[no_more_tram]

I am 26 years old, and 3 years ago I injured my back working as a CNA in a nursing home. I have not been to work since.

I started on Tramadol, eventually abusing it, etc, etc, and going to stronger pain med like vicodin and percocet. Lastly I even took Methadone. Anyhow aside from being an addict of pain meds, I have chronic pain in my back, and although I am only 12 days clean from Suboxone I still suffer from the pain.

Now it's not like I am limited in my mobility, but all day long I can feel that dull aching pain, even after taking IBprofen, although some days are worse the point is that it doesn't go away hence the chronic pain.

So I am going in mid November to get a disc block done apparently to show if both discs cause pain. I had a discogram done several months back and it showed that two discs caused pain, so therefore I wouldn't qualify for the disc replacement, but a fusion was mentioned, and I have to admit that scares me a bit. Dr. said that it could limit my mobility by 30% I think it was, but then I think well I would much rather live day to day in no pain. But who's to say that this fusion wouldn't cause more pain, or not even eliminate the pain I do have.

So what I am wondering has anyone had a fusion, what happened? Any good or bad results. And I know I am still young, but I have two little ones to care for and eventually have to go back to work and want to go back to school, but am afraid this pain will stop my dreams.

WE all know how pain causes anger and depression, and let me tell you thet's a major problem with me.

Also, I have done MRI's showing I have degenerative disc disease I believe in the L5-S1, but the when I did the discogram it showed the two disc, but can't remember which ones. Anyhow I would appreciate any suggestion or thoughts.

I have done pysical therapy in the past, and it feel good at the time, but then the pain eventually comes back. I don't want to relapse and go back on pain meds because of my pain.

So please I know many of you who deal with pain, so any fusions and what where your results!!

[IfItDoesTheTrick]

Hey there. I have actually had the spinal fusion of L4, L5, and S1. I also had degenerative disk disease. My faucet joints were literally cracking off. I too was told before the surgery that I could loose up to 30% mobility, as I think that its a generic answer for a lumbar fusion.

It took me forever to find a surgeon that I trusted, eventually trusting a doctor that came in an plain scrubs a crew cut and older looking hiking boots, rather then a suit and tie and extremely arrogant.

They told me before hand that it would eliminate pain, however, after the surgery I was only pain free for less then a year. When I went back they said that reducing pain is a goal, but the main goal is to stabilize your spine and the pain factor is just sometimes an outcome.

I did not loose any mobility. I currently have two large screws in each lumbar and the rods that connect them to one another. the Xrays really look like something out of a saw movie.

I was in stage 2 of spondylolelisthesis advancing toward stage 3. To give you an idea stage 4 would be where your lumbar has slipped 100% forward and there is no room for your spinal cord. Even though I was led to the surgeon because of the extreme pain of that as well as the degeneration, they really wanted to operate so that I wouldn't advance to a further stage and my disks and faucet joints would stop wearing away and cracking.

The worst part of the surgery I thought, was that when they put in the rods and screws they actually had to pull my spine back to align the vertebrae and it caused me to have throbbing nerves in my feet and legs, because they actually stretch the nerve cord in the process.

The surgery overall was successful given the goal was to stabalize my spine. I mean if I get hit by a train my lumbar will be the only thing left attached. It brought out all the other things that really weren't so much a problem before hand though. The pain before came from my verts moving around all day, but now it comes from nerve damage that I always had but since my spinal cord isn't compressed I now feel it. Also the cracks and degeneration that I had before are now causing pain.

Because of this I am in more pain than I was before the surgery. And I came out of the hospital with a new heart condition.. I had to have an emergency surgery because they had originally drilled 6 holes and decided to only put in 4 screws, so I would be as flexible as possible, the next day they realized it had collapsed so they opened me back up to add the two screws back in. The had given me too much aneasthesia within 48 hours and coupled with all the meds I needed to get out of the recovery room ( the longest part of the surgery)I stopped breathing and had no oxygen to my brain for a bit.

I am not trying to scare you in anyway. This is just my personal experience with the surgery. My doctor that I have now says that he wouldn't have done the surgery, but they always say that after the fact when they screw you up. I am not a candidate for another surgery, because my back is stable, even though I have chronic pain all they would probably do is cause more pain, because there is nothing that jumps out at them that could be causing my pain.

You have to judge for yourself how bad everything is, but make sure you have a doctor that you like and trust to make these decisions. Technology gets better and better everyday and I waited five years to get my surgery because of that. I was young at the time and am still young now. I am currently 22 and I got the surgery 3 years ago. September 27th was my three year anniversary. I would do a lot of research and things like this to see how other people fared.

I think we have different problems, because my in genetic to start, but it came about from a football injury. My mom has the condition, but normally it stays at a very low stage unless you have a major accident.

Do you know what exactly they want to put in you. For instance I got a spinal fusion in those lumbar but the device they used was a Miami with a redox screw. When you find this out you can get more specific information and find out things about it online including information from the manufacturer on trials things. Good Luck. I know my post was long, but I figured I would tell you the whole story. If you need anything else, feel free to ask, I am more then glad to help.
Again, remember, I am not a doctor and this is just my advice which has come about through personal experience and education. And I am not trying to scare you or influence you in any way.