As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I’ve spent 2 or 3 weeks now reading Dean’s books as well as those of other authors, and I’ve explored the lower back and sciatica forums fairly extensively. As helpful as those have been in terms of offering cautions about the variety of medical interventions, I’m still not convinced that sciatica emanating from spinal “problems” is causing my confusion of aches and pains, especially the excruciating pain that getting out of bed after 2-3 hours brings on.
Here’s the short version: The current problem started about 3 months ago, not with major pain, but with a spreading and intensifying ache in the right lumbar-sacral area
An MRI was done in late October as well as a nerve conductivity study. The MRI shows a “broad disk central protrusion with annular tear.” There is also some foraminal stenosis and degeneration of L4/L5 facet joints — not unexpected, I would surmise, in a woman rapidly approaching 60 who has spent a lot of years working with horses — and, according to both the neurosurgeon my GP referred me to and the books and posts I’ve read, not uncommon. Also, as I understand it, the same or similar conditions have been observed in a statistically relevant number of people who display NO symptoms at all. However, if — and that’s a BIG IF — you’re one who hurts, “common” is no comfort.
Shortly after seeing the neurosurgeon in late November, the tingling and numbness down the leg began and, more significantly, the pain in the hip and/or down the leg that wakes me during the night. Then, those first several steps as I get out of bed are real doozies — the pain that winds down and wraps itself around my right leg is a real teeth-gritter! Standing up after sitting for awhile offers a milder version of the same.
I’ve not tried bed rest because I cringe at the idea of spending more time in bed than I have to. It’s no longer the fuzzy, purring alarm clock that gets me up in the morning, but pain. Activity has so far been much more user friendly for me, but it takes me an hour or more just to warm through the spreading pain the first weight-bearing step elicits. (Even a 45-minute nap leaves me with pins and needles and/or pain down the right leg.) I can do the cobra extensions, but only after I’ve warmed up considerably. I’ve laid off the stage 3 extensions altogether; flexion seems to be somewhat more tolerable.
Now to my questions:
Is there anyone out there who’s experienced sacro-ileac joint (SIJ) pain? One of Dean’s resources pointed me to http://www.allaboutbackandneckpain.com where I brought up the article on SIJ syndrome. From there I came across another article on SIJ at http://www.dcmsonline.org/jax-medicine/ ... oileac.htm . Tho' I'm wary of self-diagnosis, both articles raised red flags for me, among them the fact that I’ve had a number of falls which have landed me splat on my fanny, hip, or the sacral-lumbar area. Only one fall was bad enough to land me in an emergency room and doctor’s office. With the others I probably hobbled around for a few days and/or nursed pretty significant bruises for awhile, but I was able to deal with the pain or discomfort on my own.
What kind of physician is most apt to recognize SIJ syndrome if s/he saw it — or even to know the tests to rule it out? A physical medicine/rehab specialist, maybe? An orthopod? Neither my GP nor the neurosurgeon did any of the tests I’ve seen described for SIJ syndrome — or many others besides the standard raps on the knees and ankles.
I've become skeptical of specialists because they too often seem to have tunnel vision. To say “I’m frustrated” isn’t saying half of it!
Does SIJ syndrome fall under the rebuilding program? Or should I be looking for something else altogether, different kinds of exercises, different ways to approach the problem? If that's the case, any ideas?
Finally, maybe what I'm experiencing is indeed sciatica. Has the fact that I experience the worst of my symptoms at night lying down and when I first get up -- which I haven't seen expressed much by those posts I've read -- thrown me off the track? Maybe I just need to persevere?
After several visits to my GP and one to the neurosurgeon (each with their own co-pay, of course), I'm not terribly interested in playing musical doctors, so if I can learn from someone else's experience, I'm more than willing to listen.
Thanks for bearing with me.
. But I seem to have hit a wall with this sciatica thing, and we started looking for the hang-up.
