Advice Please After Back Surgery

[Nanook]

Hi,

1. My initial impression is one of sadness. It must have been bad for them to remove the L3 and L4 lamina. This will make you back VERY unstable. If you can find out if the bone removed was partial or complete, it would help - i would pray for partial removal.

2. Your back problem is not isolated to the low back. To get pain between the shoulders would imply a thoracic spine problem as well. I would find a physio who is very proficient at thoracic spine treatment (they are rare, let me assure you. They should have done at least one of LJ Lee's courses - LJ Lee is the world's foremost expert on the thoracic spine in physio treatment and rehab).

3. Your exercises sound too general for my liking. Try to find someone who can be specific and is familiar with the current research on core stability. I can almost guarantee that the DVD you got is inadequate. Getting these exercises right is tough for good physios to do so patients tend to find it even harder!

Acupuncture might help your short term pain but i don't think will be a long term solution.

Don't know what "tamars" are.

Pilates is no good for you unless the person is a highly qualified and experienced physiotherapy. Alot of the pilates repertoire will be dangerous to your back.

The leg pain and back pain can actually be improved a lot. I have personally helped many people with surgery like yours. The trick is to get the right surgeon and the right rehab.

Good luck! There is hope. You will need to look for good people to help you - that is not to say that the people that are helping you aren't good, it is just that i would have done things differently.

BTW, don't be scared to spend money on good advice and treatment. Is it better to go somewhere for free and be no better or spend 500 quid and be pain free?

Thank you for your reply. The surgeon who did the op has a very good reputation, my GP said if she needed an spinal op that is who she would choose. I figured you couldn't get a better recommendation.She did state I had grade 1.

The info re the op that I gave was copied from a letter between the OH doc and surgeon. The surgeon knows I work in nursing and finished the letter saying, " I would have thought she would have returned to work by now".

Could you explain what unstable back means....or at least what this will prevent me from doing?

The pre op and hospital care was great, the post op has been absolutely appalling in my opinion, with GP's OH and physio passing the buck, none can/or will try and answer any of my question..all I have got is "it could be it might be " , " best wait and see the surgeon".

Re the shoulder blade spasm , ( below shoulder blade ) perhaps I didn't explain it well enough. I don't have it now ( it was what made me ask for the MRI last August) I'm assuming, perhaps incorrectly that , that is when I did in the L4.

I will try and find a physio that teaches pilates. The pelvicore dvd I have is by a Swedish? physio professor called Kari Bo and I find it ok to follow.

I forgot to mention, (again no one can tell me what causes this) I get a strange sensation in my right inner thigh, it's a similiar feeling you get if you pull a hair on your arm but feel it else where, referred pain? It comes and goes, I had it before the op. I just get odd looks and a shrug of the shoulders when I ask, if I could be told where they come from and why I keep getting pain and these odd sensations, I would be able to cope better. I get the feeling since I've had the op, I should just be grateful and get on with it
I certainly didn't expect to have the spine of a 20 year old after the op and I've certainly done/doing my bit to make the most of the surgery.Thanks again.