How bad can lower back pain get when you have degenerative discs?
Chronic back pain can hit a ten on the pain scale regardless of the findings of your MRI or CT scans. Disc and other spinal issues visible on scans are only moderately correlated with patients' experience of pain. In chronic pain the peripheral nervous system gets irritated and begins to amplify pain signals from a region of your body. This can happen independent of a visible issue, or from a minor one.So, to answer your question: 10 out of 10. You really do hurt how much you think you hurt. Although over time your concept of ten may change as you learn to deal with more and more pain.If you're experiencing severe back pain for more than a couple of months, it is critical that you see a pain psychologist and a physiatrist. The pain psychologist will teach you techniques that will lessen your experience of pain. The physiatrist will prescribe medication and oversee physical therapy. Together they can manage your pain. Look for a comprehensive pain clinic that offers both of these as well as interventions by an anaesthesiologist.
Can a osteopath or chiropractor fix an hiatal hernia?
In the United States an osteopath is a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) and equivalent to an MD. They prescribe medication and perform surgery and do everything else that a medical doctor would do. Some times they receive training in spinal manipulation and a very few of them actually perform this type of care. In this way they are similar to a chiropractor.Chiropractors (DC) while focusing primarily on skeletal, muscular, or neurological conditions also treat visceral or systemic conditions using diet, exercise and other means without the use of drugs or surgery.A hiatal hernia that is severe enough to require surgery is not something that a chiropractor can address, but could be operated on by a DO surgeon. If the condition does not require a surgery there are many methods of treating the hernia its self or addressing the symptoms. Some of those methods involve medicine and some don’t. Any of these methods can be used by a DO, and any of the non-medical ones can be used by a DC. All of these treatments other than surgery do not directly fix the hernia, but may allow the body to self correct the problem just as you might recover from the flu on your own.More directly to the point though most hiatal hernia’s have no symptoms and do not require fixing. There are some treatments that definitely don’t work. For example there are no spinal adjustments that fix a hiatal hernia.The short answer is yes both a chiropractor and an osteopath could help you with a hiatal hernia, but the term fix is more questionable.
Is the DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) a waste of time?
Okay, this will not be a popular answer but it is the truth: None of my collegaues who, when given the choice between allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical school chose the latter. All of them went to DO school because they couldn’t get into an allopathic medical school.Having gotten that out of the way, two of my very favorite colleagues are DOs and they would have done well in allopathic medical school but were never given the chance. They wanted to become a physician so badly that they endured the “second-rate” treatment of their DO credentials and made everyone in our residency think twice before discriminating against them because of where they went to school.Medical school is difficult wherever you go. Getting in is a crapshoot and many well-qualified people who would make great doctors don’t get in. Osteopathic medical schools mostly have lower barriers to entry (lower MCAT scores, fewer applicants from highly competetive undergrad universities) and allow some of these people to not only get in but excel.So no, it’s not a waste of time. Just be prepared to face some discrimination.
Can pharmacists write “Dr.” as prefixes to their names?
The use of “Dr.” or “Doctor” has two distinct usages in the US.It can refer to a degree granted by an institution, this can be either academic (PhD, DSc) or professional (DDS, DMD, VMD, OD, PharmD, etc.)Or it can be a synonym for “physician”If I write that I am a doctor, it implies the latter. If I write that I have a doctorate it is the former.Thus usage is context critical.In a health care situation, including Pharmacy, the use of Dr. or Doctor could erroneously imply physician. In a History department of a university, it would not.In some jurisdictions, the use of Doctor, where it could reasonably imply a medical license would be unlawful.Thus, the simple solution is to always concurrently describe the credential or use the actual degree.e.g. I am Dr. Joe Blough, your pharmacist.or I am Joe Blough, PharmDPhysicians with MDs usually write “Joe Blough, MD” and avoid writing Dr. Joe Blough the exception to this, historically, has been for Osteopathic physicians (in the US) who commonly have used “Dr.” instead of DO.In verbal communication, physicians will commonly introduce themselves as Dr. Joe Blough when the situation would imply that they are physicians such as in a medical office or hospital ER.To make it even more confusing, in the US, physicians who have immigrated with MBBS credentials often write their names as Joe Blough, MD rather than Joe Blough, MBBS since they are licensed as MDs even though their degrees are not.Very strange.Still the best answer is to always write the name followed by the degree.
If a person has lower back herniated disc problems and pain in the thigh and calf at what point?
I've had surgery on my lower back twelve times. I have osteo-arthritis in the severe degenerative stages along with severe neurological damages. The orthopedic surgeons ill make the decision for you. They will examine all MRI's and X-Rays and make that decision. It's a matterr of "If it isn't broken, don't fix it" I have been on pain control since 1994.
Chronic, severe neck pain with neurological complications!?
I had a CT scan done of my Cervical spine (neck) 8 months ago. The report concluded that there was no "significant" abnormality. In the last 6 months, I have been experiencing severe, chronic neck pain associated with terrible headaches and even trouble breathing at times. The pain is dull, heavy, aching and throbbing. This pain occasionally radiates into both of my collarbones, shoulders, biceps, and forearms- and even down into the upper thoracic spine area. My arms feel fatigued with even minimal exertion and the tips of a couple of my fingers go numb. I can only write for about 5 minutes, then my right hand starts to seize up, I lose muscle control, and it goes spastic. Then it feels like the hand is locking up. Also, I get muscle spasms in the neck, but also in the soft tissues surrounding the collarbones, shoulders, biceps, and forearms. I have trouble swallowing sometimes. I have over-active or over-responsive reflexes, like my head suddenly jerking to the side for a second while watching TV. It does not matter what I do, I just cannot get in a comfortable position with my pillow. My neck never feels relaxed. The only thing that takes the pain away is OxyContin- but I hate that drug, and I am searching for a medication that is effective and not addictive. My hands are completely bombarded with tremors, my eyelids will not stop twitching, and now and again I feel strange sensations that come and go- all over the face, around the head, the jaw, and the arms- like someone is lightly caressing my skin with cotton candy. Is it possible for degenerative changes to occur in the neck in as little as 8 months? Do these symptoms indicate that there has been a rapid onset of deterioration? Is it possible that there could be old AND new findings that were not detected on the CT that an MRI scan would detect? I think I need an MRI for further investigation. Your thoughts? Some information you might want to know: PREVIOUS MRI REPORTS: Thoracic and Lumbar: Upper back: Moderate kyphosis, disc degeneration at T3&T4 with T4 2mm disc protrusion, multiple level bilateral facet joint arthritis, osteophytosis and sclerosis. Lower: Congenital central lumbar canal stenosis at L1/2 to L4/5, L5/S1 disc degeneration and narrowing present/ desiccation expected to follow.
Sciatic Nerve - Can it be deadened without causing other physical side effects?
There are a few doctors that might help you. A neurologist is someone that specializes in issues relating to nerves. An osteopath that is certified in osteopathic manipulation who would work with you in trying to free up the nerve. A pain management doctor who will attack the problem with the use of drugs. I would recommend that you find a physical therapist that specializes in backs for this is a more common problem that you think. The use of steroids is a risk for while they are powerful anti-inflamatories they also carry large risks with them. These risks include making the tissues around the injection site weaker and they stay that way for sometimes up to three months. If you get too many of them they permanently damage the muscle and you lose its function. There are treatments such as radial frequency that work on the muscle and nerve as specific points to deaden the pain. The one other thing that should be done is to see another orthopedist about this. Sometimes they can go in and make adjustments to where the prosthesis is seated. Good luck!
When you study to become a doctor and then quit before graduation are you still considered a doctor since you got the education?
In Australia, A doctor is a legally qualified medical Practitioner (LQMP) registrable with the medical board of the state and the country.To be a LQMP one has to haveattended a medical schoolCompleted the coursePassed all the examinationsBeen awarded the appropriate degrees, MD or MB,BS asappropriateBeen accepted into a hospital and completed the internship to obtain practical experience.been eligible to be registered with the medical board.Registered with the medical boardUnless one has completed all the above steps, one is only an educated medical student who has acquired theoretical medical knowledge and some practical skills. One cannot be called a doctor by any stretch of the imagination.Until one is registered with the medical board, one is not permitted to write prescriptions, order pathological tests, CT scans. X-rays Or MRIs or refer patients to specialists.The answer is NO - you are not a doctor, and no one will consider you as a Doctor. It is illegal to call yourself a doctor or pretend to be one. It is also illegal to charge a fee for your medical advice.I am not aware that any country in the world would consider you as a doctor in the situation you described. If you wish to be a doctor, complete what you started, don’t quit!
Explantion of broken L3 & L5 with compressed L4 and type of surgery and success rate?
first of all dont listen to any brain dead sugestions about seeing a chiropractor.dont let anyone talk you into having the op. on your back until you have researched it thoroughly.when you've done that do it again,talk to people that have had the op as well before you make a descision.try massage to help in the meantime make sure you tell the truth about your back before they work on you.they cant fix your back but they can help make life a bit more bearable.if you keep your back relaxed it helps stop other things tightening up(ie:hamstrings,sciatic nerve etc.)which in turn helps you live with your back problem.it's not a miracle cure but it definately helps.