Question
I am 44 years old and in March 2008 I had a lumbar decompression and discectomy on my L3-4 and L4-5 discs because they were both herniated. Half of each disc ended up being removed. I have had chronic back and leg pain for more than 12-15 years specifically on my right side. I also had past procedures such as and idet and facet rhizotomy. This was my first actual surgery. My MRI's have shown that I have problems at 3 levels L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1. Prior to my surgery my last MRI showed that I have degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, foraminal stenosis, as well a tear in the annulas of one of the discs I had surgery on. Most of the pain I have is in my right leg from above the knee radiating down in my shin. Now I cannot stand or walk for more than 10 minutes at a time without excruciating pain down that leg that only subsides if I sit down of lie on my right side. Also laying in bed watching tv I feel the same pain down my leg. After my surgery my doctor told me that the ligaments and boney spurs were growing around the nerves. My other concern is that I have had for some time difficulty urinating that seems to have gotten worse. I have to push hard from my stomach muscle to expell the urine and at times I stop in midstream and have to continue to push. I just had urodinamics testing done and was told I am not completely emptying my bladder and that I am using my stomach muscles because my bladder is not contracting up to it's potential. I am about to have another MRI on my back. My questions to you are is there hope for me. I am concerned about cauda equine syndrome amd losing complete ability to go to the bathroom. Also it is my understanding that a 3 level disc fusion has a low success rate and I could be worse off than I am now. Although over the years I have tried to learn as much as I can living with chronic pain but could you please give me some of your insight regarding my specific case. Thank you very much.

Carlene

Answer
Carlene,

Disc problems of the type you describe commonly result from overcompression of discs by <B>tight back muscles</b>.  

No surgery corrects that, to the problem remains, and often, so do  symptoms.

The stenosis is a different matter, and can be corrected surgically.

Bone spurs typically form at the attachments of tight muscles, along the line of muscular pull.

Your bladder may not be emptying because the smooth-muscles of your bladder are not contracting completely or because the muscles of your urethra are too contracted -- or both.

Bottom line:  no matter what you do, surgically, I would recommend a course of clinical somatic education to alleviate the muscular contractions underlying your problems.  This is not a "mental" education, but a retraining of your nervous system and muscles.

May I refer you to a couple of articles on my website:

Clinical Somatic Education -- A New Discipline in the Field of Health Care (somatics.com/hannart.htm)

Understanding and Overcoming Back Pain
somatics.com/page4b.htm (see "back pain")

I think you can get substantial improvement by this means, with or without surgery.