Monday, March 30, 2009
HI, I HAVE BEEN IN PAIN FOR THE LAST 2 1/2 YEARS. METHADONE HELPS SOME, AND MY DR. JUST PUT ME ON LYRICA FOR THE SHOOTING PAINS FROM MY BACK TO MY HIP AND IT REALLY SEEMS TO BE HELPING THAT PART OF MY BODY. MY MRI STATED THAT I HAD GRADE 4 ANNULAR TEAR AT THE L3 ABD TGE L4&5. DOES ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW ABOUT THE GRADING SCALE...HOW HIGH IT GOES? OR ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I ALSO HAVE MEDIUM BULDING AND SPURING OF THE FACET JOINTS. MY SURGEON SAID THAT I NOT A CANDIDATE FOR A SPINAL FUSION, PROBABLY BECUASE I ONLY HAD MEDICAID THEN. THANKS.
MARI JO
Hi Mari Jo, I wasn't sure if you saw my answer to your question about the grading scale for annular tears in the Q & A section, so here's a link to it in case you missed it: http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/question/872227/65135/
I'm glad to hear the Lyrica is helping at least part of your pain problems. I hope you're able to find continued and improving pain relief. – Karen
Yes, I saw your answer and just wanted to say how much I appreciated you taking time out to answer my post. I do have one more question for you if you know the answer. Do the tears heal up? Again thanks.
I've been doing some research trying to find the answer to your question as to whether annular tears heal. There seems to be a fair amount of debate on how to treat annular tears. But the general concensus is that most will evenually heal, although it can take a long time – up to 18 months.
Interestingly, the most positive and hopeful information I found (as well as the most detailed descriptions) were from chiropractors. One said that flexion/distraction performed by a doctor of chiropractic works in 95% of annular tear cases. He recommended looking for a D.C. who could do spinal decompression or flexion/distraction, making sure they also have therapeutic modalities such as ultrasound and E-stim. He also suggested taking 500 mg glucosamine sulfate 6 times/day and getting 30% pulsed ultrasound overlaid with interferential therapy and ice from a D.C. He claims that these treatments can reduce the healing time to 5 - 8 weeks. Finally, he said to stay away from exercise and epidural injections as they would only prolong your condition.
Please understand that I have no idea whether this would work and I'm not saying whether or not it's something you should try – just sharing the only really detailed information I found.
Here's a link to the best description I found of annular tears, complete with images: http://www.chirogeek.com/000_Anular_Tear_1.htm I hope you find some helpful info here.
Again, thank you for the information.
hi marijo, i am having a discogram to FIND OUT if i have tears, the injection is supposed to be very painful ( the dr. told me this ) and side effects are bleeding and infections and the dr. said if i do get an infection, i could spend up to 3 months in the hospiital (it is supposed to be a very bad infection because of the little bit of blood flow i the spine , as i was told), i am very nervous and yes, scared to have this injection, i hav had 9 injections, so i am not looking forward to this one , since i've had pain from the other injections and these were suppose to be "uncomfortable", so i guess my question is how did they find the tears and if you don't mind me asking how did this happen? i was hit by a car while walking across a road, almost 3 years ago and ever since i have had chronic back pain. any info would really help, thanx, cindi...hope you are doing well!!
They found my tears when I had a discogram. Before I go any further, let me tell you...don't worry so much about infection so much. Yes, I am sure that the Dr. had to tell you all the risks, as mine did, but I don't believe it is all that common. The hospital, where I had it done, and I am sure yours too will take all the necessary precautions so that you don't get an infection. Yes, it is painful, I am not going to say it isn't, but I got through it and I am sure you will too. Just remember that pain is only for a few minutes. I had alittle bleeding afterwards but not too much. I had to take it easy for a day or so, but I have to do that ever since my back problems began. You mentioned that you have had many injections, was this for pain management? Both are painful and I don't remember the discogram being that much more painful that the steroid injections were.
How did I get these tears? I believe I got them from pushing crates full of parts at work a couple of years ago, and then 2 years ago (when this problem began) I was laid off from my job and I was doing yardwork hauling heavy garbage cans full of yard debrie ( ie. pinecones, leaves,etc.) and then I started to edge my huge garden becuase I was going to put edging in and that's when the pain began.
Even though the diskogram showed the tears the surgeon I saw said that I was not a candidate for a spinal fusion (I believe because I only had Medicaid as my Blue Cross finally ran out). I felt that he had wasted a year of my life, and still do. I now have no insurance except Medicaid spendown of 598.00 and living on Social Security Disability so it's not like I can afford to go to another surgeon. So for now my Dr. prescribes my pain medication. Good luck.
hi marijo, ..sorry i can not help you on the grading scale( don't really know what it is ? pain scale??)...but you have calmed my fears about having the discogram...on a scale from 1-10 10 being the worst a 9!!
..just thought i would put a little humor into this not so humourous situation :(....may i ask you, did you cry or scream out?....see, i am still too anxious for this procedure, i think, but this is thier "last resort" as they said about WHY i am having sooo much pain ( sometimes , i feel they think i don't have any pain, i cry all the way home for the way i am treated)..but believe me i would give them all these damn drugs, if i could only get my life back
.....they told you to "take it easy for a few days" after the procedure, i don't know about you, but thats all i do...rarrely leave the house except to the docs...ooh boo hoo, cindi :)........i think it is just awful you could not get the infusion because of your insurance., our medical health plan HAS GOT to change!!! our medical FIELD has got to change!!!!
yes, i had the injections for pain management, only one worked and for 2 weeks, i was estatic!!!..and then the P A I N came creeping back :(....i guess i just wanted to know how bad it really does get in the pain dept. with the discogram you sound like a very strong person!!!! i have heard on here that it is 100 times worse than any injection...oh ogsh, i told my husband...i AM NOT doing this! :)...thank you so very much for getting back with me...i guess i will have to think to myself, when i am having it done, that no one hhas ever died from pain..right? am i right??? :)...take good care, cindi
Cindi,
Did I scream or cry out? I don't believe that I did, but I squeezed my son's hand like crazy. I remember kind of gritting my teeth and kind of groaning towards the end of the procedure so they hurried up and finished the procedure. I thought the procedure would be worse than it was, but I doubt I thought that in the midst of it. Any idea as to when you will be having the procedure so I can pray while you are going throught it? I have to agree with you about just wanting your life back. What's worse is when you are having a really bad day and your family acts like you just want attention. Hang in there Cindi things have to get better, right?
I find it a funny thing after reading 50 some-odd webpages to find out more about my L4-L5 small annular tear. I read on one that it can take 6 months to repar, and anoher that says it can take up to 18 months with one side effect. In most cases the nerve regrows even bigger and can encompass the neculeus (Sorry Spelling) (Core) of the vertebre. This will produce more pain and the scarring of the tear can tear more easily.
After all these years no doctor, nurse, can grade the point of pain on their patient. Why, oh why, can not someone map out the human brain; find a map of the human body it controlls, and grade the ammount of pain, or simply remove the pain.
Now, I remember those few children who do not feel pain from their body, and do not wish such on any human, but when is too much pain too much?
For me, I am tired of washing the dishes by hand for fifteen minutes and be in bed for two hours plus to recover.
The medications put me to sleep, and I can no longer take Tylenol or Alieve because I have taken 500 Mg of Naproxen daily since 1997.
When is enough enough!
Doctors everywhere please find this map of the human brain and locate the pain center, and make it possible for a patient to be graded, and not upon your notes of previous medical history.
Dan Rollins
Ontario, Oregon USA