Severe Degenative Disk, Therapy & Injections

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themartinfarm

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I talked to a Specialist for the first time Tuesday. I have been seeing a Chiropractor but not much improvement...
He went over the xrays & sees the disk. I got an MRI Yesterday, Wednesday. My next appointment is the 21st.
He mentioned doing Physical Therapy & that should help with the pain. Also injections... Could you tell me more about the injections? Do they actually help? How often do you get them. He told me something about when I'm really hurting, on my worst days...

Thank You for all your information & help! You are the best! :)
 
Epidural steroid injections can help to calm down inflammation, but they don't always work. I had three in 2007, they occur two weeks apart. They insert the meRAB into the area where the disk is giving problems. They didn't really help my situation much, but some people do get relief. It depenRAB on what is actually going on with your disk.
Physical therapy helped me greatly with pain several times over the years that I have been dealing with lurabar degeneration. The things I learned there, I still use to control my pain. I especially liked water therapy, and still do that on my own. Hope you find out more at your next appointment,
 
I've had times when ESI did work for me. It helped with my initial neck problems for at least 2 years. The usual protocol is 1 shot, every 2 weeks, 3 shots total (so 3 within 6 weeks). I think they are well worth it. My prior Pain Management doctor did them all under conscious sedation (versed and fentanyl) and my current PM doctor gives the option of the versed and I always opt for it (but that means I do need a driver since I'm conscious but a bit loopy).

The steroid is used to act as an anti-inflammatory. So it's best to know exactly what your problem is. For example, my cousin just had a microdiscectomy yesterday in D.C. He had done a shot, which worked a little, but since he had a sizeable disc fragment sitting on the nerve the shots would temporarily relieve his pain but can't fix the problem of the nerve being impinged by the disc fragment. For others in which there is some nerve irritation it can work well. It worked in my neck until my disc problem got worse, as soon as the disc was totally impinging on the nerve then I had to go toward surgery since ESI no longer provided enough anti inflammatory relief.
 
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