Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
120 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

Suggest Treatment For Severe Back Pain

Hey Docs. I ve been fighting a bad back for 20 years and it appears I m going to have to get a decompression operation (L4-L5). I ve put this off for a long as I can, but getting around this pain is getting really old. My question is; do I have reasonable chance to get some long term relief? I m in reasonably good health but I do smoke a pack a day. Thanks for your consideration.
posted on Sat, 2 May 2015
Twitter Mon, 18 May 2015 Answered on
Twitter Tue, 19 May 2015 Last reviewed on
Report Abuse
Orthopaedic Surgeon,  's  Response
Hi,From your information it seems you have a condition where there is a nerve compression for a prolapsed disc or a stenosis (narrowing of the canal caused by either the disc or extra bone formations or even a shift in the vertebral position).All these causes a bad back but essentially leads to pains shooting down the limb and disturbances in sensation.
So to answer your question, if the MRI does show a nerve affection or an unstable vertebral bone and it correlates with your symptoms and signs,then there is a good chance that you will get pain relief.However this is along standing condition and your back muscles will be weak and contracted which means intensive physiotherapy will be required.
Furthermore you are a moderately heavy smoker and this will in no way help pain relief or a quick recovery so think about quitting!
I find this answer helpful

 1 user finds this helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Loading Online Doctors....
Suggest Treatment For Severe Back Pain

Hi,From your information it seems you have a condition where there is a nerve compression for a prolapsed disc or a stenosis (narrowing of the canal caused by either the disc or extra bone formations or even a shift in the vertebral position).All these causes a bad back but essentially leads to pains shooting down the limb and disturbances in sensation. So to answer your question, if the MRI does show a nerve affection or an unstable vertebral bone and it correlates with your symptoms and signs,then there is a good chance that you will get pain relief.However this is along standing condition and your back muscles will be weak and contracted which means intensive physiotherapy will be required. Furthermore you are a moderately heavy smoker and this will in no way help pain relief or a quick recovery so think about quitting!