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  #1  
Old 09-01-2015, 11:58 PM
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Phatbird Phatbird is offline
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Default Lower Back and Pelvic Pain! Considering ADR

Hi Everyone,

I have posted about this a while ago. I have some issues with my lumbar and cervical spine. I have lower back pain a severe genital/rectal pain. I don't have any bladder or bowel function issues (cauda equina) but the pain and creepy crawlies are awful down there. Without nerve pain medication, my back pain would be unbearable as well. I had a consult with Dr. Clavel and he wasn't too sure if my spine was causing my pelvic pain because my disk tears are at L2/3/4 and not L4/5.

If anyone has any insight on this or has had success with ADR surgery and pelvic pain, I would really like to hear from you. ADR is my last shot at getting my life back but I need to be certain that I am making the right decision. A lot of the time, surgery isn't the answer to fixing chronic pain and neck and back surgery scares me. Anyways, here is rundown of my spine issues. Docs all over the place are telling me that none of this is serious, but I beg to differ. My pelvic and low back pain is telling me otherwise.

C5/6 - minimal degenerative change with shallow posterior bulge
L2/3 - mild degenerative disc change with loss of intervertebral disk height and decreased disc T2 signal. There is a shallow broad posterior disc bulge associated with a central annular fissure. This minimally flattens the ventral ascpect of the thecal sac.
L3/4 - same remarks as L2/3
L4/5 - shallow posterior disc bulge with a superimposed LEFT foraminal disc protrusion that encroaches upon the undersurface of the exiting LEFT L4 nerve root. No circumferential nerve compression.

Thanks so much for any given support!

Gina
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C5/6 - mild DDD with shallow posterior bulge
L2/3 - mild DDD with loss of disk height. Shallow broad posterior disc bulge with a central annular tear. Some pressure on thecal sac.
L3/4 - same remarks as L2/3
L4/5 - shallow posterior disc bulge with a superimposed LEFT foraminal disc protrusion that encroaches upon the undersurface of the exiting LEFT L4 nerve root.

Mild rotoscoliosis centred at L3 and 4mm retrolithesis at L3/4.
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  #2  
Old 09-09-2015, 12:35 PM
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Harrison Harrison is offline
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Question

Gina, sorry you are here, but I hope we can help.

Pelvic pain is not uncommon, especially in this community. If you search, you will find some relevant posts:

https://www.adrsupport.org/forums/search.php

Have you had any specific tests to triangulate on the pain generator(s)? EMG? Injections?

Also, do you have history of infections such as strep, Lyme disease, dental, UTI, etc.? Sometimes, bacterial and/or viruses find their way into cervical and lumbar tissues.
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Fell on my ***winter 2003, Canceled fusion April 6 2004
Reborn June 25th, 2004, L5-S1 ADR Charite in Boston
Founder & moderator of ADRSupport - 2004
Founder Arthroplasty Patient Foundation a 501(c)(3) - 2006
Creator & producer, Why Am I Still Sick? - 2012
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  #3  
Old 09-21-2015, 09:47 PM
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Harrison Harrison is offline
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Gina,

Hey, just bumping this post up to refresh it. Any news?
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"Harrison" - info (at) adrsupport.org
Fell on my ***winter 2003, Canceled fusion April 6 2004
Reborn June 25th, 2004, L5-S1 ADR Charite in Boston
Founder & moderator of ADRSupport - 2004
Founder Arthroplasty Patient Foundation a 501(c)(3) - 2006
Creator & producer, Why Am I Still Sick? - 2012
Donate www.arthropatient.org/about/donate
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  #4  
Old 09-23-2015, 09:08 AM
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Romakis Romakis is offline
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Personally I am not familiar with the pains you describe, although I had L4-S1 DDD. All the pain was in the lower back and legs. ADR seemed to have helped, but I am only 3 months post-op... Your symptoms should result from the lower discs, but who knows. I had pain in my upper back as well, although nothing should be causing that.
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46yo, DDD of L4-S1. Microdiscectomy L5-L4 in 2014. L4-L5-S1 M6 ADR with Dr. Clavel - June 2015.
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  #5  
Old 09-24-2015, 01:44 AM
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Phatbird Phatbird is offline
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Harrison and Romakis,

Thanks so much for the replys. I really appreciate it.
I have had two consults with Dr. Clavel so far and I am having Dr. Zeegers consult with me as well. Have a lot of homework that I have been doing for him.
Looking forward to his opinion as well! He did tell me that 95% of the time, that pelvic/genital pain comes from the spine as far up as the thoracic levels.

Dr. Clavel also told me that though I don't have big herniations, my tears are quite significant which can be causing a lot of pain. Especially the tear that I have L3-4. He said these nerves beach down into the sacrum. So keeping my fingers crossed. Surgery scares me but living like this for the rest of my life scares me even more. There is hope though. Feels good to be getting some answers!

Gina :-)
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C5/6 - mild DDD with shallow posterior bulge
L2/3 - mild DDD with loss of disk height. Shallow broad posterior disc bulge with a central annular tear. Some pressure on thecal sac.
L3/4 - same remarks as L2/3
L4/5 - shallow posterior disc bulge with a superimposed LEFT foraminal disc protrusion that encroaches upon the undersurface of the exiting LEFT L4 nerve root.

Mild rotoscoliosis centred at L3 and 4mm retrolithesis at L3/4.
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  #6  
Old 09-27-2015, 10:59 PM
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Phatbird Phatbird is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 10
Default Reaching out for Advice and Support

i know that pelvic pain is a very private subject to talk about but if there is anyone out there that can relate to my post please feel free to message me. I would love to have the opportunity to talk or message with you.

Thanks so much,

Gina
__________________
C5/6 - mild DDD with shallow posterior bulge
L2/3 - mild DDD with loss of disk height. Shallow broad posterior disc bulge with a central annular tear. Some pressure on thecal sac.
L3/4 - same remarks as L2/3
L4/5 - shallow posterior disc bulge with a superimposed LEFT foraminal disc protrusion that encroaches upon the undersurface of the exiting LEFT L4 nerve root.

Mild rotoscoliosis centred at L3 and 4mm retrolithesis at L3/4.
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