Question
I have had back pain for about 15 yrs.  I was in a car accident when I was 16 and my back pain started then and has gotten worse over the years.  I recently had an MRI and here are the results:

T11-T12 shows mild disc bulge.  L4-L5 shows disc dessication.  A broad disc protusion has an annular rent.  It causes mild thecal sac effacement.  It abuts each L5 root without displacement, while the patient is supine.  L5-Si show disc dessication.  A broad disc protrusion causes mild thecal sac effacement.  There is an allular rent.  The left S1 nerve root appears minimally flattened, though neither S1 root is displaced.  Both neural foramen are mildly narrowed.  

Impression: There are two disc protrusion as described without definite neural effacement while the patient is supine.

I have lower back pain that radiates to my buttocks and thighs. At times I can hardly walk.  I also have some type of sciatic nerve problem, with burning pain going down my right side down my butt and down the back of my leg with tingling in my right foot.  I can get no relief.

My doctor says this MRI shows no damage and no cause for pain.  He wants me to have an EMG on my legs...but other than that, he can give me no answers.  I saw an orthopedic doc. who says I have arthritis in my lower back...

Am I crazy? I know I am in pain ALL the time...I feel like these doctors think I am just making all of this up!  I have also recently been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel syndrome, but it's not bad enough to do surgery...YET.. So now my hands and arms ache and is not helping my mental status on top of everything else.

Thank you so much for you help! I greatly appreciate it!

Answer
Dear Robin,

Sorry to hear of your trouble.  I understand your frustration.

However, there is a solution.  First thing, accidents commonly lead to muscular contractions ("contractures").  Tight spinal muscles cause sciatica and radiating pain down the arms by pinching nerves.  Bulging discs are also common.  It's the muscles.

You need to retrain those muscles.  Doctors and physical therapists don't have particularly effective techniques for doing so, unfortunately, so specialists outside the field must be employed.

Since your doctors have said that the findings of your MRI don't account for your pain, I would suggest you visit the articles page at somatics.com/page4.htm and get a bit better informed about your options.

Help is available, but you have to be willing use options outside of mainstream medicine, as described in the articles.



with regard,
Lawrence Gold