By: gillianprowe

gillianprowe — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:50:03 +0000

I do not think you have grasped what is going on. First every Human over the age of 30 will have DDD Degenerative Disc Disease, not a disease but part of the normal aging process. The discs between the vertebra are like a donut and as we age they dehydrate, thereby shrinking. The space between the vertebra, gets smaller, but this is normal. By the time we hit 65, we have no space left! As this happens we get Osteoarthritis, once known as ‘wear and tear’ again can be age related, a slow process, starts at 25-30 years of age.
Sciatica is a relatively common form of low back pain and leg pain, the true meaning of the term is often misunderstood. Sciatica is a set of symptoms rather than a diagnosis for what is irritating the root of the nerve, causing the pain. This point is important, because treatment for sciatica or sciatic symptoms will often be different, depending upon the underlying cause of the symptoms.
Although sciatica is common, a 2008 review of clinical trials said there are no good treatments for it.
I have a prolapsed disc, spent several weeks in a wheelchair, because it hit the nerve root, causing pain, weakness and so on. However, given enough time, it dehydrated and I am now up and walking again. However, now and agin the disc hits the nerve root and pain severe enough to make me pass out cold for a few hours. The Physician has me on Fentanyl, to help with the everyday pain, but nothing stops it when the nerve root is involved. Moreover I have never had any sciatic type pain. A MRI will reveal bones and soft tissue including discs, but the Doctor will know from what you have told him, the situation. I was not offered any spinal injection, I was given a back brace only for driving the car and then the treatment is ‘exercise’. Like you I ended up in ER and they missed the diagnosis, so I eventually ended up paying for a MRI. All it proved was that this pain was not in my ‘mind’ and I have this prolapsed disc, but as for treatment, zero. It took me two years to save up the cash for the MRI, but I was determined to do it, as when the pain arrived I litrally lost my legs. I am now at high risk of loosing not only my legs, but my bowel and bladder control, but ‘untill’ that happens, they are ‘not’ going to remove the disc. So, the MRI was, well outside of the diagnosing the problem and proving it was not in my mind, of little use. Best of Luck

Comments on: help with financing an mri?

By: gillianprowe