collapsed disc

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maccrocross

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I am only 28 and have been recently diagnosed with a collapsed disc. Last year they told me it was a bulged disc but they never did any tests to confirm. PT helped fine. Then in April the pain came back ten fold. I also have major burning in my thighs and enormous pain in my hips. I practically had to force my doctor to order an MRI. She said i was too young for anything to be seriously wrong. Well the MRI showed a collapsed disc and now i have to see a surgeon. The strange thing is when they told me it was a collapsed disc last thursday the pain got worse. I thought that might a little in my head of course. But now the pain seems to be getting better. I haven't used a pian pill in 2 days. Does anyone know if a collapsed disc can just heal on its own? Will i have to have surgery? My doctor (though i now believe her to be a quack) won't talk to me about it and has another doctor calling. But i don't know anything about this kind of thing. I've never even had a broken bone. So any help would be appreciated. Oh yea, and i just sneezed and that reminRAB me sneezing makes the pain unbearable even now when it seems to be getting better. thank you
 
Please know that some of us only check these boarRAB a few times a week. So to expect a response in 49 minutes is unreasonable.

When you have significant disc damage it is unlikely to correct itself. I don't often hear the diagnosis of collapsed disc but it sounRAB similar to a disc that has totally herniated and flattened. As we age all of us have some disc degeneration, but when you have severe disc problems you can loose space between the two adjacent vertebrae.

Request a copy of the MRI report and post the Impression/Findings here as that may help a bit. In addition it seems a consultation with an orthopedic spine surgeon and/or neurosurgeon for treatment options would be the best course of action. They can recommend surgical and non-surgical treatment options.
 
Your MRI findings will help you and will help us explain as much as we can.

Often with back and disc issues there are associated symptoms. For example, someone with lurabar disc problems may have nerve pain dow the leg - but where the pain is can differ based on which level disc is affected. Same with the neck. If you have some associated nerve pain or leg symptoms you'll also want to look up a spinal nerve dermatome chart/picture. It shows you where symptoms from each spine level are often felt. That and your MRI findings will help.

I recently had a neck MRI and am driving to the imaging facility next week (currently out of town) so I can have a copy of the findings for myself. I keep all such recorRAB (operative reports, MRI reports, CT reports, etc).
 
I'm sorry i sounded kind of pushy. This is all so scary for me. I will call tomorrow to get a copy of the MRI. And then i'll post what i find out. I know it's lurabar spine but that's all i know myself. And i am seeing the neurosurgeon next tuesday. Thank you for replying
 
In my opinion i am fat but i am not unhealthy. I'm 5'5 and 160 lbs. so just a little overweight. last year when i originally hurt my back i had bent over to pick up a dropped coat. that was all. then this year i wanted to get healthier so i started walking on a treadmill a mile a day. after 2 weeks i was hurting to bad to do anymore. i have no arthritis. never been diagnosed with anything that could affect my back.
 
well, are you heavy? Are you an athletic person?
Have you had any diagnosis of arthritis? Did your back condition begin with an accident/injury? Or, was this just continued wear & tear leading to herniation?
Do you have scoliosis?

a little more info could be helpful so folks who might be in your situation will know if they can relate or have anything in common with your situation.
 
ok i saw the neurosurgeon today. he told me that my doctor used the wrong terminollogy. i have a herniated disc L4-L5 and arthritis in the lurabar spine. he's going to try me on epidural pain shots but he did say that surgery is inevitable. i'm still so worried about all this
 
ESI are a common treatment. For me, in my neck, they delayed surgery for about 18 months.
 
A disc does not heal. Once herniated it either is herniated in such a way that it is impinging on nerves or the spinal cord. Some people have herniated disc and don't know it as it may be a small herniation and it's not affecting the nerves or spinal cord. If you get a copy of your own x-rays, you should see equal space between every vertebrae. If at the level they say there is a problem you see vertebrae on vertebrae with little space in between then you are in a position where it's likely you need repair. You don't want the vertebrae to touch and fuse on their own, you want to have that positioned right by a surgeon. See if you can get a copy of your x-rays. If your problem is as bad as you state you should be visible easily by looking at that area. If even you can see it then you may understand how severe the damage is.
 
thank you. i can't get ahold of my doctor. i've finally requested i get switched to a different doctor. i had to go back to the ER due to pain because my doctor hasn't called me back and i called her last wednesday. finally the ER gave me some medicine that seems to be helping. My most pressing issue now is that i am on MediCARE and hae no mediCAID. not even the spenddown i had before. so i can't afford surgery. i just pray these shots will help. once i can afford to get them. i don't want to have to take pain medicine for the rest of my life and i would like to start excerising again. thanks again for all your help
 
Be sure to get copies of all your test films and accompanying reports (for every CT or X ray or MRI there is a radiologist report UNLESS it was done in the doctors office and not sent out for review). These are your property and keep them. Also, if you change doctors just call the old one and ask how you can get a copy of your medical file. Always get that when changing doctors as well (and then keep a copy for yourself)
 
i don't really want to delay surgery. if anything i want to prevent it. if i have to have it anyway wouldn't it be easier to get it out of the way instead of stressing about it for 2 years. can a herniated disc heal on it own? mine is apparantly so bad it looks flattened.
 
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