Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 7 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • gmschumacher
    Member
    Post count: 3

    Message:
    Dear Doctor, I am a 44 year old, male,weight 90kg, 5’9″. Have been getting lower back pain some times on the right and at times on the left, just above the buttock. Had a history of stones two years ago. The pain at times is sever and am forced to take a pain killer. The pain then dispersers after a few hours (it comes from time to time, at times after a month). Saw an Orthopedic Doctor who wanted me to do an xray,which revels nothing. Then he recommended an MRI Scan of the Lumbar Spine. Comment on report: L5/S1 level-Annular tear is noted in the L5/S1 disc with minimal posterior bulging. No evidence of nerve root compression. I used to be physically active, visit the gym often, now whenever I start exercising within 10 days pain returns and am forced to stop exercising. I do not use weights,mostly treadmill,rowing and stretching. I do a desk job (Admin/HR) by profession. Currently I do not have a back pain,except in the upper back area between the shoulder blades, when I want to sneeze and try to take a deep breath-I get a huge pain and am unable to properly sneeze. On waking up in the mornings back feels stiff,at times turning in bed also causes pain. Would appreciate if you could advise on what could be the problem. and recommended exercises to strengthen lower back. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, Glen .

    Donald Corenman, MD, DC
    Moderator
    Post count: 8656

    I am confused by your description of your pain. Do you have intermittent lower back pain and intermittent thoracic pain? How often does the pain occur? To what intensity? Where is the pain and does it radiate? How has this pain affected your job or home life? Give me a history of your disorder.

    Many questions to answer.

    Dr. Corenman

    PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
     
    Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.
    gmschumacher
    Member
    Post count: 3

    Dear Doctor, yes the pain is intermittent and has been for the past three years (used to occur once in three weeks). At that time the pain is to occur in the lower back area only,at times on the left and at times on the right. I was later diagnosed with stones in the bladder area, which I passed. The back pain as advised by the doctor at that time could have been due to this reason. However a few months later the pain was back. The pain is at times severe, find it difficult to bend or walk, I take a brufen(400mg),a couple of hours later the pain is gone and does not occur for a couple of weeks.

    I used to exercise quite a lot,concentrating on the lower back area, mainly to balance the ab exercise. These were done using light weights or just body weight. I still do,mostly on the treadmill now and some stretching, when the pain returns I stop for a couple of days.

    During the past month I have been getting the pain once in 10 days or so. The reason I saw an orthopedic doctor,who got me on a bed, bent my knees,stretched my legs, got me to point my toes towards my chin whilst laying face up and legs fully stretched, etc. and checked if there was any pain in the back, to which there was not at that time. Finally did an Xray which did not show anything, I was then asked to do an MRI. These past two weeks, I find a pain in the upper back region,between the shoulder blades when I want to sneeze,the moment try to take a deep breath I get the pain and cannot sneeze properly, I now have a slight cough as well.

    My job involves sitting for long periods at the computer, when I get up i have some discomfort in the lower back region. The pain does not radiate. Getting up in the mornings, I find the whole back stiff, turning in bed causes some pain in the buttock area when the back pain is present. On days after exercise I find my back is fitter and no pain. I used to sleep on the floor, using a thick quilt, as I had read a flat surface is good for the back, however when the pain really got bad I started sleeping on a bed and this has reduced the pain.

    Hope I have been able to answer all questions.
    Thank you for your time.
    rgds/glen

    Donald Corenman, MD, DC
    Moderator
    Post count: 8656

    By the sounds of your lower back symptoms, a good rehabilitation program should help you. Ask your physician if she or she can refer you to a well known therapist.

    In regard to your thoracic pain, this is new and sounds like it could be a rib-vertebra articulation. If that is the case, chiropractic manipulation might help.

    Dr. Corenman

    PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
     
    Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.
    gmschumacher
    Member
    Post count: 3

    Dear Doctor,Thank you for your valuable advise.

    Darryk
    Member
    Post count: 1

    I was told today that I have to have L5/S1 Laminectomy TILF procedure and i was wondering do they take the hardware out after the bones fuse, or do they leave it in?

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 7 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.