Questions on lower back pain.

I often get questions emailed to from people all over the world concerned about their back pain. These people are looking for alternatives to surgery:
When I have permission I post questions and answers:

The first person is from Egypt

Question on lower back pain

Question: I am very worried about the MRI result i recently received and would like an insight on what courses of treatment may be available for this condition. I would also like to know how serious this condition is. The accident referred to in the findings took place more than 10 years ago.

Thanks,


Findings:
- Status post motor car accident, the current study reveals:
- L4-L5 and L5-S1 discs are degenerated and show diffuse bulges
with associated small posterior central component at L5-S1 level
indenting the ventral thecal sac and attenuate the inlets of both
neural foramina at both levels, being slightly more on the left at
L5-S1.
- Buckling of ligamenta flava at L4-L5 level which augments the
discogenic canal stenosis.
- Rest of imaged discs are unremarkable.
- Intact vertebral bodies and neural arches with normal MR signal
intensity of their bone marrow.
- Noligamentum flavum hypertrophy.
- No facet joint arthropathy.
- Noprimary spinal canal stenosis.
- Normal MRI structural appearance and signal intensity of the
conus medullaris.
- Normal MRI appearance of retro and para spinal soft tissue
structures.
OPINION:-
L4-L5 and L5-S1 degenerative disc lesions with neural effects
described above.


This is just one piece of picture, Do you have pain or dysfunction?
Are you able to function without pain? The MRI report does indicate that your lower lumbar spine has degenerative changes and the disc has bulges.
When a patient presents with similar findings in our office. NYC Herniated disc Center. we conduct a thorough exam and run diagnostics to understand the extent of the degeneration, dysfunction and/or disability. We utilize a Non-surgical treatment called Spinal Decompression in conjunction with Physical therapy and Chiropractic care . We also find that the more chronic the condition the more emphasis needs to be placed on soft tissue techniques like the Graston technique or Active Release technique(ART). Chronic soft tissue problems respond well to these therapies and have great benefit in restoring normal pain free function.
What treatments have you tried?
Treatment like Chiropractic and traditional Physical therapy should help you with your alignment and core strength.Good luck with your lower back pain treatment and if you have any more questions please email me.

Spinal Decompression Subject: L5/S1 disc protrusion Question: My MRI report reads: Degenerative lateral canal stenosis and medium size posterocentral protrusion at L5/S1.
I have seen an orthopaedic surgeon who recommended surgery as the only option and that too, by having screws fitted in.

I read about spinal decompression which is unfortunately unavailable in my country. Is my condition a permanent deformation that I need to live with or is it a condition that can be healed. I read that through spinal decompression, the bulged disc repairs itself by taking it's original place.

Just because you have a herniated disc or in your case a disc protrusion doesn't mean you need to rush out and get a surgery.Be sure to get at least two more opinions.
There is a time and place for back surgery but when it comes to a herniated disc be sure to exhaust all non-surgical methods first.Chiropractic care,Physical therapy, and if you can handle Pilates, Yoga and spinal strengthening exercises are all great options.
But to answer your question about spinal decompression,it is a excellent treatment for herniated disc and it does help heal the disc.
I have seen hundreds of patients that have been told they need surgery get better with spinal decompression treatment. These people that undergo this treatment not only get symptom relief but when we order a second MRI 2-3 months after the last visit we see a increase in their disc height and reduction of the herniation.

- Dr. Shoshany is a recognised expert in the field of spinal rehabilitation and pain management. He has been a featured guest on the "Today Show", and his articles on spinal rehabilitation and pain management have been published widely.
- Living Well Medical is a state of the art pain management and treatment center, pioneering an integrated approach to healing, and pain relief. It is located in the SOHO/ Tribeca area in the heart of New York City at 632 Broadway.

How Can I Tell that I Have a Herniated Disc?

Chances are, during the course of your life, you've heard someone talk about having "slipped a disc." They likely mean a herniated disc. It's something I encounter week in, week out at Living Well Medical here in NYC. Maybe you got into a car accident that did it. People with jobs that require a lot of heavy lifting or weight-bearing are also some of the more common sufferers. What's more, as you get older, it gets easier for a spinal disc to herniate.

Now, not everyone who has a herniated disc will even feel pain. We see it all the time. On the other hand, there is definitely the potential for severe pain.

So maybe you have some awful back or neck pain, and you suspect a herniated disc. How in the world can you possibly tell if it is, in fact, a disc herniation? Are there certain symptoms? Are there any signs that conclusively point to it as the culprit? I'll explore these questions a little below and hopefully help anyone with chronic low back or neck pain get some answers.

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There are symptoms that are associated with a herniated disc. Radiating arm and/or leg pain, a weak grip, numbness, tingling, pins and needles, deep muscle pain, and pain in the mornings and nights are all symptoms that one can experience because of a herniated disc. Unfortunately, there are a number of nerve entrapments causes that can lead to similar symptoms, so in terms of a "definitive" set of symptoms, a self-diagnosis for any one of these symptoms just can't be 100% accurate.

The only sure-fire way to know if you have a herniated disc is to get medical imaging scan done, specifically an MRI. I know, probably not the news you were hoping to hear, but the truth is that there are just too many other potential reasons for the types of pain described above. Diagnostic imaging can give a physician the detailed images of the spine they need to understand what is happening to you.

If you are in pain, Living Well Medical in NYC has a strong relationship with MRI facilities throughout the city, so you can get the help you need. And if you do have a herniated disc, we can prescribe effective, non-surgical treatment like spinal decompression, gentle chiropractic care, and physical therapy. Give us a call at 212-645-8151 today if you need someone who can guide you through stopping pain.

- Dr. Shoshany