disc pressing on spinal cord

  • Thread starter Thread starter kathey67
  • Start date Start date
K

kathey67

Guest
I was exercising at the gym and two hours later after sitting, I stood up and had great pain in my back on the lower right side. After an MRI I was told that my disc, no.3 was pressing on the spinal cord. I am 67 years old and do not want to go through surgery. I live in the Denver area and would like to know what my options are?? I am a female and have had 13 surgeries for other problems, none on the back, so I would like to resolve this another way. I have lots of pain in the AM and PM but seem to be okay during the day with Advil and Tylenol. I am allergic to most prescribed pain medication.
 
First step before every spinal surgery is physical therapy (4-6 weeks).
Consult your primary care doctor.

If this does not help, there are few SMISS certified spinal surgeons in your are:
- Durango (Jim Youssef)
- Greenwood (David A. Wong)
- Lone Tree (Chad Prusmack)
- Vail (Todd Peters)
 
kathey,

You are very wise to do everything possible to avoid surgery.

In most cases, conservative treatments such as physical therapy, cortisone injections, NSAIRAB (if you can take them), etc. will help alleviate your symptoms, but it can take time - lots of it.

Studies have shown the body can at least partially reabsorb herniated discs but it can take months to a couple of years for it to happen.

It would be good as suggested to go see a well-known spine surgeon in your area, preferably one who practices minimally-invasive techniques. However, remeraber that if and when you have surgery is up to you and you are the one who will have to live with the results, good or bad. It also wouldn't hurt to see more than one surgeon, and I have been amazed at how different the opinions can be of various surgeons looking at the same test results.

Best wishes!
 
Hi everyone. Iam a 69 yr. old female. Iam post op 1 year Jan. 10 2009. PLIF with cage at the L5 S1. I need HELP. Iam still in pain. I have had another CT Scan with myleogram. And a bone scan. My surgeon says everything looks fine. He doesn't know why Iam having this pain. I was told by my family doctor that when you have a surgery like this everything falls, meaning the bladder. Iam wondering if this is the problem because I am having problems in that area. I see a urologist tomorrow. If this isn't the problem Iam back to square one. Would anyone have any suggestions. Iam doing everything I can think of including more physical therapy, which doesn't help.:confused:
Just to let you people know, my pain level is a 6 to an 8. Getting very depressed.
 
Back
Top