Frustrated after 5 minute consultant appt. and still in pain

HI Alison96

You could ask your doctor to refer you to have pain blocks in your spine.

They are injections into the area of your pain which should give you some relief for about 5 months.

Hi Alison I hope my English is good enough to help you.

The reasons of severe pain is very numerous. If active physiotherapy does not help and the pain has the same pain level or even got worse after several therapies and over a timezone from 4-6 months, then there must be something been overlooked. My experience is that most doctors only trust the radiology report and do very seldom have a look theirselves at the patients MRI. The medical evidence describes only the MRI facts which are corresponding with the interrogation of the transferring doctor. In some cases they would describes severe bone edema as a normal finding, like a "normal" wear and tear in the spine. But in VERY rare cases it can be a abnormal and VERY painful finding and most doctors do not know about this, because there are three reasons and the third one is known since a couple years. Do you get in the UK your MRI as a CD to take it at home? I have several MRI Scans at home and can have a look at my home computer if I would like to. I did see there these white spots in 2 vertebral bodies, between a damaged and VERY small disc, this is only in T1 white, in T2 is it dark. I did not have pain because of the damaged and very thin disc, I had massive pain because of quiet big bone edema in the vertebral bodies and I did not even get effectiv pain killers. It took me 4 years to find a doctor who would give me the right therapy and I had even to travel abroad. Because of loosing to much time, I could not get painfree anymore (the nerves are to much damaged now) and I will never be able to live a sporty and activ life like I did before. Now I am in my fifties ..... Because we don't know the reasons of your back pain, I would suggest you osteopathy instead of physiotherapy (if you are still in pain after physiotherapy) and of corse hydrotherapy. If you have sever pain (maybe you have a nociceptive ache-I don't know) ask your doctor about "Palexia", this does not make medication-dependent and maybe you are a candidate for this medication. If you have a ligament laxathy because of a weakness of the connective tissue, you should be very careful with manipulation and longtime stretching. In some cases the pain comes from lax ligaments, and the muscles are overworking. If lax ligaments could be your (pain) issue, you can get help by a good and long experienced prolotherapist. I hope I could help you a little bit and wish you good luck!

Hi I empathasise as have been suffering chronic back pain for the last 18 months. I have just seen the NHS physio for the 2nd time and she has given me 3 different exercises to do (different from the 1st lot). She asked me a lot of questions and did a physical investigation. She told me it is manual and I need to build up my core strength. She also said it was degenerate and when I asked her what that meant she said it is probably osteoarthritis. I know at least 2 of my discs have been worn away but she said you can live quite happily with none as long as you build up your core strength.

I did ask for an x-ray but she explained that it wasn't necessary as that is usually done before a back operation and the back can be fused. That sounds horrible so I don't want that. She told me to go back in 4 weeks and she if it is helping.

I hope you find some help. x

this happened to me in early 2017 with a nhs back specialist basically said the same but from my severe pain in my leg it was 4 weeks until i got mri and my pain had gone in my leg and mri showed a slight disc buldge at L4/L5 and a slight loss of curvature at lower back sent me on my way to do physio didnt realy help with back pain then got really bad at christmas couldnt do a thing was in bed for 2 month mainly only went out for appointments anyway got a MRI within 5 days after my 3rd trip to 3 different doctors in my surgery because i couldnt get the same doctor last doctor thought i had cauda equina but gladly didnt but did have a bad herniated disc at L4/L5 and needed surgery when he done surgery there was lots of scarring from previous herniations and disc yolk was wraped around my nerve sack now i have suffered since i was 18 i am now 41 i just got on with it and i was active because docs just said sciatica all the time and gave me tablets and it went within a week but now im maybe needing another surgery to put a nerve stimulator in my spine fir the leg pain and back pain im on gabapentin and codine this could have been prevented if the NHS were just a bit faster so realy push to get sorted good luck