MRI tomorrow
 

I'm sure some of you remember a few years ago when I went to a chiropractor with a herniated disk. Well, my back pain reoccurs every few months, but usually goes away with enough ibuprofen or muscle relaxers. This time, the pain has worked its way down the back of my right leg into my calf. My doctor set me up to have an MRI done on my lower back in order to see if I might have another herniated disk or if I might have some nerve damage. I've never had an MRI done before. I want them to find whatever's causing it, especially if it's something she can fix.

Nope.

Best of luck.


An MRI isn't too bad. It's a little noisy, but that's about the worst of it.

Loud and annoying. I had one on my knee 7 years ago, you have to stand still like a robot for 30 minutes while you're inside a FAX machine. at least that's what it felt like to me.

The only pain you get from an MRI is when you get the bill.

$75 copay :)

Mine covered 100%. it's very expensive though, VERY EXPENSIVE.

A MRI is to a spinal tap as Sprinfield is to ______.

butt fungus

I'm certain the noise level is comparable, Mr. Dimension2112. But, most of the people who get in one of my machines come out looking like they're half-human, half-fly. I'm still working on that.

Nevertheless, best of luck Ms. luv.

FAX

Be careful. We don't want to end up with a BrundleFAX.



Good luck, luv.

Good luck luv! I've had several MRI's over the years and I only twitch once in awhile - or so my co-workers tell me. ;)

Best of luck Luv. Hopefully the solution is cheap and painless.

So the chiropractor didn't fix the issue. Who would have guessed that outcome?

I hope it is an open mri machine

Open MRI's suck for quality. Much better image from closed. If you have a herniated disc it is just putting pressure on your sciatic nerve. Unless the disc has ruptured not much they can do. Best option is a series of epidurals that will relieve the pain in most people for several months to years.

Glad to see you're back to medical science and away from the quackery.

I don't want to mask the pain. Pain tells you when there's something wrong. I'd rather go through physical therapy or surgery than to have "pain management".

Just remember if they need to "adjust" something from the inside make sure it's really their finger.:p

I thought the noise sounded like some real bitchin music at a techno club. :p

Good luck. Odds are you'll survive. I hate the pain of the nerve stuff, though, that stinks.

I'm home recovering from back surgery that I had done on April 4th.

I put up with a herniated disc at the L4-L5 for 6 years. They first treated it with epideral steriod injections and they worked for about the first dozen or so, but the last 3 didn't help at all that's when they decided surgery was a option.

All the problems I experienced before surgery are now gone (albeit I haven't worked). Right now if you asked me I would say I wish I would have had surgery a long time ago. I know they say wait as long as you can and surgery should be the last option but really for me everything else was just a temporary fix.

Good luck

Did 2112 get the barnacles scraped off his hull

Yeah, I had surgery on March 4th of this year. I'm glad I had the surgery too for I had recurring issues with lower back pain and sciatica. The sciatica is gone, but I did go thru hell after the surgery. I had spinal fluid leaking out of the membrane where the did the surgery and it resulted in the worst gawdawful migraines that lasted weeks until I went back under and they did a blood patch. The headaches are gone now.

Even with all the sh*t I went thru, I'm still glad I opted for the surgery.

BTW- I hate those MRI's....uggh. Do they seriously need to be that LOUD!

Up yours dumb ass. Your ignorance is showing. MD's run disease care in this country and thats why 41 other countries enjoy better health than we do.

We are 6% of the worlds population and consume over 50% of the worlds drugs. Yeah were doing great.

You are ignorant of the facts about health care and are spewing bigotry and mis-information.

I was told by 80 MD's I would spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and 1 chiropractor disagreed. I have now been in private practice 32 years helping thousands of patients and I walk just fine.

I would attach a letter I just received from an MD that glows about how we fixed his wife after all their specialists failed but I don't have time. If you want to know what to do with a herniated disc go to the website and see. Oh by the way I have neurosurgeons and neurologists who refer to me. They investigated long enough and got the facts.

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation." HERBERT SPENCER

Chiropractic Physicians spend 8 1/2 years learning physiology or how cells work with a slant toward the brain and spine as the master control system. MD's spend 8 1/2 years learning about pathology or how sick cells work with a slant toward dangerous drugs and surgical intervention.

Trust me sickness and disease are not caused by a tylenol or advil deficiency and surgery implies you were born with too many parts. Ted Kennedy has the so called greatest doctors in this country at Mass General and guess what, he's going to die soon. So how did his great doctors do?

If you want to be well you need to do 3 things. Eat well, think well, and move well. You should work on the second one. No charge for that by the way. It's on me.

Next time you don't have the facts keep your bigoted opinion to yourself.

"Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time".


http://www.spinaldecompression.us/

No reply Mr. Towne?

i think he's at the doctors office, getting that bite you just took out of his ass sewed up.
sec

skip doesn't reply to people who have less than 3000 posts.

except "shut up n00b!"

ROFL

Did I miss what he's referencing?

It just looks like you wanted to rant on someone implying sorcery, faith healing or dancing, and the like are not very good practices....



:spock:

How could that be construed - at all - as something that bit Skip in the ass?

"dumb ass"
"ignorance"
"you should work on the second one"
"bigoted opinion"

i guess i could be wrong...something in the translation, maybe.
sec

Oh, I thought you meant that he essentially "owned" him (for lack of a better word) with good points. I didn't know you were going for the sarcastic approach. Nevermind, my apologies.

no biggie...i'm just here to make people think "wtf?"
sec

I didn't really mind the MRI. They gave me headphones and asked which station I wanted to listen to. I opened my eyes once while I was in there. I'm not claustrophobic (sp?), but even that freaked me out a little. I decided to just keep my eyes shut, listen to my music, and concentrate on not moving.

If something is wrong that requires surgery, I think I'll be relieved. Years of putting up with this shit, and knowing there's finally something I can do to fix the problem besides taking some drugs to mask it.

I should find out the results tomorrow.

First off the open MRI's are sweet, my MRI's have all been open and the quality has been great on them. Second, you definetely know what your talking about with the back issue. I have been battling 2 herniated discs and sciatic(sp) nerve problems for a while now. I have had 2 rounds of epidurals to no avail. I had to get carted in the ER by the squad last year.I battled back to some degree of normality after 6 months of rehab. My neurosurgeon said that I need to get 2 of my discs fused to my spine and I need to get an injection between my discs to help alleviate the nerve pain. My back pain doesn't go away so she at least has that going for her.

Are you sure it's back pain? I think it might be Guinea Worm Disease. Be sure to ask the doctor to check for that.

I have had both and when shown the images the closed looked much more detailed. Last MRI I had was closed and it was for for both the lumbar and thoracic parts of the spine. I was in that coffin for well over an hour.

Good thing I am not clasterphobic and don;t move much in my sleep. ;)

Found out I have a disc that is both bulging and protruding at L5-S1 and a bulging disc at L4-L5.

Protruding fractured L5 S1. L3 and L4 are deteriorating. Doctor recommended seeing a specialist at a spinal clinic. They're supposed to call me next week.

Wait, wait, wait....ugh.

I fell asleep in mine last time - all the techs were amazed.

I'm so sorry, that sucks. Did they give you any idea what to expect?

Had an MRI in April. Have a bulging disc between C5-C6. Causing pain in my neck which radiates in my shoulder and down through my right arm. Doctors recommending either fusion or disc replacement surgery. Have tried PT, traction and shots. Nothing working. Most likely will go with disc replacement surgery if I can get insurance to approve it. If not then fusion. Not looking forward to it. Have taken a couple different pain killers that have done nothing and really don't want to continue that route. If the surgery takes away the pain, it will be worth it to me.

Nope. Just that someone will be calling me next week. I guess I'll go in for a consultation and find out what all of this means and what my options are.

Good Luck, and please keep us posted.

At least your MRI showed something, the last one I had was a complete waste of money. I don't even have it paid off yet.

I had the same problem a couple of year ago, most annoying pain ive ever had... It hurt all the time, even when you lie down, there was no escaping it. Hope it all goes well and you get it fixed soon!

Ive been able to control mine with physical therapy and a chiropractor so far. But then my Dr. was honest and said that he makes his money cutting into people. i told him that I would be back if I couldn't take it anymore. That was 8-9 years ago.

The Spine Clinic called yesterday. I have an appointment tomorrow morning. I can't wait to talk to the doctor to find out just what my options are.

Be careful. Many of those places will tell you that surgery is the only answer. They will also tell you that their procedure is covered by your insurance when it is not. I have talked a doctor that used to work at one of these places and he left because of this.

I'd get 80 opinions if I were you.

You got one foot in the grave, luv; just be glad you're not half buried like Skippie.....


:)

Well, I had my appointment this morning. They took a few x-rays, and then went over them and my MRI with me. He said that I was so young to have a back as weak as mine. Usually, people with cases like mine are in their 50's. He didn't recommend surgery, although he said it might be inevitable at some point. He was just wanting to try to push that as far into the future as he could. If he did the surgery now, it would still weaken my back, and I would probably have to have more surgeries in the future. He suggested the injections. They're localized to my area of concern, and they help the extrusion heal so that the fluid in the disc can begin to replenish itself. I took his advice, and I'm scheduled to have my first injection Tuesday morning. He said that once the fluid starts to replenish, the vertebra(sp?) would separate and take pressure off of the nerve it's pinching. Thus, the pain and numbness in my leg will go away. However, I will probably always have some kind of problems with my back.

Do you have a herniated disk?

Majorly. It broke through, and the fluid has leaked out.

You're the only one looking at your stuff but when you can deal with the pain you seriously need to get on the ball, a workout ball that is. They are hella cheap and you need to get the video and work on it every day. It's major core workout without major compromise when it comes to the position of your spine. I have a really good friend who trains people on these. A (real) certified trainer who specializes in this area could really help you out a lot getting started for a couple sessions. After that I would highly advise you to learn as much as you can about that particular type of exercise, tha alternative is not good.

I may need to look into this. I'm a walker, but, with my leg the way it is, I haven't been able to walk much. A good alternative form of exercise that will be good on my back will be a big bonus.

Well there is this one type of exercise but it does require a partner and the abilty to bark like a chihuahua and, and, :evil: But really it sounds like you got a pretty sensible Doc and he made good suggestions. Good luck and hope that things turn out better than okay.