Question
Hi,

Last year Aug 2006, suddenly one friday afternoon I suffered from sciatica pain
which lasted for two weeks on my left leg and prevented any movement. I have
been suffering back pain which has been on/off since 2005 but nothing that
wouldnt go away with a good nights sleep and massage. But since last august my
back pain has been continuous. Once the sciatica healed after 2 weeks the pain
remained. And it starts mainly from T12 to L2 area of the spine and spreads
across to my upper back. Sitting and lack of movement kicks it off and the pain
builds up gradually throughout the course of the day. At work I sit on a
orthopedic chair since the problem started (even that does not always help).

I have seen Physio, osteo and had acupuncture over the last 12 months.
Acupuncture helped relieve the pain for a day and then its back to square one.
Nothing really seems to get rid of the pain in my spine completely. When I wake
up in the morning the pain seems non-existant but as I go about daily activities
it starts and gradually builds up.
Recently I have started to see a chiropractor (so far had 8 sessions) and the
chiropractor seems to think my body posture and maintaining my balance has come
a long way. She's done manual adjustments to my neck and back and some soft
tissue work. Usually it feels good for a few hours and then the pain kicks in. I
would really appreciate a second opinion. Nothing has managed to get rid of the
pain in my spine.
 
I had a Lumbar MRI scan done and the results said this:

Degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc of L4/L5 and L5/S1. At both
these levels there are annual bulges seen with tiny high intensity zones, due to
annular fissures at both these levels. No significant discal protrusion seen.
The spinal canal is normal in calibre and the conus is normal.

I would really appreciate if you can give me a second opinion. I am fit and
healthy and I tend to be active as much as I can - i.e. do stretching exercises,
lot of walking, go to the gym to do aerobics. Since this problem started I have
had massages and even that didn't help take away the pain. So please help


Answer
Hi Suzi,

This is a tough situation to gauge at a distance like this. It sounds as if you are doing everything that could be recommended.

The best idea is to address this with your Chiropractic doctor directly.  Ask how long it should take for your particular condition to stabilize.  The improvement for a few hours is fine but it should begin to last longer.

She should suggest specific exercises for your condition aimed at prolonging the gains.

All of that being said, with the notable degenerative changes seen on xray, it might take a while.  But you should see that you are on the right track within a few weeks.

If you do not feel confident in the answers, get a more direct second opinion by consulting a different Chiropractic doctor.

chiroweb.com is a good resource for local docs.

Without a hands on exam I can't tell you much more.

God bless, Dr Pendergraft
[email protected]