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22 years old. Awful Back Pain for almost a year and getting worse.. surgical candidate?

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Roman7676
Roman7676

hi all,

I'm 22 years old. I was in a car accident almost a year ago and since then my back has been getting worse and worse. We tried physical therapy and chiropractic care and I just had my first epidural/corticosteroid shot and it did nothing but cause pain. I had a steroid flare and was in excruciating pain for about 3 days and afterwards was back to where we started (so no relief). The surgeon I was seeing doesn't want to operate on me because of my scoliosis so I am seeking a second opinion but I am asking you all what you think because... 1) you've been through this too and 2) I am so nervous that I'm going to be spending the rest of my life in awful pain

So my injuries are that my SI joints are degenerated, I have pain radiating down my left leg as well as numbness, degeneration of almost every single one of my facet joints (both left and right) from t4 to l4, bone spurs in various places, a 20mm bulging disc at L1-L2 as well as an annular tear at L1-L2 and L1-L2 has narrowed and is flatter than before the accident.

what do yall think I should ask the new second opinion spine surgeon about? do yall have anything in common with my situation and if so how was it handled?

1 like, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • foxy32222
    foxy32222 Roman7676

    Posted

    HELLO ROMAN,

    HAVE YOU HAD A MRI DONE? HAVE YOU HEARD OF A STIMULATOR? I STARTED WITH MY PAIN WHEN I WAS YOUNG, AND WORKED WITH THE PAIN FOR YEARS, UNTIL I WAS UNABLE TO WALK INTO MY OFFICE. YOU MAY NEED TO GO AND GET PAIN MANAGEMENT, AND GO FROM THERE.

  • Seafarer123
    Seafarer123 Roman7676

    Posted

    Roman,

    So sorry to hear about all your spinal issues and the resulting pain. It's terrible that you are facing these issues at such a young age. I'm not a doctor and haven't been through ALL the things you have, but we share some commonalities. I have serious facet joint issues and have had back surgery (laminectomy/discectomy) to correct various disc bulges, herniations and bone spurs. I've also tried an array of therapies other than surgery including P/T and chiropracty, among many others. A couple of thoughts and comments:

    • You haven't mentioned the use of pain drugs and whether they have benefited you. And not just opioids but also drugs such as gabapentin for your leg pain. Any help?
    • You should also discuss with your doctors whether you should have an EMG/NCS done as well (a nerve study). These tests can give a good indication of whether surgery might benefit you, by tracing down the neurological sources of the pain.
    • You mentioned that you are seeing a "surgeon" but be sure to see a pain management specialist too.
    • I've been told that issues with degenerating facet joints really aren't correctable by surgery except perhaps spinal fusion surgery, which is a very serious surgery. Disc problems and nerve compression are more easily treated with minor surgery but not so much facet problems.
    • Talk to your doctors about these two other treatments and whether they might be good for you: one is a "radio frequency ablation" and the other is a "spinal cord stimulator." With an ablation they effectively cut the nerve near your spine that is causing the most pain, so that you stop feeling most of the pain (the nerve will eventually re-attach in about a year or so but you can get a lot of pain relief in that time). With the implanted stimulator, instead of cutting the nerve you confuse it with electrical pulses so that your brain doesn't get the pain signal. I have a stimulator and while not a cure-all, it has really helped me. And of the two therapies (ablation vs. stimulator), I've been told that only the stimulator addresses both facet joint pain and leg pain simultaneously (which it has for me).

    There are other therapies as well, such as ultrasound and a TENS machine (an external electrical stimulator). And there are different types of steroid shots, some into the disc and others into the facet joints, don't give up just because one didn't work (although my experience was that the injections - and I've had about a dozen - never really worked that well). There are also procedures to treat your vertebrae if they have fractured or compressed.

    Perhaps the best thing to do is to consult multiple doctors, and not always just back surgeons per se. Look for a "physiatrist" (a pain management specialist) too, or a neurologist.

    Good luck.

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