Hey doc/Harrison,
My first MRI, six months after my fall, showed hypertrophic facet joints. However I have a long history of athletic living, so its difficult to know if my facets were just worn in general, and not related to the disc problem, or wither they started to expand due to the disc injury itself. I don't have classic signs of facet problems though, my issues are predominantly nerve type pain (tingling, stinging, allodynia) in the lower back, thighs and feet. Exacerbated by movement and weight bearing.
So far my physiatrist (4th doctor) and this surgeon I talked to seem to think that the herniation is too minor to be causing such debilitating pain. I did 5 months of PT (core work mostly, stretching, tens, mckenzie etc), 1 caudal epidural (provided 2 days of minor improvement), and a diagnostic steroid injection into my hip after an MRI indicated i had a small labral tear (had zero effect). I also did some massage and chiro but to no avail.
I have been referred to a neurologist in the meantime for a consult, Im not sure how she is going to help. I guess my biggest issue is all the confusion surrounding this problem. Initially I was diagnosed with a lumbar sprain, then sacroiliitis, then it was L5S1, but now we arent sure about that because the pain spread throughout both legs. It seems like internal disc disruption or maybe mild cauda equina syndrome are the only things that makes sense. But my MRI doesn't indicate much compression.
I guess Im really trying to figure out if this sounds like something that could be fixed with ADR or if I am way off and just clutching at strings.
Thanks for the replies!
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