Persistent Lower Back Pain

[Atrecord]

16 hours ago, Ender said:

Yes, that way some of the load is absorbed by the calves muscle and tendon, lesser load for the knee. But just don't do like I did, suddenly run in minimalist all the way at my usual mileage, and that's how my achilles tendon got injured.

If you are still worry for you kne, just run lower than your usual, mileage   

ok will do. Really hope to be able to start exercising to build up all the lost muscles again soon...

[Atrecord]

16 hours ago, Credor said:

Take care and have a speedy recovery.

remember to take care of the dressing.

Thanks! Just went to GP clinic to change the dressing yest. 

and must say... the clinic nurse really not good at it, c.f. to hosp nurses... the changed dressing doesn't stick completely/well. now i shower also worry whether water will go in or not 😅

[13177]

On 4/19/2021 at 3:58 PM, Etnt said:

I did it early 40s and they put spacers to replace the disc rather spinal fusion.

Now looking back, I would say I wish that I'd done it earlier.

Btw, one year after my spinal surgery I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. The dr cannot conclusively say what caused it, but I would say the long term usage of painkillers probably played a part.

Painkiller played a part or any medication? Those people who need to take long term medication might also have risk to develop kidney cancer?

[Sporkypiggy]

@Atrecord So what kind of key-hole surgery did you do?  Can elaborate a little bit more?

[Etnt]

 

10 minutes ago, 13177 said:

Painkiller played a part or any medication? Those people who need to take long term medication might also have risk to develop kidney cancer?

I took nsaids for a long time, starting from simple things like ibuprofen till arcoxia; and they are not kidney friendly

[Etnt]

9 minutes ago, Sporkypiggy said:

@Atrecord So what kind of key-hole surgery did you do?  Can elaborate a little bit more?

I think sometimes surgeon will also see actual condition in OT bah. Before going into OT, I was told keyhole; after woke up, open back.

[Lala81]

32 minutes ago, Etnt said:

 

I took nsaids for a long time, starting from simple things like ibuprofen till arcoxia; and they are not kidney friendly

Actually we are just taught that it may worsen kidney function. But never really thought about this RCC link.
But yes you are right.

Though i would be more worried about exacerbating renal failure rather than RCC since RCC incidence in general is not high.

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/281340-overview#a4

Quote

A prospective evaluation by Cho et al concluded that longer duration of use of nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may increase the risk for renal cell cancer. [

 

[Sporkypiggy]

@Etnt For Herniated Disc (cervical or lumbar), most public hospital tend to perform fusion surgery. Whereby they will removed the herniated disc, place a bone graft between the 2 vertebral segments to fuse them together. The surgeon will say that this is a minimally invasive surgery as the cut is about 5 to 6 cm.

Lumbar Fusion: https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/spinal-fusion/lumbar-spinal-fusion-surgery

Cervical Fusion: https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/back-surgery/cervical-spine-surgery

Some private Ortho doctor may perform a more minimally invasive or they claim key hole surgery to remove part of the herniated disc instead of removing the entire disc as in the Fusion technique.

The surgeon will usually run through the sequence with you in detail and have you sign the agreement form before proceeding with the surgery.

Do take note that it will take at least a year for the vertebral to fully fused together. So its a long journey to full recovery. The doctor will give you guidances on your daily activities.

[Etnt]

40 minutes ago, Sporkypiggy said:

@Etnt For Herniated Disc (cervical or lumbar), most public hospital tend to perform fusion surgery. Whereby they will removed the herniated disc, place a bone graft between the 2 vertebral segments to fuse them together. The surgeon will say that this is a minimally invasive surgery as the cut is about 5 to 6 cm.

Lumbar Fusion: https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/spinal-fusion/lumbar-spinal-fusion-surgery

Cervical Fusion: https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/back-surgery/cervical-spine-surgery

Some private Ortho doctor may perform a more minimally invasive or they claim key hole surgery to remove part of the herniated disc instead of removing the entire disc as in the Fusion technique.

The surgeon will usually run through the sequence with you in detail and have you sign the agreement form before proceeding with the surgery.

Do take note that it will take at least a year for the vertebral to fully fused together. So its a long journey to full recovery. The doctor will give you guidances on your daily activities.

Mine was replaced by DIAM spacers, not fusion. Ortho said when it recur when I'm older, then fusion.

[Windwaver]

Nobody upper back pain?

[Atrecord]

6 hours ago, Sporkypiggy said:

@Atrecord So what kind of key-hole surgery did you do?  Can elaborate a little bit more?

What i see from the discharge summary, states:

Lumbar spinal stenosis. Lateral recess stenosis
Foraminotomy and microdiscectomy 

Do these sound obvious to you? 

In any case, what the doc told me was there a metal tube will be inserted to dilate the space (i think the nerve canal?), and then another tube will be inserted to remove the fragments of the damaged discs that are compressing on the nerve.

After the surgery, i was given a container containing the fragments. Actually my brother told me he went for a similar op 2 years ago, and the fragments i have, are maybe 6-8 times more than his... 😓

Initially i was worried about the doc having to cut off parts of the discs to remove the parts compressing on the nerve, but he clarified that there's no need to cut, as the damaged discs are already broken, and he will merely 'pick up the pieces' during the surgery.

[Atrecord]

6 hours ago, Etnt said:

I think sometimes surgeon will also see actual condition in OT bah. Before going into OT, I was told keyhole; after woke up, open back.

Actually, from the photo my wife took, the wound is about a finger long... my sis-in-law commented that keyhole also such a big wound...

Now that you say this, i also dunno was it still keyhole, or open back (is that what's normal surgery is called?)... 

😓

[Atrecord]

5 hours ago, Sporkypiggy said:

@Etnt For Herniated Disc (cervical or lumbar), most public hospital tend to perform fusion surgery. Whereby they will removed the herniated disc, place a bone graft between the 2 vertebral segments to fuse them together. The surgeon will say that this is a minimally invasive surgery as the cut is about 5 to 6 cm.

Lumbar Fusion: https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/spinal-fusion/lumbar-spinal-fusion-surgery

Cervical Fusion: https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/back-surgery/cervical-spine-surgery

Some private Ortho doctor may perform a more minimally invasive or they claim key hole surgery to remove part of the herniated disc instead of removing the entire disc as in the Fusion technique.

The surgeon will usually run through the sequence with you in detail and have you sign the agreement form before proceeding with the surgery.

Do take note that it will take at least a year for the vertebral to fully fused together. So its a long journey to full recovery. The doctor will give you guidances on your daily activities.

The doc said my bones are still aligned and it's the discs that are damaged. Was told that in some cases where the bones have degenerated too, might need to put screws in place to keep the bones in fixed position... that's no fusion, right?

[Atrecord]

4 hours ago, Windwaver said:

Nobody upper back pain?

where's considered upper back? i know someone who had a surgery for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy... this one is near the neck...

[Volvobrick]

10 minutes ago, Atrecord said:

Actually, from the photo my wife took, the wound is about a finger long... my sis-in-law commented that keyhole also such a big wound...

Now that you say this, i also dunno was it still keyhole, or open back (is that what's normal surgery is called?)... 

😓

They didn't clarify the size of the key. Anyway have a swift recovery! 

[Windwaver]

36 minutes ago, Atrecord said:

where's considered upper back? i know someone who had a surgery for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy... this one is near the neck...

Thoracic Spine, neck is common.

[Etnt]

8 hours ago, Volvobrick said:

They didn't clarify the size of the key. Anyway have a swift recovery! 

lol. my key about this size.

[Sporkypiggy]

@Atrecord Not too sure if your condition is due to lumbar herniated disc. Bulging disc or ruptured disc.

The herniated disc may compress your nerve and even spinal cord. Nerve compression may generally lead to pain. And it may send shooting pain down from your back to your leg. And worst case, case numbness and tingling sensation down to your toes.

I am not familiar with the DIAM spinal spacer, it  may seems to be explained in the below video. If so, then your case is not fusion.