Should I have back surgery or work on weight loss or get the corti shots?

Question

My back pain first started 7 years ago. I was playing racquetball for the first time in life (though I played tennis and other sports), and I quickly learned that I could not play for more than 3-8 minutes. I would attempt to return a serve and suddenly my back would lock it up. It would take forever to walk across the campus, the pain was very intense, and I would be half paralyzed. Anyway, I stopped playing. The pain and lock-ups came now and then over the years. At some points in time, I would literally be unable to move, except by dragging my body along the floor with the strength of my arms. I've been bedridden for 3 days at a time. Anyway, a year ago, I finally went to the doctor. I have a pinched nerve and a ton of arthritis (more than the doc has ever seen in patients 2x my age). He suggested a corti shot, and/or back surgery. The surgeon he sent me to was a joke, I never did get the shot. I've been on pain-killers for the past year now - I stopped taking the

Anti-inflammatory meds shortly after being on them. I do not like putting drugs into my body, and after being dependent on the pain-killers for nearly 3 months, I finally cut down on those and rarely use them now. Anyway, several ppl have told me to get the shot. Others swear by the surgery. I believe that if I lost weight and strengthened my back muscles , the pain could be significantly reduced, if not completely eliminated. So please help me in answering a few questions - If I get the surgery done now, will the arthritis just continue to return over the years? If I do have less fat cells and weight, could this help keep the nerve from getting pinched? - I think there would be less pressure and uncontrolled movement? What other things should I do to work on the pain/arthritis.

And, I am 5’4 with an extra 100 pounds at a whopping 230 pounds .

Answer 1

Of course, weighing less will help everything, but you may be putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. You wont be able to lose the weight unless your body is able to do some form of exercise.

There is a rather safe form of exercise for people with arthritis. Swimming. There's no pressure on your joints and you wont be compressing your spine. I'd join a local community or county pool or YMCA and do a waist deep water exercise program. See how it goes, but it's not a cure by any means.

The problem with cortisone shots is they don't usually last and are sort of the last stop before trying surgery. As for whether or not the arthritis will return, that depends on what you have and what the purpose of the surgery is. Swimming is the first activity most people are allowed to do after any surgery.

I'm sorry the surgeon you went to see wasn't helpful. Surgeons tend to be very difficult to communicate with; they are very detached and not used to seeing regular patients because their lives revolve around technical operations not human interaction. I suggest you try seeing another one and write down a list of questions to take with you.

Be persistant. If he or she isn't able to answer all of your questions to your satisfaction, let them know you'll be making another appointment or be calling. The more you know about what's happening with your body, the more a doctor will be willing to listen to you. It shows a true desire on your part to heal and follow treatment plans.

Best wishes for you.

Answer 2

HI there dear. I have been through the kinds of things that you are talking about for most of my life. My situation may be a bit different from yours in that I have a congenital abnormality in my spine and have a great deal of arthritis from an awful car accident that I was in when I was 18. Added to that fact is that I have an autoimmune disease that affects all of the joints in my body.
Point is, I know where you are coming from.
You are the only one that really knows what you are capable of doing. If you think you can lose a substantial amount of weight then of course that is going to help alot. Even if you decide to have surgery later, losing the weight will help you with the surgery. No matter what you decide to do, losing weight will be a benefit. My physical situation is such that it is almost impossible for me to lose weight, I take so much prednisone and my range of motion is so restricted at this point that moving is very painful and difficult. If you still have pretty good movement I would do what you can now to lose the weight. It will get harder the worse you get.
I would recommend the shots as I have had SO many of them. Some have not helped at all and others have been a huge help. Bear in mind that it can take as much 6 weeks to really see an improvement. They will help with the pain and that will make it easier for you to exercise and lose weight.
Make sure that you go to a reputable pain management clinic. Really. Shop around and get advise from doctors that you do trust, have them give you referals. One thing to consider that I have always done, I have them give me what is called conscious sedation when you have the injections. I would never have them with out the sedation. You are only out for about 5 minutes but you never feel a thing. The doctor will be around afterwards to see how you did and do not be afraid to ask for pain meds. Even if you do not use them, you may very well need them later.
Have any of your doctors mentioned prednisone for the inflamation and the pain? It is a bit of a double edged sword. It will help substantially with the pain but it has awful side effects so use it very cautiously if at all.
I was on 60 mgs of it for quite some time and I went from a size 6 to a size 16 in about 6 weeks. Now I also have diabetes and vasculitus as well as high blood pressure and problems with my other joints. I have to have both knees replaced and before I can do that I have to have surgery on my right shoulder . It seems that when one thing starts, pretty soon everything is a problem.
Try to take one thing at a time. Try to lose the weight if you can, that will be helpful no matter what you do. Try the shots, they can be a Godsend. If the shots give you enough relief you may be able to avoid the surgery entirely. If I could have avoided the surgery I certainly would have.
Each condition is different and what works for one person my not work for another. Try the least invasive procedures first. I would try the anti-inflamatory drugs again as they can truly be beneficial. Of course you are the best judge of what is best for you but try to keep all the options open and do not close your mind to any of the things that will help.
I want to say one more time that the shots can really help with the pain and you may want to consider them again. They will buy you some time before you have to make a decision about surgery.
Get all the information you call. Read what you can and learn all that you can. Your doctors will always appreciate the fact that you are well informed. That way you will know what questions to ask.
Take care!
Love and Blessings
Lady Trinity~

Answer 3

If you are overweight....I would take the diet option first. Your pain will be significantly reduced. Also I would ask for a cortisone injection as they are really effective for pain relief. They do hurt as they go in but the relief can last a good length of time and these can be repeated. At least these injections would help you to get through till you lose some weight.

Arthritis is a crippling pain so I really empathize with you.
I hope you get some relief soon.

Best wishes

Answer 4

I am a Spine and Pain Management specialist. The treatment that will work the best for YOUR condition depends upon YOUR specific diagnosis and the severity of YOUR diagnosis. There are at least 25 different sites of pain generation of back pain. You must completely disregard what worked in another person, because it is extremely unlikely they have the same problem as you. "Arthritis" is not a specific enough diagnosis. A pinched nerve in one person may be quite different in another because of a variety of factors. Even when you have two individuals with essentially the same diagnosis/problem there are multiple other factors in determining what works best for one versus another. SURGERY SHOULD BE THE LAST OPTION!!! Do NOT have surgery unless: 1) you have lost control of your bowel or bladder functions and/or 2) you are experiencing PROGRESSIVE weakness of your legs/feet (numbness.
doesn't count).

You must find someone who is knowledgeable, someone whom you trust and someone who provides you with options and assists you with making the best decision. Do not be "forced" or "scared" into a procedure. Avoid opiate medications--- except in some very unusual cases, this should be viewed only be a temporary option.

The solutions that typically work are a combined program of Physical Therapy, NSAIDs, fluoroscopic guided spine injections (which can be useful in diagnosing and treating the problem). The problem there are wide variations of the quality of PT/rehabilitation and in physicians who perform injections. Unfortunately it is very difficult for a lay person to spot the Good from the Bad and Ugly.

Lastly, unless you are extremely obese, it is unlikely your problem will be solved by "losing weight".

What State do you live in...I can try to refer you to someone appropriate.

Good Luck

Answer 5

make like a fish and swim at a leisurely pace for 17 minutes

Answer 6

play the nintendo gamecubes mario kart for 41 minutes

Answer 7

milk a cow for 34 minutes

Answer 8

savory umami ingredients such as mushrooms low sodium soy asparagus and olives can help you feel full and add an earthy home y quality to your healthy dishes

Answer 9

shop during your lunch hour while carrying a 7 pound hobo bag and naturally a few new purchases

Answer 10

better to prepare slow to eat foods like hot soups whole fruites etec