Question
Hi Lawrence,do you have any experience of anterior annular tears in the upper lumbar area causing localised autonomic problems in the legs,feet,bowel&sex organs?This has been very longstanding problem for me and is still being virtually ignored by doctors and is now causing widespread arthritic/sjorgens/TOS and other symptoms.The main problem seems to be that these tears are very difficult to image on MRI and without having discography,which I can't really afford,remain conjecture.Some drugs such as Gabapentin help for a short while,by I believe indirectly 'blocking' the GABA b receptors in the pre ganglionic nerves.I've been offered help by the UK's only(?)laser surgeon but can't get a referral as an NHS patient as most doctors seem determined not to recognise the problem(I don't have the typical posterior nerve root problems etc,and don't have complete autonomic failure)

Answer
Francis,

I don't have experience with anterior annular disc tears.

However TOS originates from nerve entrapment in the neck, not the lumbar area.

It's not the tears that would cause such problems in the lower extremities, but pressure on anterior nerve roots.

Muscular contractures form around sites of injury, and that may be the case for you, or it may be that muscular contractures have led to nerve root compression and the symptoms you experience.

Under the conditions, I would recommend consulting with a clinical somatic educator about dealing with the contractures.  It is relatively inexpensive, results come quickly (noticeable progress in the first session) or not at all, and the process will clarify whether your condition results from annular tears or from muscular contractures.  list:  www.hannasomatics.com/practitioners