Spine - Mind: Traumatic, Degenerative, Congenital.

[biffnoble]

Spine pathology types.

Traumatic: You�re 25 years old, you've lived a happy life with no back pathology (at least that you're aware of). One day a drunk smashes into your car. That day your life may change dramatically. If you suddenly experience back pain it's likely directly linked to the accident trauma. You seek treatment. You have the benefit of "knowing" what is right and what is wrong with your body and how this affects the quality of your life.

Degenerative: You're born healthy. You feel ok into adulthood. Over time your back experiences minor insults which accumulate. Eventually you realize your life has really changed for the worse and that your back is in constant pain. At some point you seek treatment.

Congenital: In the case of "benign" defects this is a life long process with an experience much like the degenerative case.
However if degenerative changes due to minor insults/trauma occur early in childhood for the sufferer this is "life". There is no clear dividing line between ok and not ok.
For the congenital sufferer, absent a clear change or a distinct "ok" reference point it is very easy to externalize the disease (which is constant from an early age and is subtle) because it's counter intuitive to think of ones own body as being the source of pain.
Life can be very difficult because its very shape is the product of a �hidden� underlying disease. This can lead to a lifetime disadvantage which is invisible until the disease becomes so onerous that treatment is sought. It may take years (this is also true for Traumatic and Degenerative disease) of stumbling around before the true cause of pain and dysfunction have been identified.
Frequently as sufferers go through this process they�re labeled hypochondriac, depressed, neurotic, etc.. In other words they�re blamed for causing their discomfort or the disease origin is identified as mental. Only after the pathology has reached a gross stage does the sufferer get the �credibility� of having an actual physical problem identified. For many this may be after decades of dysfunction have cut a swathe of destruction through their lives.

I invite others to share their experiences.

[ans]

My experiences are boring but your posts are always interesting.

[biffnoble]

Bore us, please!

[ans]

Nobody has the time or stomach.

[letteski]

I have been in the field of working with individuals with disabilities for over 20 years. When looking at disabilities there are different classes, acquired vs. congenital. Acquired from an accident or trauma, congenital from birth, born with. I look at disabilities or disease, a disability is the way it is and only therapy can help but it will always be that way. Paraplegia, stroke, brain injury, CP are examples of a disability. A disease is progressively worsening, MS, MD, ALS, Aides, most leading to death. DDD is a progressive worsening condition that we are born with, congenital however some of us progress faster then others. Trauma or an accident can speed up the disease.

The thing I find interesting is that traditionally therapy and fusion was the only way to help the DDD patient. Then causing a permenent condition, disability from a fusion a condition that will always be that way trauma in my point a view permanent change to your mobility and possibly more pain throughout you life. ADR gives us the first hope to save mobility and get our life�s back. We all have a permanent disease we will live with for the rest of our lives. Surgery and therapy are our options, ADR vs. fusion now an option. Thank goodness.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mark last week and seeing him run move around with 2 artificial discs, over 2 years post op. He sure does not seem disabled to me. ADR is a risk I am willing to take because the alternative is so permanent.

I can relate to this post.

I just turned 36 yesterday. I had a degenerative disk at l5/s1 that was replaced by a prodisc at l5/s1. This was by the best prodisc surgeon in the world (Bertagnoli). I was deemed an ideal candidate with an excellent prognosis. No other spinal injuries, the rest of my spine looks great. POstive discogram at l5/s1, negative elsewhere.

Before the ADR, I had bad and limiting right S1 root pain and instability.

NOw that Ive had the ADR, that problem was cured. But now I have bilateral anterior leg pain in both legs. I have urinary urgency. I have bowel urgency. My "unmentionable" region has lost about 50% sensation. It also gets "cold." When I am active, all these problems get worse. SItting is 3X more painful than it was before my ADR.

I am 13 months post op. I am 36. I am living by myself.

I remember before I went for my ADR, I hoped that my body wouldnt react strangely to the implant. But I was comforted by the idea that I was an "ideal candidate" as I was told.

Now, my life has become a disaster. Its almost like the twilight zone, everything on the list that I thought might be a "low risk" has happened, except death.

This perfectly placed ADR, by the most perfect surgeon in the world, put into a perfect candidate, has been a disaster. There was no red flag. There were no contraindications. Everything went perfectly. The placement is perfect. I had every reason to expect success, and more reasons than most people on this board. I was 200lbs of muscle, healthier and stronger than an ox.

Now, Im in pain everyday, with a whole array of cauda-equina related symptoms, cant work out, cant do much physical, sex is not like it used to be, and there's nothing else to say.

This is what can happen. This is what happened to soemone who had no reason to expect any problems, as most of you don't.

There really insn't much left to say.

[Alastair]

I would like all members to note Paul Stewarts posting.

ADR is a risk as all surgery, and one we MUST be aware of - -- - -Thank you for posting this Paul
Best
Alastair

[andromeda1111]

I ended up with DDD, due to a combination of things... years of heavy lifting competively and a car accident which left me out of alignment that did not concur with the weight-lifting.

Laura

[biffnoble]

Hi Laura:

Are you competely well, in good alignment?

Any limitations on activities?

Any pain?

Good luck.

Hi Paul:

From my post on your thead you know that I feel for you! The whole idea of surgery is to get better and many folks do. But some folks don't. Taking the step from pre-op dysfunction to the unknowns of post-op is a big leap. Hopefully you'll completely heal!

Good luck to you.

[andromeda1111]

Hi Biff

I am doing good, alignment feels good, no pain, limitations... nothing yet, zero leg pain too, I am going to start working out on the machines in October, prior to the overall body stuff, I am going to hit the lower back machine for a few weeks before going on to any of the other machines.

Right now I am at 6wks post-op, getting my required X-ray this friday, I am riding a staionary recumbent bike and doing a lot of walking, at least three 30 minute walks per day, in a few wks I am going to start swimming laps. I will start with the excercise ball end of this wk, to start re-strengthening my core.


I am testing how my implant feels in comparison - prior to surgery to see how it feels by contracting the surrounding muscles in that area, a huge difference, no burning, all of the extreme tightness I had in my hip flexor area is also gone, I am only tight (and expectedly) in the incison area, occasionally it burns in there, so far I have no major complaints.

Laura