straight spine lost the \"s\" in lumbar region

Hi! This is the first time I have seen this particular problem mentioned anywhere and, although I wouldn't wish the condition on anyone else, it does give me a huge feeling of relief to know I'm not the only one. I have had constant severe back pain for the past 13 years. I have tried physio, osteopathy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, anti-inlammatories, tens, corsets and several other things that I no longer even remember and I've been unable to work for the past 6 years(ish). The only things to have any effect at all have been the constant use of prescribed painkillers which, as I'm sure you know, make things feel slightly better than not taking them, but certainly don't solve the problem - and having disovered a wonderful osteopath who, again, doesn't cure the problem, but does keep me mobile and, when things get unbearable, can gently move me back towards a point where life is worth living again. He is the one who has diagnosed me with a (probably inherited) lack of front-to-back curvature in my spine. It's a condition that most NHS doctors in the UK still turn their noses up at, but I am convinced this is the correct diagnonis, if only because the treatment I receive for it helps me a lot more than any treatment I have ever received under the NHS! As spinal curvature also acts as a shock absorber, it also makes us much more vulnerable to any kind of damage that other backs might easily withstand.

I'm so sorry to hear you have this condition too and you don't say whether you've found anyone or anything that can help you so I'm very happy to recommend trying an osteopath if you can find a good one. My personal recommendation would be to try and find one that uses 'supine diagnosis' - ie - who examines you while you are lying down and can better feel the structures of your spine during relaxation.

I have also recently seen an orthopedic surgeon who has finally offered me the chance of surgery for my degenerated discs and I'm busy thinking it over right now. The procedure he has suggested is called dynesys stabilisation and it involves putting a kind of 'spacer' between two offending vertebrae tp keep them the correct distance apart so that they can't compress the disc between. I'm afraid I don't know an awful lot about it other than that, as I'm still in the research stage myself - in fact, if anyone out there knows any more about this procedure or, better still, has had it done, I'd be extremely grateful to hear about it.

Anyway - I hope it's also good for you to know there's at least one more of us out here and that some of that may be some help to you. Good luck!

Hi there Orphea,

That was so nice to hear that I am not alone, as the loss of cuvature is not mentioned at all now only the degenerative discs otherwise know as Osteo arthritis of the spine and cervical rib ...... I have osteo in my hip and fibromyalgia....... go to a pain specialist and he only treats the fibro, it was the Orthopedic that diagnosed this after my first x-rays showed a problem but after that it has not been mentioned so I do not understand myself what is going on!!!!

Unfortunately at the moment I am not in a financial position to pay for treatment as I have been officially unemployed now since february this year (was on the sick for a year before dismissed) but thankyou for letting me know this as once my finances are in order I will consider this x

Kind regards

It probably sounds obvious but have you tried going through your doctor? I see you are in Barrow (I mean, as opposed to the US or somewhere without an NHS). I think, like most things in this country, it's a bit of a lottery as to what you can get under the NHS, and I have always had to pay for an osteopath, but my son, who only lives a few miles away has seen one under the NHS, so do keep plugging away at your GP. For all I know, it may even be that my own area (same NHS Trust as my son's!) now has soemeone I could see without paying but I have been with my own choice now for too many years to be willing to sacrifice someone I trust in favour of someone who has been allocated to me.

I must admit that my own experience of the NHS has not been great ( to say the least) but I have learned to keep nagging until I get heard. My old GP (the new one, luckily for me, is beyond great!) never offered anything except pain-killers and couldn't have been less help if he'd tried. He certainly never offered me anything like x-rays, MRI scans, referrals etc unless I asked outright for them and took someone along to back me up. I hope your GP isn't like that but I do think that back pain is one of those conditions that you have to research for yourself and then tell your doctor in no uncertain terms what you want him/her to do. You almost certainly know more about the subject by now than your doctor does. Good luck again with getting the help you need. If you're not sure where to go from here you could also try a charity called BackCare (try googling - I'm not 100% sure of the address off the top of my head but it is something very simple like BackCare.co.uk). They won't actually advise you on what you should do, but they do have lots of information as to treatments you can ask about. You can either email them or call their helpline but all those details can be found on their website.

Ceratinly for me one of the most positive experiences yet is knowing I am not alone in this, so thank you so much for posting. In fact, we're neiher of us completely alone as my daughter seems to have, sadly, inherited the same condition, so there are now three of us out there! I hope it's been a help, too, for you to know that!

Hi there Orphea,

Thanks for your reply, I have been in so much pain lately and so have not been with it, I thought I had a kidney infection but the water sample has come back ok and so I am having to grim and bear this pain until I see the doctor next week? I have changed surgeries you see and I am hoping that next week I see another doctor that is suppose to be one of the best there? as I had seen one but I felt that they were not understanding as I have a number of complaints and I think maybe my complaints were perhaps too complicated???? as I also have FM, cervical rib, Osteo arthritis of hip and spine and an under active thyroid!!!!

Once I get to know the new doctor I could ask in the future of your suggestions, thank you so much once again and I hope you are not feeling too much pain in this cold weather?

Kind regards

Nice to hear back from you, hope things are going better now. I share the underactive thyroid but you do seem to be particularly unlucky to have so many separate problems. You ask about the cold - I must say the cold doesn't really affect my back particularly, in fact, I think I actually prefer cold weather as it means I can put a hot water bottle on my back for temporary relief (not a great idea at the height of summer!) I expect you have already seen your GP by now? I do hope that went well. After 12 years with a GP who was absolutely hopeless, I now have a wonderful doctor and it really makes all the difference when you are no longer made to feel it's 'all in your head'! I'm also feeling very positive today because I've had a very long chat with a lovely lady from BackCare who has been able to tell me a lot I didn't know about spinal surgery and she's made me feel extremely optimistic about the forthcoming op. I really do highly recommend the people there (I hope to join the helpline team myself early next year). They are all people who have been through what we are going through now and are endlessly patient. You can contact them through the website or by phone (details on website). Hope you're having a good phase right now! Good luck.

Hi Orphea,

My appointment got canceled today but I did see the doctor last week and he said he didn't want to treat me until he has read my file !!!! which I am so relieved as he actually wants to know about me rather than fob me off like the last practice I was at!!!! My new GP has sent me for up to date blood tests too and so I will get the results back tomorrow also!!! My hip has been in so much pain though in the left constantly and it is excruciating so I not sure if it the back, the hip or the fm that is causing it???? but it is the worse pain ever!!!! anyway I just put up with it as all I can do.........

I have been using a hot water bottle since last year even through the summer :lol: My only kind of relief of pain as the meds do not work very well.........I am so glad that you are feeling positive as you are getting support, it feels much better doesn't it when medical professionals are interested in you !!!!!! So pleased for you x It will be good for you to join the helpline too, I set up a support group for fellow FM sufferers as I felt I was banging my head against the wall, the only thing is they do not show up often, probably due to our complaint? but I did try and help others and if they do not want to come for support then I cannot do anything else? Anyway I do hope you are having a better day xxxxxx

Take care xxx

Your new GP sounds quite hopeful! I sometimes wonder if changing GPs can be a good thing just on principle as I'm sure that sometimes the new one sees you as a challenge to do better than your old doctor did. It's just a thought - I do hope this new one finds something that can help you. Hope the blood tests went well. It always sounds a little crazy to actually hope something will show up in these tests as we're so used to thinking of a positive result as a bad thing, but you already know you have a problem so what you want most of all is for someone to identify it and - with luck - offer you some help. So, bearing that in mind, I hope something has shown up that can be treated. It's a funny thing how back pain can transfer itself to other parts of the body. All the people I see seem almost disappointed when I try to explain that I don't have pain in my legs (at least, no more than a bit of an ache) but I still have pains right the way up my spine, shoulders, neck, arms, pelvis, migraines etc.

I have decided to go ahead with the surgery and I see the consultant again to give him my decision at the end of this week. Now I've made up my mind I just want to get it done as quickly as possible so I hope the waiting lists aren't too long.

You're quite right about support groups. All you can do is offer the help - you can't make people take it up. At least you've done the best you can by trying. Sometimes it's great to be able to talk with someone else who shares the experience, even if they don't have all the answers.

Good luck - stay positive!

HI there, Orphea

Well my blood results came back normal apart from one, which is my sed rate which always shows inflammation so the doctors know something is happening!!!!! Anyway it appeared that my last GP did not forward my last x-ray results that show OA of the hip and cervical rib, and so I have sent them to the Gp as he needed them and then he is referring me to see a Orthopedic? So lets see what happens there?

I do hope orphea that you do not have to wait too long for your operation and I do hope you will have all the support for your after care, thanks so much for listening xxxx I do hope you are having a good day too

Take care xxx