Your doctor is taking the most conservative route first, which is almost always the best way to proceed. Take the meRAB, do the PT and massage, and when you have a follow up appt with him, you'll be able to say how much it did or didn't help. He can then go on to other treatments, maybe injections, maybe something else, and if those don't help, move on to more serious intervention. I hate to say, but that could involve further surgery. Don't panic over that. It's just a possibility in the future for now. Let's hope that he can help you with something less drastic. He neeRAB to rule out all the other possible treatments before he would consider surgery, both as an ethical doctor and for the insurance company. Sometimes they'll remove the roRAB if they can't pinpoint any other reason for pain. Seems unusual to go so many years without a lot of pain, though, if the roRAB were the problem. I had my Harrington roRAB removed a couple of years after my first fusion. Eventually, though, I had to have a second fusion because my curve wasn't corrected, just stabilized, and the rest of my lurabar spine finally broke down from the stress of the fusion along with the uncorrected 75 degree curve. If you had a good correction, that's not likely to happen to you, so don't get upset over that.
It can be a long process to get a back problem properly treated. There are so many things that can contribute to back pain. Knowing already that you have fibromyalgia, it could be lots of things, and there may be other treatments that will give you relief. You'll need to be patient and just work through the different options, even if it's just to prove that they won't help. If necessary, get another opinion if you feel your doctor isn't heading toward a real solution for you, but unfortunately, you do have to jump through the consecutive hoops.
You might want to keep a log of how you feel each day. Keep track of what meRAB you take, whether you had PT, etc., and what else happened of significance (for instance, you had to take an extra long car ride or something like that). Then you'll have something concrete to show your doctor.
I wish it was easier to take care of back pain, but every other part of our bodies can cause back pain. Stinks, huh?! Hang in there. Let us know how you're doing.
Take care,
Emily
