^^^^^^^^^^^^
Don't know the answer to your question but I can't blame that. No shots here.

UPDATE

Just got back from DO. Either I'm getting old or this kid just graduated high school last week. Anyway...after lumbar xray Dx is piriformis syndrome & lumbar stenosis. Rx...PT 3x /week for 6 wks. Follow-up @ 6 weeks. MRI to follow if warranted.

Xray rept...Mild retrolisthesis of L2 on L3 is noted. No compression deformities are noted.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: pace40,

Hope it works for you, pace

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
Hope it works for you, pace

Thanks, T!

I had severe sciatica for 7 years. Overall it was much worse than when I broke my L1 into 53 pieces in a mountain bike accident. Tried various therapies for 3 years, the only thing that worked was having C1 re-aligned.

Back pain is funny. I had sciatica with spinal claudication (pain in the legs when walking). MRI showed severe spinal stenosis; I had repeated epidural steroid injections. Then started going to gym, working with trainer; since then have not had to have any injections and that's now been 4 years. I can walk 5 miles without back pain, at least on a good day; and no more spinal claudication ever. I may have just fused the vertebrae from old age.

BTW MRI showed continued severe spinal stenosis.

Well...just finished my first week of PT and I think I figured out how it works. These sadists make you hurt so much in other places that you forget about the pain that brought you there in the first place.

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Back pain is funny.
...
Then started going to gym, working with trainer; since then have not had to have any injections and that's now been 4 years. I can walk 5 miles without back pain, at least on a good day; and no more spinal claudication ever.

I don't find that the least bit surprising. Get stronger, back is better-supported, pain/disability is mitigated.

I'm curious: What exercises has the trainer had you doing?

Update 2

6 weeks of PT complete. They taught me the proper exercises to get through the day but still symptomatic. "Left foot weakness dorsiflexion" noted on follow-up exam. MRI scheduled 12/11. I guess we'll see.

Well...haven't heard from my doctor yet but I got the results from the lumbar MRI. No idea what they mean but there's no big red letters saying "CALL AMBULANCE IMMEDIATELY" so I guess I'll just have to wait and see since I don't speak the language.

I had sciatica, and got rid of it. Ended up being a long distance trail runner. Only thing I could not do is run on pavement, due to disc damage.

I was running 30-35 miles a week, and a few races per year. The longest was 14 miles and 4,000 vertical feet. My back felt great, like it would never get injured again.

quote:

Originally posted by pace40:
Well...haven't heard from my doctor yet but I got the results from the lumbar MRI. No idea what they mean but there's no big red letters saying "CALL AMBULANCE IMMEDIATELY" so I guess I'll just have to wait and see since I don't speak the language.

Get busy with your computer and learn as much as you can. It will be a big help when you hear from your doctor, especially if it’s serious enough to require surgery. I’m scheduled for surgery on my L-spine in January.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
Get busy with your computer and learn as much as you can. It will be a big help when you hear from your doctor, especially if it’s serious enough to require surgery. I’m scheduled for surgery on my L-spine in January.

Yea, I spent the last couple hours looking up the terms. I'm pretty sure it says, "Hey, you past 40, 30 years ago. What the hell do you expect".

Best wishes for a great outcome in Jan.

quote:

Originally posted by pace40:
I'm pretty sure it says, "Hey, you past 40, 30 years ago. What the hell do you expect".

That's a somewhat mistaken belief.

We don't become weaker, less mobile, and crippled solely because we age. It ("it" being Sarcopenia) happens, in large part, because as we get older we become less active.

Regular exercise, weight training and cardio (preferably both), have been proven in multiple studies to reduce, reverse, even eliminate many "age-related" disabilities and illnesses.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
That's a somewhat mistaken belief.

We don't become weaker, less mobile, and crippled solely because we age. It ("it" being Sarcopenia)

The report doesn't say anything about loss of muscle mass. It does list facet arthropathy from L1-S1 and disc bulge @ L4-L5 & L5-S1 along with anterolisthesis @ L4-L5.

ETA: Well just got a call from the Drs office and they cancelled next week's appt because he wants me in this week, so, methinks there's something there he doesn't like.

I guess I'll find out Friday.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: pace40,

OK so here's what I've been dealing with the last couple of days. On 12/11, the stated overall impression results of my MRI were...

"Degenerative change. Disc bulge asymmetric towards the LEFT at L4-5 with anterolisthesis. There is LEFT lateral recess narrowing and moderate LEFT neural foraminal narrowing.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm."
__________________________________

Note from my Dr... 12/11/2023 at 7:52 PM EST

"Ok to move up appointment this week given significant findings"
________________________

On 12/13, the ordering physician (my Dr) sent this message to the Dr reading the MRI...


"Hi John,

In body of report it says no abdominal aneurysm but the impression it does. If so, do you know the size?" 12/13/2023 at 10:49 AM EST
_______________________________

The reply...

"Addendum:

There is no abdominal aortic aneurysm. Correction: There is no abdominal aortic aneurysm."

Signed by John B*********, MD on 12/13/2023 11:01 AM
___________________________________

Geeze Loueeze

In my hospital system, I can see all this stuff but cannot comment in the communication stream. I liked it better before the computer notifications.

pace40, I had a similar problem with my recent calcium score.

Went for a calcium score. Follow-up with PCP. "No problems," she told me. In the meantime I'd scheduled surgery for an umbilical hernia.

When I got a notification my calcium scan results were available on-line I went and took a look. "Hmmm... that doesn't look like 'no problems' to me." Called the cardiologist's office. They took a look and scheduled a consultation with the cardiologist that afternoon. "Ok," I'm thinking, "just maybe there is a problem."

Cardiologist strongly recommended against proceeding with the surgery until a nuclear cardio stress test could be performed. Said that when the surgeon and/or anesthesiologist saw that calcium score report they'd probably balk, anyway.

Nuclear stress cleared me.

So, in this case having the ability to see my own labs was a good thing.

I've yet to have had a conversation with my PCP about the incident.

quote:

In my hospital system, I can see all this stuff but cannot comment in the communication stream. I liked it better before the computer notifications.

^^^^^^^^^
Doctors generally make fewer mistakes than the Medical assistant leaving a message on your voice mail. I liked it when my ENT called me directly about my MRI results.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

I've yet to have had a conversation with my PCP about the incident.

Oh...I can't wait for Friday's appointment.

My sincere thanks to L90814. While I did not jump on the inversion table right away, your post started my research on them. With the final Dx of herniated L4-L5 and neurosurgeon referral for ESI or diskectomy last week, I bought one to give it a try. I'm not up to 45 degrees yet but after 5 days of 30 degrees for 2 minutes 3x/day, there is significant improvement. I walked over 1/2 mile this morning before noticing any pain and can walk on my heels again without weakness. Why these tables aren't scripted before sending you off to a neurosurgeon, I don't know. A $125.00 investment and a few minutes a day is a helluva lot better than a needle in your spine or surgery.

With any luck, my bat table, along with exercises learned in PT, will keep this under control. Thanks again!