Question
Asked by Medina
I Am A 27 Year Old Female Suffering From Chronic Back Pain.
At the age of 23, I was told I had DDD affecting several thoracic vertabrae, sclerosis,spondylosis missing vertabrae and a bulging disk among other things. It has been a daily struggle to deal with the pain. I am currently taking oxycodone, celebrex and muscle relaxants. I have been told repeatedly by physiatrists, orthopedic surgeons and physiotherapists that there is nothing more that they can do to help me. My quality of life has deminished and I am no longer able to work doing what I love, which is working with children. I was left depressed and with no answers as to what caused all of this. Recently I met an orthopedic surgeon that suggested travelling to Egypt where I have family and having 2 -3 of my thoracic vertabrae fused. I am scared and nervous about the possibilty of surgery but i feel i have no other options. Does anyone have any advice for me? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.
Answer
Sounds familiar to me. I thought I hit a dead end with my back at the age of 29 years old until I found the right physical therapist. All physical therapists are not created equally. Some have much more training than others. The best way to find the best physical therapist with the AAOMPT fellow locator:
http://aaompt.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=75
The American Academy of Orthopedic and Manual Therapists have an excellent credentialing program. The best and the brightest are members/fellows. Find a AAOMPT fellow and that just might make all the difference. It did for me.
Deciding to have surgery is scary. I always advise patients that considering surgery is a personal decision. You should only choose surgery if you are ready to risk your pain getting worse. Is surgery worth the risk? That is a question that only you can answer.
Dr. Christina Lasich, MD