Hey guys
I finally got the guts to sign up online after a few months of trolling!
I'm 33 years old and live up in the Great White North (Canada). Shovelling all the snow sure is getting to be a chore!
I'm not sure where I'm going or how I'm going to try and treat my condition, but there have been a number of you that have helped me to come up with a general course of action.
My Diagnosis:
L5-S1. No Malalignment or destructive marrow leasion. Developmentally narrow lumbar central canal, particularly at L3 and L4 due to short pedicles. Conus terminates normally at the L1 level.
Discs and facet joints at L1-2 and L2-3 are well maintained with no evidence of spinal or foraminal stenosis.
At L3-4 the disc is well preserved. There are mild-to-moderate hypertrophic degenerative facet joint changes bilaterally with mild thickening of the ligamenta flava, without significant aquired central spinal stenosis. Foramina remain patent.
L4-5: There is mild disc space narrowing, desiccation and a combination of fatty and edematous endplate signal changes. No paraspinal soft tissue swelling. There may be very minimal enhancement of the disc and adjacent vertebral bodies but this is quite subtle. There is a mild disc bulge identified, eccentric to the left along with a central annular fissure. Mild to moderate degenerative facet joint changes are seen bilaterally with mild thickening of the ligamentum flavum resulting in mild acquired central spinal stenosis and left lateral recess stenosis. There is moderate left and severe right foraminal stenosis predominantly related to encroaching facet degenerative change.
At L5-S1, the disc appears well-maintained. Mild-to-moderate degenerative facet joint changes. Spinal canal and foramina are widely patent. No impingement of the descending roots.
The long-short is that it hurts like heck to bend/twist and absolutely aches when I'm sitting and in bed. The NSAID's help a little, but I've read that they can interfere with cartilage healing in the long run and they kill my stomach. Damned if I take them and Damned if I don't.
I've been exchanging emails with Mike86 and have read all about Tyler's experiences with the M6 and Mr. Boeree in the UK. I've exchanged a number of emails and phone calls with surgeons and have settled on Mr. Boeree
IF I decide to go the surgery route. However:
1) I'm trying to exhaust any and all non-surgical treatments first
2) The surgery isn't covered by our government healthcare
My symptoms have lasted just over 6 months and are getting worse as I become more and more inactive. Pre-injury(DDD), I was up to 3 nights a week of hockey and a couple of nights of yoga per week, while I sat in a desk all day.
I'm living with the pain, but the tingles and numbness in my toes/hamstrings are concerning me greatly... they come and go, but I've read that is a troubling sign.
I've had a history of back problems at L4-5 and the first bulge/protrusion happened about 10 years ago. Losing 40 pounds and picking up yoga along the way kept in check until last September when this current bout of pain began. I'm currently at 6' tall, though I've lost 1cm in this ordeal somehow, 165 pounds and until September, was in the best shape of my life. My core strength is still pretty good, so making it stronger has been of no help.
I'm not sure where this leaves me, but any pointers will be greatly appreciated... Why can't cartilage just repair itself!
Until my appointment with my local specialsts here in Calgary (3 month waiting list - I'm in on April 8th), I'm popping glucosamin, chondroitin, MSM, omega fatty acids and collagen supplements in hopes that my lame disc can rehydrate itself - if even just a little. Gentle excercises hurt a bit, but I'm trying everything I can to get the transfer liquid and nutrients in and out of the disc. Physio has been a bust.
Cheers,
-Brett