Re: Maggies cascade of pain

[Guest guest]

Maggie,

I am wondering, when you say you spoke to your doctor after things flared up,

did you mean a GP kind of doctor, or an ortho or neuro surgeon?

Many of us drifted along for a number of years after original surgery doing

alright, and then had a fairly precipitous down fall once the nerves were

compressed due to either a disc problem or the spine slipping. My understanding

is that once you are " on " that nerve, the only way to stop it from " singing " is

to decompress it. While I dont pretend to know what somewhat else's pain is, I

believe there is a difference between nerve pain and muscular fatigue

pain....but both are certainly present in the later stages of flatback.

My guess is that exercise and other modalities might help strengthen the muscles

that hold one erect, thereby decreasing that kind of pain. Might also help hold

a slipping disc in better position, off a nerve. I think with the higher grades

of spondylolithsis (slipped spine) the correction must be surgical to decompress

nerves. I can imagine a scenario where the impact of the crash did cause just

that kind of slipping.

Anyway....all that is to say...with our complicated spines there really needs to

be an assessment by a very qualified doctor, preferably 2, before deciding that

where one " is " physically is sustainable or can benefit from therapies short of

surgery. Of course there is no harm usually in exhausting every option short of

surgery first. It will probably increase strength and flexibility which will be

important going forward....no matter what.

I am so sorry you had to put up with the supercilious lout of a PT. You should

have reported him.

Take Care, Cam