RE: surgeon recommends surgery

[Guest guest]

I've had several of the " shots " and while they are not a cure by any means,

they are certainly effective in treating pain in some cases. Everything you

do to treat any condition carries risks. Even pain meds carry risks, I know

several people for whom the shots have helped the pain enough to keep

working. The shot they did for my herniation didn't work at all, but the

Lumbar Sympathetic block they gave me for the RSD gave me 15 hours of pain

relief after 18 years of constant RSD pain. I've never had full relief,

even for a few minutes, with pain meds. They keep the pain manageable, but

there has never been total relief with meds. I've never had a doctor tell

me that the shots were a cure.they've always told me that the shots were one

treatment to help the pain.and the one they did for the herniation gave me

no relief, but some people do get relief, albeit temporary. I'm sure there

are studies done by reputable sources who say that the shots do nothing and

are dangerous.I'm equally sure that there are studies that say that the

shots are great treatments and their potential effects are less dangerous

than other treatments.

I'm not saying the shots are the answer for everyone, but nothing I've found

says they are any more risky than any other treatment. Even pain meds have

the risk of several and permanent damage in some people. It's about

weighing the risks and rewards, in my opinion, but no option should ever be

eliminated for everyone. There are studies that can be used to prove any

belief, if you work hard enough to find them. For myself, I would NEVER do

acupuncture, but for others, it may work at helping the pain. Physical

therapy may work wonders for some, but for others it can cause more damage

than it fixes, and more pain than it helps. I am not a candidate for PT at

this point, and when I've done PT in the past (and yes, I had a very

experienced and well trained PhD Therapist) it didn't help the pain at all

and actually made it worse.

You're right, Cheryl, there is no quick fix for chronic pain. But there are

treatments for it and I think that people should look at ALL the risks and

benefits for every possible action. I'm not saying 'go for it " , but I'd

hate to see someone dismiss a treatment that might help them because of

something someone on a list said. Do your own research, don't take anyone's

word for anything, not even the doctors. Read, research and think about

every possible treatment with an open mind. Get a second (or third or

fourth) opinion. AS Cheryl said, there is not a " this works for everyone

every time cure " for these conditions. For some, surgery works wonders.for

some, the shots work great, others find that the meds work the best, still

others find that PT is the thing that helps the most, or acupuncture or

massage. But the thing that might be the right treatment for you may be the

complete wrong one for others.

As I said, for myself, I've always chosen the meds.they have the best long

term result with the fewest side effects. I know the possible risks, but

the benefits outweigh them for me. The Lumbar Sympathetic blocks (shots)

work very well for some relief for the pain, sometimes. The other shot (for

the herniation) didn't work for me. PT is not an option for me, nor is

surgery. I'm seriously considering having the spinal cord stimulator put

in.in my trial, I found that while the relief for the RSD wasn't as high as

I hoped, the herniation pain was reduced by 80%. The real sad thing is,

when I lower the RSD pain, I find out how bad the herniation (L4/L5) really

is, LOL. The SCS can treat both pains with one thing.though it has risks

and doesn't work for everyone too. There is not a guaranteed cure, and any

doctor who tells you there is, needs to be replaced immediately. At this

point, there is really only treatments, long or short term. I don't think

I've ever heard of anyone who had the herniation fix surgery say it was 100%

Cure forever.most end up having more surgery and using other methods to

treat the pain.

Don't think CURE, think treatment and research, research, research!

Marta

---Cheryl in AZ wrote:

Those are NOT the only options, and that statement right there makes me

extremely suspicious of the quality and motives of that surgeon!