Spinal Stenosis Diagnosis

An osteopath doctor looked at my MRI and said the spinal stenosis is biomechanical and needs to be fixed. Also the person is not against TMS. It just that in my case it's different. I actually don't believe it but the explanation given did make some sense. Has anyone had this type of experience?

 

On pages 105-106 of Healing Back Pain, Dr. Sarno writes: "My reaction to this abnormality is based on experience with patients. Most of those I have seen, regardless of age, were found to have TMS, which allowed me to disregard the X-ray diagnosis. It is my practice, particularly with older patients, to suggest neurological consultation so that the possibility of significant impingement on neural structures can be carefully studied. If the neural picture is satisfactory and the patient has the classic findings of TMS I proceed with confidence regardless of what the X ray shows".

I'm not a M.D. of course, but that's what Dr. Sarno says about spinal stenosis. According to his theory, TMS will use any structural abnormality as a place to locate pain whose ultimate source is psychological stress.

Let's see what other people have to say!

 

Thanks for that. So it sounds like I would need to see a neurologist to determine if the "neural picture is satisfactory" as Dr. Sarno stated. And I am 72 ala an older patient. I'm getting doctor fatigue.

 

That sounds in agreement with Sarno's practice.

 

The thing is that I felt I was making progress with the SEP now to have to go to yet another doctor routine is a real disappointment. The orthopedic is really pressuring me to take the steroids and do the epidural injection. Oh lordie, down the road I go. But at least I'm moving.

 

Dr Sarno thinks of "old" as in the 80s. Have you ever heard of anyone getting better with steroids and epidermals? I have not. Only temporarily.

 

I was also diagnosed with stenosis, herniated discs, etc. I just had a steroid spinal epidural less than a month ago out of complete desperation. I have to be honest and say it helped. Now, it just so happened that the week after I had it, I also discovered Dr. Sarno's book, so it could be a complete coincidence, I'll just never know. Even Sarno said, painkillers are sometimes necessary to start people on the road to recovery - get pain relief enough to stop concentrating on the physical and start concentrating on the emotional - I feel like this may have been the case for me personally. I feel like my steroid epidural was my true wake up call to all of this pain, and the endless doctors visits. Injections were my last step before surgery - which is completely out of the question for me. I have now truly exhausted all of my options from a medical standpoint, so in turn, I became 100% ready for this program. But that's just me!
I would actually hold off on the injection if you can. I would like to have seen if I would have been feeling as good as I have with just the SEP program, as opposed to doing both at the same time. Ultimately, you have to do what's best for you. We all heal differently.

 

Well first of all they want me to take 6 days of steroids. Do you have any experience with steroids? I'm very reluctant to even do that. They keep talking about inflammation and from what I understand there's no evidence that inflammation causes a problem. And since I'm 72 there's the question that I could have a mechanical problem. However, I'm still continuing the SEP. I, too, don't see how I could agree to surgery.

 

Personally speaking? I don't know what steroids do other than make you very, very hyperactive. I've taken them for allergies before. The allergies didn't go away, but I engaged in manic cleaning of my house and vacuuming the rugs while I was on them. Did notice personality changes though: much more upbeat and optimistic.

 

I was told they would bring the inflammation down so they could see what's going on. I don't know if that makes any sense.

 

Prednisone (an anti-inflammatory steroid) is typically given over 6 days in decreasing doses. However, if your problem is TMS, there's no inflammation anyway. But again, I'm not a physician and what you do (or don't do) is very much between you and your M.D.

 

I hate to give an answer wirhout giving some background info on where I am coming from....so here goes. I'll do my best to keep it short I have been dealing with chronic pain since April 92'. I had been training/practicing with a local semi-Pro Football Team (I was 32yrs old). I got a "Stinger" during practice (numb/tingling in shoulder area). The Trainer tried to help me, but it just didn't seem to subside all the way. I continued for about another 2 weeks before it just hurt too much, and I had to seek help. The thing was, it wasn't excruciating pain, it was my arms would go completely numb or tingling, I got headaches and every time I would workout for a few days, I would get very nauseated, fatigued, and felt like I was getting the flu. Anyway, after going to different Doctors, one sent me to a Neurosurgeon for an MRI. He said the facets in my cervical spine were damaged and had flattened myspinal cord in 3 places. He also said I had spinal stenosis. Long story short, I was told I had to get immediate surgery (14 hours)....so I did. The surgery did not help the pain. I have dealt with this ever since. Like many here, I have been to every Specialist, Doctor, etc. and have tried virtually every pain med, device, epidural injections etc. I even have an Intrathecal Spinal pump implanted in my upper right glute with a catheter running up my spinal canal, held in place with screws. Sorry....I was getting off on a tangent, My point is I had spinal stenosis and surgery didn't help at all with the pain. I'm not so sure anymore even if I needed the surgery. I am just starting this program, and I am finding it to be the truth. So far, I have gotten off Tramadol 100mgs and reduced the Dilaudid in my Spinal pump by 20%. This was over a week ago, and I actually feel empowed. My pain may be no less, but it most definitely hasn't increased, and I have also performed 4 activities I have feared to do, due to increased pain. Good luck in your decision, and I wish you the best. Stay empowered no matter what you choose!!

 

Coach, thanks a lot for sharing your story and I certainly admire your courage in such a hugely difficult experience. Next week I'm seeing a TMS doctor who was an associate of Dr. Sarno. I'm hoping he'll be able to answer my questions. I've had a few surgeries in my 72 years and looking back they were totally useless.

 

Hey Danny, I wanted to clarify, I didn't do the oral steroids even though they were offered to me first. It sounded like way too many side effects to deal with for me. The injection was basically those same steroids going right to the "problem" area (as opposed to going through your whole body via bloodstream) so there is a very low risk of any effects. That's why I went that route. I probably didn't even need it.

Anyway, I think you're going to get all the help you need with a TMS doc. I wish I would have found one long before I did anything! Good luck.

 

Hey Danny,
I hope you will share some of your experience with the TMS Doctor....especially an associate of Dr Sarno's. That should be really interesting. I am on my second week of the SEP, and I plan to complete the entire 6 weeks. If I am not where I believe I should be, I am looking into finding a TMS Doctor , as well. Right now, I have been under the care of a Pain and Rehabilitation Specialist Doctor at a Hospital/Medical College. I am in the process of discontinuing the medication (dilaudid) in my Spinal Pump. I meet with my Doc again on Feb. 24. At this time, I am going to ask for him to recommend a TMS Doc. I don't think he is familiar with TMS, but it's worth a shot. I have mentioned to him over the years, that I thought that a Pain Psychologist may be helpful. He seemed to be open to this. I just don't know what kind of Pain Psychologist we're talking about here. Anyway, again, Good Luck, and please let us know how it goes with the TMS Doctor. Thanks

 

I'll be happy to report on the appointment-it's next week on the 25th. It's in Manhattan as I'm about 100 miles west of there. It'll be a little tough getting around but I know it's something I need to do. Dr. Sarno is still around but he's retired. There's a lot of good Youtube stuff with him. It's really inspiring seeing and listening to him. He was far ahead of his time. I think in the future it has to go the way it was headed in the early 50's before the drug companies took over. Although pain keeps us in the present moment it wears us down as well you know. Good luck on getting off the pain med.

 

Any relief from injections is the placebo effect, period. It is a waste of time and money, and potentially very dangerous. What's more, and most are not even aware of this fact, the FDA does not even APPROVE of it's use!!!!! Here's a direct link to the FDA website. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm394280.htm

Most notable from the FDA site on this matter: "Injecting corticosteroids into the epidural space of the spine has been a widespread practice for many decades; however, the effectiveness and safety of the drugs for this use have not been established, and FDA has not approved corticosteroids for such use. We started investigating this safety issue when we became aware of medical professionals’ concerns about epidural corticosteroid injections and the risk of serious neurologic adverse events" (emphasis mine).

 

It's mind boggling why treatments like this continue. I wonder if the people who perform these injections would have them done on themselves. My mother was on prednisone for quite a while which I think contributed to a stroke which took her life.

 

Sorry to hear about your mom, that is very sad....

 

Thanks for your condolences. It's tough to lose a mother at any age especially when you didn't have a father and your beloved peewee baseball coach sexually molested you as in my case.

At the pleading of a friend I went to an acupuncturist knowing that it wouldn't really help with the sciatica. However my right foot became swollen and sore due to I think compensating in the way I had to walk due to the sciatica. The acupuncture did help my foot somewhat.

The acupuncturist also put some needles in for the sciatica. He gave me a detained explanation that the sciatica was caused by the disc gel punching through the disc and impacting the nerves. He also said there was a lot of swelling around the area which was also impacting the nerves causing pain. He said it would be good to take the prednisone for six weeks as this may help dry up the gel quicker because it may take 6 months for the healing. And if that didn't work I would probably need surgery to clean up the area. He went on to say do not bend back while standing and do not do any twisting. Both of these do not bother me much at all. The whole time I'm listening to this I feel so fortunate that I don't believe any of what he is saying is valid. Although I do consider him to be a good, honest man who's only trying to help.

Regarding returning to regular exercise which TMS patients are encouraged to do, for me this would include hatha yoga as I've been practicing regularly for 15 years. I've done a little since the sciatica episode. However, I can tell that launching into full poses as I did before is somewhat scary at this point. I can sense that certain poses at this point would invite real pain. Although I know in my heart I am advancing toward full yoga practice. I'm so looking forward to my appointment with the TMS doctor next week.

I'm on day 11 of the SEP. What I'm discovering is that recently I've learned that how vital it is to find a place in myself I know I can go to and in that way I will experience that I am safe and sound.

Blessings to all