Calling all scientific Radiologists and Neurosurgeons
Here is a sample of the scans that were taken at the hospital in January. Each one shows Bernard’s lower spine area. The disc level that appears all squished together and at times with a whitish glow is the L4-L5, the real problem in our situation here, as far as we can surmise.
This is the x-ray. It shows a loss of disc height and some vertebral body osteophytes (bony growths).
Here is one of the CT (Computed Tomography) scan images. It shows severe narrowing of the L4-L5 disc space. The radiologist thought that the disc had been surgically removed - a discectomy - which is not the case. There is still a little bit of a disc bulge, but where has the rest of the disc material gone, and what impact does loose disc material have on surounding nerve tissue?
Here is one of the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans. The disc that looks very narrow and has the white glow around it is L4-L5. The report mentions some disc herniation on the inside of the left neural foramen but cannot make out any nerve root compression. So, where does the intense nerve pain, and feeling of severe instability originate?
For many years Bernard did the physiotherapist prescribed exercises which allowed him to live a pretty normal life. But, now they, along with most other types of movement, make the pain and the sensation that he’s one tiny move away from a major acute incident, worse, not better.
For more background and symtoms, please refer to:
http://bernardsnewback.ca/wp-content/uploads/Letter_to_Specialist.pdf
Would someone please take a scientific approach, listening to all the evidence, and get to the bottom of this?
2 Responses to “Calling all scientific Radiologists and Neurosurgeons”
Hi Bernard and Nkole,
Do hope you have been having some luck with Bernard’s back. I found your website in a search for reading material for one of my clients (I’m an Australian physiotherapist). I wondered if you have been shown any stabilisation exercises for your L4/L5 segment? This would have involved really specific training of the deep stabilising muscles at the L4/5 site, you would have been taught how to think about and activate tiny little muscles that help to stabilise at the intervertebral level (multifidus in particular) and maybe shown how to activate your transversus abdominis which can offer good support to the lumbar spine as a whole, usually taught by showing you how to switch muscles at the front of your stomach on at a very specific submaximal amount. These exercises can be performed while lying in a comfortable position and do not involve movement. It is surprising what these little stabilising muscles can do for people’s pain, even though it takes a lot of time, I’ve had people avoid the need for surgery while training up these muscles while waiting for an orthopaedic opinion. Exercises that involve a lot of movement really can do more harm than good sometimes (speaking from own back injury experience as well as therapist experience!).
Anyway just thought I would mail this in case it helped.
Penny
Physiotherapist - Australia
Thanks Penny, for your thought. Unfortunately, even these small stabilising movements seem to make things worse, rather than better, now. I’m sure if we can find someone to properly diagnose the problems, then we’ll have a better idea why this is. It’s defintely the mainstream treatment here in Canada to treat back problems with these kind of stretches, the problem is that it may not always be the right treatment, and it’s become orthodox, meaning that the physiotherapists, at least all the ones we’ve come in contact with, don’t really think about this case in particular, but quickly jump to the same treatment that they offer every one. This has made us very cautious. I hope we can find someone who’ll be able to take a clear look at the details. I appreciate your concern, take care.
I’m really sorry to see this and I hope that Bernard will be ok. It looks like the disc is totally gone. Has he thought about getting an artificial disc to replace it?
Thanks Ken. We are still hopeful that we can find someone who’ll have modern options like artificial discs. Not too much of that going on in Canada. Were looking for a specialist in Vancouver right now. Not sure if Bernard is eligible for artificial disc’s now that the disc has been like that for a couple years. Never know until we find someone who gives a *$%@ though!
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