ursa major
01-28-2003, 01:33 PM
Several years ago I developed a chronic pain in my lower back and left leg. Not taking it lightly, I went to see my doctor who then sent me in for x-rays. They found nothing wrong with my disks, spine, sacroiliac, etc, etc.
The pain persisted and I went to see my doctor again and was forwarded to specialists, Orthopedics this time who again, found nothing wrong and declared I had "sciatica and should stretch often". So I did but the pain persisted. I tried chiropractors who helped somewhat and massage therapists (RMT) as well. These had the effect of 'band-aids'. My lower back pain has steadily increased since 1995.
Late December of last year I woke up one morning to find myself incapable of any movement without severe pain down my leg and in my lower back -- I am talking the kind of pain that is so bad that you start shaking from it and cannot breathe. Two days later, when I could finally stand up, I went to a DC (chiropractor) as I knew my doctor would only prescribe pain killers.
The DC suggested we take x-rays this time with me standing up (previously all x-rays were taken with me lying down) and sure enough I could see with my own untrained eyes on the x-ray sheet, my 4th lumbar had collapsed forward and I had in fact broken a facet (holds the lumbar to the spine). The pain was from the nerves getting sandwiched between the falling 4th lumbar and the 3rd lumbar. The DC told me that due to the scarring he could tell this (break) had obviously happened several years ago and that the pain I was experiencing during the last 10 years was almost certainly from my 4th lumbar as it re-fractured at the facet (left side) again... and again... and again.... and again... and again... and again.... he called it "traumatic spondylolisthesis". I'll say.
Right about then I had to ask why the specialists had not caught this before (I had been to several) ? My DC says that they typically don't take load bearing x-rays (with you standing up putting your weight on the spine) whereas DC's do. I had to admit all my previous x-rays were taken with me lying down on my back -- their idea not mine. Go figure -- ten years of pain and after several highly educated 'specialists' a lowly DC with an x-ray machine finds my problem in 10 minutes. I have to ask myself how can this happen to someone ?
SO I took myself with the x-ray in hand and went to see my doctor and after placing the picture very carefully under his nose so it was plain for him to see asked how it is that with this $20 x-ray I could see what the $250,000 a year surgeon missed ? He just shook his head.
Since then I have gotten alot of info on this condition mostly from the web believe it or not -- the medical system here in Canada is pretty poor you really are on your own. Having diagnosed what my problem is I went back to see the Orthopedic specialist (again with x-ray in hand) who then prescibed appropriate action on my behalf. Does anyone see the irony here ?
To sum, I cannot train for atleast several months or more. I have been given a number of daily excercises designed to strengthen the area surrounding my 4th lumber region (stomache and back muscles for the most part). I am pretty much shutout of any martial arts training -- I cannot do any forms or forms related excercise until the facets have re-attached and grown sufficiently strong enough to take the strain of training.
If I/we had caught the fractured facet when it first occurred so many years ago it would have been dealt with appropriately (it is a common injury) and I would probably be ok today. As it is the scarring along the facet fracture line is now so predominant that even after it has re-grafted itself I will probably need an operation to grind down the areas impinging on the spinal core (this is called "de-laminating") which is causing my continuous lower back pain and leg pain.
Live and learn.
regards,
UM.
The pain persisted and I went to see my doctor again and was forwarded to specialists, Orthopedics this time who again, found nothing wrong and declared I had "sciatica and should stretch often". So I did but the pain persisted. I tried chiropractors who helped somewhat and massage therapists (RMT) as well. These had the effect of 'band-aids'. My lower back pain has steadily increased since 1995.
Late December of last year I woke up one morning to find myself incapable of any movement without severe pain down my leg and in my lower back -- I am talking the kind of pain that is so bad that you start shaking from it and cannot breathe. Two days later, when I could finally stand up, I went to a DC (chiropractor) as I knew my doctor would only prescribe pain killers.
The DC suggested we take x-rays this time with me standing up (previously all x-rays were taken with me lying down) and sure enough I could see with my own untrained eyes on the x-ray sheet, my 4th lumbar had collapsed forward and I had in fact broken a facet (holds the lumbar to the spine). The pain was from the nerves getting sandwiched between the falling 4th lumbar and the 3rd lumbar. The DC told me that due to the scarring he could tell this (break) had obviously happened several years ago and that the pain I was experiencing during the last 10 years was almost certainly from my 4th lumbar as it re-fractured at the facet (left side) again... and again... and again.... and again... and again... and again.... he called it "traumatic spondylolisthesis". I'll say.
Right about then I had to ask why the specialists had not caught this before (I had been to several) ? My DC says that they typically don't take load bearing x-rays (with you standing up putting your weight on the spine) whereas DC's do. I had to admit all my previous x-rays were taken with me lying down on my back -- their idea not mine. Go figure -- ten years of pain and after several highly educated 'specialists' a lowly DC with an x-ray machine finds my problem in 10 minutes. I have to ask myself how can this happen to someone ?
SO I took myself with the x-ray in hand and went to see my doctor and after placing the picture very carefully under his nose so it was plain for him to see asked how it is that with this $20 x-ray I could see what the $250,000 a year surgeon missed ? He just shook his head.
Since then I have gotten alot of info on this condition mostly from the web believe it or not -- the medical system here in Canada is pretty poor you really are on your own. Having diagnosed what my problem is I went back to see the Orthopedic specialist (again with x-ray in hand) who then prescibed appropriate action on my behalf. Does anyone see the irony here ?
To sum, I cannot train for atleast several months or more. I have been given a number of daily excercises designed to strengthen the area surrounding my 4th lumber region (stomache and back muscles for the most part). I am pretty much shutout of any martial arts training -- I cannot do any forms or forms related excercise until the facets have re-attached and grown sufficiently strong enough to take the strain of training.
If I/we had caught the fractured facet when it first occurred so many years ago it would have been dealt with appropriately (it is a common injury) and I would probably be ok today. As it is the scarring along the facet fracture line is now so predominant that even after it has re-grafted itself I will probably need an operation to grind down the areas impinging on the spinal core (this is called "de-laminating") which is causing my continuous lower back pain and leg pain.
Live and learn.
regards,
UM.