have corresponded w/ several people who developed Piriformis Syndrome

after an L5-S1 fusion. In my non- medical opinion, an SI fusion is just

asking for trouble. But what do I know?

In the end, she said, " Pray for that woman " . In 3 yrs, I've never heard her

express opinions like that before!

One a more positive note, she said IF anyone can provide any kind of help to

you, it would be

CenterIMT Atlanta

500 West Lanier Avenue Hwy. 54 Ste. 303

Fayetteville, GA 30214

Phone: 770-716-8885

www.CenterIMTAtlanta.com

(My idea here - maybe a PT from there could provide expert testimony for a

law suit. Don't know - just an idea.)

I feel so badly for you! You have literally & figuratively been screwed. I

will pray for you. "

[Guest guest]

Hi Deb,

What levels are you looking at that hurt you?

Have you considered getting a disc replacement rather than fusion?

If you have to consider fusion in the near future, please learn about

the direction fusions go as well as the choice of a disc replacement.

Fusions, many times lead to more fusions down the road where a disc

replacement you have potential to get your life back.

I just had the disc replacement and am told I should get back most

of my range of motion.

Not sure how long recovery is, but looks like it takes a while either way.

Blessings,

Joanne

SI joint fixation surgery

- please read this conversation about SI joint fixation surgery & its

aftermath. It is quoted from the Piriformis Syndrome group at

http://health. groups.. com/group/ piriformissyndro me/

" Hi. I am new to the group. I fell from my horse in 1994 and landed on my

right buttock and hip. I had pain at first but it was not all the bad. For

the next 8 years I had short bouts of SI instability the would clear up

after a week or two on their own or with a short round of PT. I had 2 kids

in 2 years and after that, my SI problem worsened dramatically. I developed

severe instability to the point that the PT would spent 45 minutes

realigning it and it would come back out by the time I got off the table and

to my car. I tried injections, months of PT, prolotherapy- you name it. Then

I went to Emory and had surgery- bilateral SI fixation with right sided

fusion. At first things felt better and I was optimistic. Then, piriformis

syndrome set in. So, I endured more injections, more PT for a year and ended

up having piriformis release done. Three weeks post-op I developed severe

pain down the outside of my right leg, the side I had operated on. No one

can

seem to figure out why. Everyone wants to think it is referred pain but

referred pain does not cause huge excrutiating knots in my IT bands. About a

month after the right leg started, it progressed to the left leg. I am now

being treated for chronic pain. I have to use a muscle stimulator on my

right leg to loose the grip the fascia has on my leg to help the numbness in

my toes. I also use a tens unit. The tightness in my IT bands pulls downward

on my ilium which puts pressure on my fusion causing more pain. My doctors

main goal is to stay ahead of my pain. My goal is searching for someone who

can find out what is wrong with me and can somehow fix it.

Those of you who are contemplating surgery, please think long and hard. I

thought about it for a year. My PTs told me I had the most unstable SI joint

they had ever seen. I felt there was no other choice for me. For all of you

though, be sure you can't live with what you have. I didn't think things

could get any worse. I was sorely mistaken. Anyway, good luck in your

travels. "

" Dear AB - I am very grateful you shared your story with us. It is truly a

cautionary tale.

I empathize w/ your experiences of an extremely unstable SI/pelvis. I had an

hyper-mobile pelvis for a decade. The PT attitude was core strengthening

exercises & " We'll just keep putting you into alignment until it sticks " .

Gee, that didn't work.

I found a masterful PT. She said, " You're hyper-mobile there because you are

stuck in other places. " She worked on whatever needed to be worked on for 2

yrs before the pelvis became stable. (And no core strengthening exercises!)

Now I " go out " if I don't wear my SI belt for vacuuming, etc. But she

realigns me & I'm OK in 1 or 2 sessions.

I shared your story w/ my PT. I knew your situation was bad, but she was

pretty shocked. She suggested you get a VERY GOOD personal injury lawyer &

sue for malpractice. She also said the case will depend on what the doctor

told you before the surgery.

To her, doing a SI fixation/fusion in your case didn't make sense. Once

done, of course, the piriformis would madly try to stabilize the entire

pelvis, thus causing Piriformis Syndrome. Then by doing a Piriformis

Release, the piriformis could no longer stabile the pelvis, so the job fell

to the IT band. But it couldn't handle the job, so the other IT band joined

the effort. That is why you have pain in both legs.

From a bio-mechanical perspective, once the SI joints were fixated/fused,

the dominoes were set in motion for everything that followed. And the

greatest tragedy is there is no way to fix it. She said the reason they sent

you to Pain Mgmt is the doctors have nothing left to offer you.

You could get massage or soft tissue work on the IT bands for temporary pain

reduction, but the pain will reoccur because of the enormous stress placed

on them.

On a personal note, she said she would never have that surgery (because of

the consequences) and she would rather live w/ whatever she had than have

the SI fixated. Once the SI is fixed or fused, it is predictable one would

get Piriformis Syndrome, and if one did a Piriformis Release, then IT pain

is equally predictable.

I have corresponded w/ several people who developed Piriformis Syndrome

after an L5-S1 fusion. In my non- medical opinion, an SI fusion is just

asking for trouble. But what do I know?

In the end, she said, " Pray for that woman " . In 3 yrs, I've never heard her

express opinions like that before!

One a more positive note, she said IF anyone can provide any kind of help to

you, it would be

CenterIMT Atlanta

500 West Lanier Avenue Hwy. 54 Ste. 303

Fayetteville, GA 30214

Phone: 770-716-8885

www.CenterIMTAtlant a.com

(My idea here - maybe a PT from there could provide expert testimony for a

law suit. Don't know - just an idea.)

I feel so badly for you! You have literally & figuratively been screwed. I

will pray for you. "

[Guest guest]

Hi Joanne

I need to have L4-L5 and L5-_S1. I have needed a fusion for several years

and instead opted for diskectomy on both the right and left iwhich I was

told causes instability. Tell me how your replacement went> How long in

the hospital? Are you in a brace? What type of pain did you have before

surgery and what are you having now? Are you off all pain meds?

Deb RN

From: spinal problems

[mailto:spinal problems ] On Behalf Of Joanne

Shively

Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2008 10:28 AM

spinal problems

Subject: Re: SI joint fixation surgery

Hi Deb,

What levels are you looking at that hurt you?

Have you considered getting a disc replacement rather than fusion?

If you have to consider fusion in the near future, please learn about

the direction fusions go as well as the choice of a disc replacement.

Fusions, many times lead to more fusions down the road where a disc

replacement you have potential to get your life back.

I just had the disc replacement and am told I should get back most

of my range of motion.

Not sure how long recovery is, but looks like it takes a while either way.

Blessings,

Joanne

SI joint fixation surgery

- please read this conversation about SI joint fixation surgery & its

aftermath. It is quoted from the Piriformis Syndrome group at

http://health. groups.. com/group/ piriformissyndro me/

" Hi. I am new to the group. I fell from my horse in 1994 and landed on my

right buttock and hip. I had pain at first but it was not all the bad. For

the next 8 years I had short bouts of SI instability the would clear up

after a week or two on their own or with a short round of PT. I had 2 kids

in 2 years and after that, my SI problem worsened dramatically. I developed

severe instability to the point that the PT would spent 45 minutes

realigning it and it would come back out by the time I got off the table and

to my car. I tried injections, months of PT, prolotherapy- you name it. Then

I went to Emory and had surgery- bilateral SI fixation with right sided

fusion. At first things felt better and I was optimistic. Then, piriformis

syndrome set in. So, I endured more injections, more PT for a year and ended

up having piriformis release done. Three weeks post-op I developed severe

pain down the outside of my right leg, the side I had operated on. No one

can

seem to figure out why. Everyone wants to think it is referred pain but

referred pain does not cause huge excrutiating knots in my IT bands. About a

month after the right leg started, it progressed to the left leg. I am now

being treated for chronic pain. I have to use a muscle stimulator on my

right leg to loose the grip the fascia has on my leg to help the numbness in

my toes. I also use a tens unit. The tightness in my IT bands pulls downward

on my ilium which puts pressure on my fusion causing more pain. My doctors

main goal is to stay ahead of my pain. My goal is searching for someone who

can find out what is wrong with me and can somehow fix it.

Those of you who are contemplating surgery, please think long and hard. I

thought about it for a year. My PTs told me I had the most unstable SI joint

they had ever seen. I felt there was no other choice for me. For all of you

though, be sure you can't live with what you have. I didn't think things

could get any worse. I was sorely mistaken. Anyway, good luck in your

travels. "

" Dear AB - I am very grateful you shared your story with us. It is truly a

cautionary tale.

I empathize w/ your experiences of an extremely unstable SI/pelvis. I had an

hyper-mobile pelvis for a decade. The PT attitude was core strengthening

exercises & " We'll just keep putting you into alignment until it sticks " .

Gee, that didn't work.

I found a masterful PT. She said, " You're hyper-mobile there because you are

stuck in other places. " She worked on whatever needed to be worked on for 2

yrs before the pelvis became stable. (And no core strengthening exercises!)

Now I " go out " if I don't wear my SI belt for vacuuming, etc. But she

realigns me & I'm OK in 1 or 2 sessions.

I shared your story w/ my PT. I knew your situation was bad, but she was

pretty shocked. She suggested you get a VERY GOOD personal injury lawyer &

sue for malpractice. She also said the case will depend on what the doctor

told you before the surgery.

To her, doing a SI fixation/fusion in your case didn't make sense. Once

done, of course, the piriformis would madly try to stabilize the entire

pelvis, thus causing Piriformis Syndrome. Then by doing a Piriformis

Release, the piriformis could no longer stabile the pelvis, so the job fell

to the IT band. But it couldn't handle the job, so the other IT band joined

the effort. That is why you have pain in both legs.

From a bio-mechanical perspective, once the SI joints were fixated/fused,

the dominoes were set in motion for everything that followed. And the

greatest tragedy is there is no way to fix it. She said the reason they sent

you to Pain Mgmt is the doctors have nothing left to offer you.

You could get massage or soft tissue work on the IT bands for temporary pain

reduction, but the pain will reoccur because of the enormous stress placed

on them.

On a personal note, she said she would never have that surgery (because of

the consequences) and she would rather live w/ whatever she had than have

the SI fixated. Once the SI is fixed or fused, it is predictable one would

get Piriformis Syndrome, and if one did a Piriformis Release, then IT pain

is equally predictable.

I have corresponded w/ several people who developed Piriformis Syndrome

after an L5-S1 fusion. In my non- medical opinion, an SI fusion is just

asking for trouble. But what do I know?

In the end, she said, " Pray for that woman " . In 3 yrs, I've never heard her

express opinions like that before!

One a more positive note, she said IF anyone can provide any kind of help to

you, it would be

CenterIMT Atlanta

500 West Lanier Avenue Hwy. 54 Ste. 303

Fayetteville, GA 30214

Phone: 770-716-8885

www.CenterIMTAtlant a.com

(My idea here - maybe a PT from there could provide expert testimony for a

law suit. Don't know - just an idea.)

I feel so badly for you! You have literally & figuratively been screwed. I

will pray for you. "

[Guest guest]

I also had the discectomy, but in my case it helped as far as the

leg pain the went down both legs. It helped in the fact I wasn't curled

up in a fetal position day and night. I lived on a tens unit and when the

battery died I went back into an instant fetal position no matter where I

was left standing.

I had 3 tears 3/4 inches long in the one disc. The discogram proved positive

and workman's comp called it a sprain, cause the primary I had turned it in

as a sprain even with the positive on the discogram. One of the Drs I had said

I needed a disc replacement over 3 years ago.

When I had the endoscopic disectomy is where they discovered the tears, so the

tried to laser them as best as they could to give some relief, it did with the

exception

of the burning pain that never left....due to the tears being so bad.

I was told that the disc replacement went perfect...time will tell as I am only

a

week and a couple days post surgery.

I was about 7-8 days in the hospital, it was a tough go in the beginning since

we

each recover differently.

The thing with fusion it usually opens the door to more fusions so if you can

do the disc replacement that might be the better option as you have a chance to

get your life back at least it is worth the try.

The pain I had prior left me almost completely bed-ridden before wanting to

die...

I was coming to the end of coping and was hanging on by a thread as far as hope.

Most of the pain I feel now is surgery pain, it is a fair amount of pain yet and

still

have some burning pain and I think there are several things going on. I had only

one level done and I think the disc below will need time to get straightened

back

from the pressure of the damages one.

I have a support belt that I use so not in the turtle type belt that others who

have

fusion are. This type of surgery is more stable then fusion thus not requiring

the

other type of brace.

As far as the pain meds they say it will take about 8-12 weeks before weaning

off of them, this still takes some time to recover as does the fusion.

For me fusion was not an option....would not want to risk the other discs for

the

short time of success...

Hoped that helped let me know if you have more questions....

Joanne

SI joint fixation surgery

- please read this conversation about SI joint fixation surgery & its

aftermath. It is quoted from the Piriformis Syndrome group at

http://health. groups.. com/group/ piriformissyndro me/

" Hi. I am new to the group. I fell from my horse in 1994 and landed on my

right buttock and hip. I had pain at first but it was not all the bad. For

the next 8 years I had short bouts of SI instability the would clear up

after a week or two on their own or with a short round of PT. I had 2 kids

in 2 years and after that, my SI problem worsened dramatically. I developed

severe instability to the point that the PT would spent 45 minutes

realigning it and it would come back out by the time I got off the table and

to my car. I tried injections, months of PT, prolotherapy- you name it. Then

I went to Emory and had surgery- bilateral SI fixation with right sided

fusion. At first things felt better and I was optimistic. Then, piriformis

syndrome set in. So, I endured more injections, more PT for a year and ended

up having piriformis release done. Three weeks post-op I developed severe

pain down the outside of my right leg, the side I had operated on. No one

can

seem to figure out why. Everyone wants to think it is referred pain but

referred pain does not cause huge excrutiating knots in my IT bands. About a

month after the right leg started, it progressed to the left leg. I am now

being treated for chronic pain. I have to use a muscle stimulator on my

right leg to loose the grip the fascia has on my leg to help the numbness in

my toes. I also use a tens unit. The tightness in my IT bands pulls downward

on my ilium which puts pressure on my fusion causing more pain. My doctors

main goal is to stay ahead of my pain. My goal is searching for someone who

can find out what is wrong with me and can somehow fix it.

Those of you who are contemplating surgery, please think long and hard. I

thought about it for a year. My PTs told me I had the most unstable SI joint

they had ever seen. I felt there was no other choice for me. For all of you

though, be sure you can't live with what you have. I didn't think things

could get any worse. I was sorely mistaken. Anyway, good luck in your

travels. "

" Dear AB - I am very grateful you shared your story with us. It is truly a

cautionary tale.

I empathize w/ your experiences of an extremely unstable SI/pelvis. I had an

hyper-mobile pelvis for a decade. The PT attitude was core strengthening

exercises & " We'll just keep putting you into alignment until it sticks " .

Gee, that didn't work.

I found a masterful PT. She said, " You're hyper-mobile there because you are

stuck in other places. " She worked on whatever needed to be worked on for 2

yrs before the pelvis became stable. (And no core strengthening exercises!)

Now I " go out " if I don't wear my SI belt for vacuuming, etc. But she

realigns me & I'm OK in 1 or 2 sessions.

I shared your story w/ my PT. I knew your situation was bad, but she was

pretty shocked. She suggested you get a VERY GOOD personal injury lawyer &

sue for malpractice. She also said the case will depend on what the doctor

told you before the surgery.

To her, doing a SI fixation/fusion in your case didn't make sense. Once

done, of course, the piriformis would madly try to stabilize the entire

pelvis, thus causing Piriformis Syndrome. Then by doing a Piriformis

Release, the piriformis could no longer stabile the pelvis, so the job fell

to the IT band. But it couldn't handle the job, so the other IT band joined

the effort. That is why you have pain in both legs.

From a bio-mechanical perspective, once the SI joints were fixated/fused,

the dominoes were set in motion for everything that followed. And the

greatest tragedy is there is no way to fix it. She said the reason they sent

you to Pain Mgmt is the doctors have nothing left to offer you.

You could get massage or soft tissue work on the IT bands for temporary pain

reduction, but the pain will reoccur because of the enormous stress placed

on them.

On a personal note, she said she would never have that surgery (because of

the consequences) and she would rather live w/ whatever she had than have

the SI fixated. Once the SI is fixed or fused, it is predictable one would

get Piriformis Syndrome, and if one did a Piriformis Release, then IT pain

is equally predictable.

I have corresponded w/ several people who developed Piriformis Syndrome

after an L5-S1 fusion. In my non- medical opinion, an SI fusion is just

asking for trouble. But what do I know?

In the end, she said, " Pray for that woman " . In 3 yrs, I've never heard her

express opinions like that before!

One a more positive note, she said IF anyone can provide any kind of help to

you, it would be

CenterIMT Atlanta

500 West Lanier Avenue Hwy. 54 Ste. 303

Fayetteville, GA 30214

Phone: 770-716-8885

www.CenterIMTAtlant a.com

(My idea here - maybe a PT from there could provide expert testimony for a

law suit. Don't know - just an idea.)

I feel so badly for you! You have literally & figuratively been screwed. I

will pray for you. "

[Guest guest]

Workers Comp is wonderful , took me 4 yrs of hearings to finally get  surgery...

From: Joanne Shively <thruhiseyes1@...>

Subject: Re: SI joint fixation surgery

spinal problems

Date: Tuesday, August 5, 2008, 2:10 PM

I also had the discectomy, but in my case it helped as far as the

leg pain the went down both legs. It helped in the fact I wasn't curled

up in a fetal position day and night. I lived on a tens unit and when the

battery died I went back into an instant fetal position no matter where I

was left standing.

I had 3 tears 3/4 inches long in the one disc. The discogram proved positive

and workman's comp called it a sprain, cause the primary I had turned it in

as a sprain even with the positive on the discogram. One of the Drs I had said

I needed a disc replacement over 3 years ago.

When I had the endoscopic disectomy is where they discovered the tears, so the

tried to laser them as best as they could to give some relief, it did with the

exception

of the burning pain that never left....due to the tears being so bad.

I was told that the disc replacement went perfect...time will tell as I am only

a

week and a couple days post surgery.

I was about 7-8 days in the hospital, it was a tough go in the beginning since

we

each recover differently.

The thing with fusion it usually opens the door to more fusions so if you can

do the disc replacement that might be the better option as you have a chance to

get your life back at least it is worth the try.

The pain I had prior left me almost completely bed-ridden before wanting to

die...

I was coming to the end of coping and was hanging on by a thread as far as hope.

Most of the pain I feel now is surgery pain, it is a fair amount of pain yet and

still

have some burning pain and I think there are several things going on. I had only

one level done and I think the disc below will need time to get straightened

back

from the pressure of the damages one.

I have a support belt that I use so not in the turtle type belt that others who

have

fusion are. This type of surgery is more stable then fusion thus not requiring

the

other type of brace.

As far as the pain meds they say it will take about 8-12 weeks before weaning

off of them, this still takes some time to recover as does the fusion.

For me fusion was not an option....would not want to risk the other discs for

the

short time of success...

Hoped that helped let me know if you have more questions... .

Joanne

SI joint fixation surgery

- please read this conversation about SI joint fixation surgery & its

aftermath. It is quoted from the Piriformis Syndrome group at

http://health. groups.. com/group/ piriformissyndro me/

" Hi. I am new to the group. I fell from my horse in 1994 and landed on my

right buttock and hip. I had pain at first but it was not all the bad. For

the next 8 years I had short bouts of SI instability the would clear up

after a week or two on their own or with a short round of PT. I had 2 kids

in 2 years and after that, my SI problem worsened dramatically. I developed

severe instability to the point that the PT would spent 45 minutes

realigning it and it would come back out by the time I got off the table and

to my car. I tried injections, months of PT, prolotherapy- you name it. Then

I went to Emory and had surgery- bilateral SI fixation with right sided

fusion. At first things felt better and I was optimistic. Then, piriformis

syndrome set in. So, I endured more injections, more PT for a year and ended

up having piriformis release done. Three weeks post-op I developed severe

pain down the outside of my right leg, the side I had operated on. No one

can

seem to figure out why. Everyone wants to think it is referred pain but

referred pain does not cause huge excrutiating knots in my IT bands. About a

month after the right leg started, it progressed to the left leg. I am now

being treated for chronic pain. I have to use a muscle stimulator on my

right leg to loose the grip the fascia has on my leg to help the numbness in

my toes. I also use a tens unit. The tightness in my IT bands pulls downward

on my ilium which puts pressure on my fusion causing more pain. My doctors

main goal is to stay ahead of my pain. My goal is searching for someone who

can find out what is wrong with me and can somehow fix it.

Those of you who are contemplating surgery, please think long and hard. I

thought about it for a year. My PTs told me I had the most unstable SI joint

they had ever seen. I felt there was no other choice for me. For all of you

though, be sure you can't live with what you have. I didn't think things

could get any worse. I was sorely mistaken. Anyway, good luck in your

travels. "

" Dear AB - I am very grateful you shared your story with us. It is truly a

cautionary tale.

I empathize w/ your experiences of an extremely unstable SI/pelvis. I had an

hyper-mobile pelvis for a decade. The PT attitude was core strengthening

exercises & " We'll just keep putting you into alignment until it sticks " .

Gee, that didn't work.

I found a masterful PT. She said, " You're hyper-mobile there because you are

stuck in other places. " She worked on whatever needed to be worked on for 2

yrs before the pelvis became stable. (And no core strengthening exercises!)

Now I " go out " if I don't wear my SI belt for vacuuming, etc. But she

realigns me & I'm OK in 1 or 2 sessions.

I shared your story w/ my PT. I knew your situation was bad, but she was

pretty shocked. She suggested you get a VERY GOOD personal injury lawyer &

sue for malpractice. She also said the case will depend on what the doctor

told you before the surgery.

To her, doing a SI fixation/fusion in your case didn't make sense. Once

done, of course, the piriformis would madly try to stabilize the entire

pelvis, thus causing Piriformis Syndrome. Then by doing a Piriformis

Release, the piriformis could no longer stabile the pelvis, so the job fell

to the IT band. But it couldn't handle the job, so the other IT band joined

the effort. That is why you have pain in both legs.

From a bio-mechanical perspective, once the SI joints were fixated/fused,

the dominoes were set in motion for everything that followed. And the

greatest tragedy is there is no way to fix it. She said the reason they sent

you to Pain Mgmt is the doctors have nothing left to offer you.

You could get massage or soft tissue work on the IT bands for temporary pain

reduction, but the pain will reoccur because of the enormous stress placed

on them.

On a personal note, she said she would never have that surgery (because of

the consequences) and she would rather live w/ whatever she had than have

the SI fixated. Once the SI is fixed or fused, it is predictable one would

get Piriformis Syndrome, and if one did a Piriformis Release, then IT pain

is equally predictable.

I have corresponded w/ several people who developed Piriformis Syndrome

after an L5-S1 fusion. In my non- medical opinion, an SI fusion is just

asking for trouble. But what do I know?

In the end, she said, " Pray for that woman " . In 3 yrs, I've never heard her

express opinions like that before!

One a more positive note, she said IF anyone can provide any kind of help to

you, it would be

CenterIMT Atlanta

500 West Lanier Avenue Hwy. 54 Ste. 303

Fayetteville, GA 30214

Phone: 770-716-8885

www.CenterIMTAtlant a.com

(My idea here - maybe a PT from there could provide expert testimony for a

law suit. Don't know - just an idea.)

I feel so badly for you! You have literally & figuratively been screwed. I

will pray for you. "

[Guest guest]

Hi Smokie,

So your situation was also Workman's Comp. Yep, mine is coming up on 4 years as

well.

What kind of surgery did you get, was it in your back or neck?

The system is pretty bad.

You wouldn't believe the nasty letter I got from them....it is pathetic.

How are you doing now after surgery, and when was your surgery?

Joanne

SI joint fixation surgery

- please read this conversation about SI joint fixation surgery & its

aftermath. It is quoted from the Piriformis Syndrome group at

http://health. groups.. com/group/ piriformissyndro me/

" Hi. I am new to the group. I fell from my horse in 1994 and landed on my

right buttock and hip. I had pain at first but it was not all the bad. For

the next 8 years I had short bouts of SI instability the would clear up

after a week or two on their own or with a short round of PT. I had 2 kids

in 2 years and after that, my SI problem worsened dramatically. I developed

severe instability to the point that the PT would spent 45 minutes

realigning it and it would come back out by the time I got off the table and

to my car. I tried injections, months of PT, prolotherapy- you name it. Then

I went to Emory and had surgery- bilateral SI fixation with right sided

fusion. At first things felt better and I was optimistic. Then, piriformis

syndrome set in. So, I endured more injections, more PT for a year and ended

up having piriformis release done. Three weeks post-op I developed severe

pain down the outside of my right leg, the side I had operated on. No one

can

seem to figure out why. Everyone wants to think it is referred pain but

referred pain does not cause huge excrutiating knots in my IT bands. About a

month after the right leg started, it progressed to the left leg. I am now

being treated for chronic pain. I have to use a muscle stimulator on my

right leg to loose the grip the fascia has on my leg to help the numbness in

my toes. I also use a tens unit. The tightness in my IT bands pulls downward

on my ilium which puts pressure on my fusion causing more pain. My doctors

main goal is to stay ahead of my pain. My goal is searching for someone who

can find out what is wrong with me and can somehow fix it.

Those of you who are contemplating surgery, please think long and hard. I

thought about it for a year. My PTs told me I had the most unstable SI joint

they had ever seen. I felt there was no other choice for me. For all of you

though, be sure you can't live with what you have. I didn't think things

could get any worse. I was sorely mistaken. Anyway, good luck in your

travels. "

" Dear AB - I am very grateful you shared your story with us. It is truly a

cautionary tale.

I empathize w/ your experiences of an extremely unstable SI/pelvis. I had an

hyper-mobile pelvis for a decade. The PT attitude was core strengthening

exercises & " We'll just keep putting you into alignment until it sticks " .

Gee, that didn't work.

I found a masterful PT. She said, " You're hyper-mobile there because you are

stuck in other places. " She worked on whatever needed to be worked on for 2

yrs before the pelvis became stable. (And no core strengthening exercises!)

Now I " go out " if I don't wear my SI belt for vacuuming, etc. But she

realigns me & I'm OK in 1 or 2 sessions.

I shared your story w/ my PT. I knew your situation was bad, but she was

pretty shocked. She suggested you get a VERY GOOD personal injury lawyer &

sue for malpractice. She also said the case will depend on what the doctor

told you before the surgery.

To her, doing a SI fixation/fusion in your case didn't make sense. Once

done, of course, the piriformis would madly try to stabilize the entire

pelvis, thus causing Piriformis Syndrome. Then by doing a Piriformis

Release, the piriformis could no longer stabile the pelvis, so the job fell

to the IT band. But it couldn't handle the job, so the other IT band joined

the effort. That is why you have pain in both legs.

From a bio-mechanical perspective, once the SI joints were fixated/fused,

the dominoes were set in motion for everything that followed. And the

greatest tragedy is there is no way to fix it. She said the reason they sent

you to Pain Mgmt is the doctors have nothing left to offer you.

You could get massage or soft tissue work on the IT bands for temporary pain

reduction, but the pain will reoccur because of the enormous stress placed

on them.

On a personal note, she said she would never have that surgery (because of

the consequences) and she would rather live w/ whatever she had than have

the SI fixated. Once the SI is fixed or fused, it is predictable one would

get Piriformis Syndrome, and if one did a Piriformis Release, then IT pain

is equally predictable.

I have corresponded w/ several people who developed Piriformis Syndrome

after an L5-S1 fusion. In my non- medical opinion, an SI fusion is just

asking for trouble. But what do I know?

In the end, she said, " Pray for that woman " . In 3 yrs, I've never heard her

express opinions like that before!

One a more positive note, she said IF anyone can provide any kind of help to

you, it would be

CenterIMT Atlanta

500 West Lanier Avenue Hwy. 54 Ste. 303

Fayetteville, GA 30214

Phone: 770-716-8885

www.CenterIMTAtlant a.com

(My idea here - maybe a PT from there could provide expert testimony for a

law suit. Don't know - just an idea.)

I feel so badly for you! You have literally & figuratively been screwed. I

will pray for you. "