indymom2I have Scheuermann's Disease..painful back condition. Currently seeing pain specialist & having 3-4 injections/yr. Any advice? Use Vicodin for temp relief but pain is relentless. Open for advice! Would love to hear of anyone else conflicted with this disease. Back pain awful... Also have severe osteoarthritis of thoracic spine.
Scheuermann's Disease/Osteo Thoracic Spine?
Details:
Added 5 Oct 2011:
Scheuermann's Kyphosis/Kyphoscoliosis/Severe Osteoarthritis Thoracic... I am open for pain management suggestions. Spine doc (orthopedist) says "suck it up." While I would love to do that, put this pain behind me, I have a teen daughter w/same condition of Scheuermann's. He also told her the same thing. We were devastated when we left his office. We weren't looking for pain meds or a miracle. We were looking for solid information & advice. Does ANYBODY out there have this condition of Scheuermann's??? Any helpful advice such as: Exercises that could help, pain management options???? Thanks for any help offered. :)
Answers (2)
bnagoh28 Jun 2010
You need to see if stronger medication that is time released may be better. I have relenless neck and back pain, spasms etc and the body gets used to vicodin or any of those types of hydrocodone pain relievers. This week I am doing a radio frequency procedure that targets the nerves involved and have been told by people here and at my Drs office that you may get substantial relief for 6 months to a year. Without medication. You allreadt are getting injections I assume they are cortisone or facet point, trigger point injections and the relief is slight. Be proactive with your pain specialist and make sure he knows firmly that you are not getting the relief that you need. I've only been like this for 5 years and the thought of it slowly getting worse as it has done is well... but be a fighter and enlist your pain specialist. If you need stronger meds don't be afraid to use them. That is what they are there for. Good Luck to you I wish you the best. B
28 Jun 2010
I know you requested a direct answer but felt I may be able to help you. Hope you don't mind? I have severe back pain myself. Only mine is Lumbar, not Thoracic. The hardware does however, extend from T-12 to L-3. I actually read about your condition at my surgeons office the other day! I'll bet it even hurts to breathe! You need to request better pain control medication. Preferably a sustained release one and a breakthrough one. I had shattered my L-1 and L-2 in an accident. I need additional surgery and just posted a question about re-injuring my back. Please ask your doc to put you on better medicine. Your condition is degenerative, not exactly "fixable" but the symptoms CAN be controlled better! Personally, I would request a morphine based time released med and something like IR oxycontin for breakthrough pain. If your doctor thinks he's helping you by keeping you on weak medication, he is NOT.
indymom2
5 Oct 2011
Sorry it took so long to get back w/you. Thank you so much for the helpful info. This is 1 1/2 yrs. later & things seem only to be getting worse. Doc put me on Norco 10-325 and its helped but now wants to decrease. I had a couple of rhizotomys that helped wonderfully but as I get ready for the final one (thoracic area) that I needed the worst, insurance said rhizotomy only experimental in thoracic. I was devastated. Worst part is... my 13 yr old daughter has this condition as well. Surgery (which is a horrible invasive procedure, one of the WORST back surgerys performed) isn't an option as surgeons won't touch ya unless you hv a 60 degree curve, I have 54 degrees, my daughter 48. Spine doc (orthopedist) told us to "suck it up." Can you believe that! Gonna see pain doc soon again and hv a different conversation w/him thanks to your post. Thanks for taking time to get back w/me.
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I have had the radio frequency treatment (rhizotomy) & loved it! Problem is my insurance won't pay for it in my thoracic spine because its considered "experimental." Seriously... so ridiculous. I had it in my lumbar area w/GREAT SUCCESS! :) Loved ur advice re: pain meds. I am now on something a bit stronger, but also got some new exercises & seeing a chiropractor also. Hope things going well for ya! Thanks! :)