Disc sequestration

[Sara]

Hi all.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me. Nearly three months ago, after having mild and intermittent back pain for a few months (which I stupidly ignored thinking it would go away on its own and that I was too young to have anything serious), I ended up in back pain agony and could barely move. A subsequent MRI showed that I have degenerative disc disease at L4/5 and LS-S1. Most problematic is that the MRI showed that "there is a 14mm inferior migratory sequestration compressing the transiting right L5 nerve root". The current state of play (nearly 3 months on) is that I am in mild-moderate pain nearly constantly and have notable weakness in my right leg, and often stumble and such forth. My consultant tried giving me an caudal epidural last week but to be honest it has'nt made a huge difference, and he has warned me that with sequestrated discs (I.E. when the disc loses a fragment which becomes 'free-floating' in the spinal canal) that surgery is often needed to remove the offending fragment. I'm 24 at present but feel more like 87. This is really impacting on my job, hobbies, etc. My questions are:
1) Is it safe to go to a chiropractor with these types of injuries?
2) Are there any other non-surgical ways of managing these problems,(I'm already doing physiotherapy exercises, hot/cold, etc)? I am prepared to give surgery a go but would like to have tried every possible non-surgical option first before going down that route.
3) Am I going to be in pain for life now?

I'd be really grateful for any information / advice. Thanks. xxx

[dave]

Hi Sara, sorry that you are having such a hard time. But it seems like you may be running out of options. If that piece of disc is putting pressure on a nerve, and the epidural steroids have been ineffective, you may need to go ahead with the surgery.

There are some centers doing endoscopic disc removal that you may be a candidate for, you could look into that.

Good Luck
Dave
http://www.living-with-back-pain.org/

[Sara]

dave wrote:

Hi Sara, sorry that you are having such a hard time. But it seems like you may be running out of options. If that piece of disc is putting pressure on a nerve, and the epidural steroids have been ineffective, you may need to go ahead with the surgery.
There are some centers doing endoscopic disc removal that you may be a candidate for, you could look into that.
Good Luck
Dave
http://www.living-with-back-pain.org/

Hey Dave,

Thanks for your reply. After speaking to my consultant yesterday he reckons that it might be worth trying a nerve block before looking into surgery. I admit to feeling a bit sceptical because a nerve block sounds pretty much the same thing as an epidural to me, and I found the epidural that I had both a painful procedure and not much help. Still I've got plenty of thinking time thanks to the 16 week waiting list!(With any luck it'll have got better anyway on it's on by then)!

Thanks again for your advice!

Sara.:)