Re: Spinal Laser Surgery???

"Prisoner at War" <prisoner_at_war@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c44826b0-6572-4ebb-9322-dc608f14bcdf@b2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
>
> I have, "at the L5-S1 Level, 3mm broad-based disc herniation that
> extends to the left neural foramen crowding the exiting nerve roots."
> I can barely stretch to put on or take off my socks, and cannot sprint
> anymore (basically useless right leg).

would decompression therapy be an option? here's a google search link
so you can investigate. it's usually offered by chiropractors.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...herapy&spell=1

"Prisoner at War" <prisoner_at_war@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:17886e54-0175-4f19-afb2-58dd846751c4@y5g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> On Jan 30, 12:37 pm, "AllEmailDeletedImmediately" <der...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>>
>> would decompression therapy be an option? here's a google search link
>> so you can investigate. it's usually offered by chiropractors.
>>
>> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...=0&ct=result&c...
>
>
> Hmm, thanks for the heads-up, but searching further (at
> http://www.spine-health.com/backtalk...ecompress.html and
> http://www.doctorken.com/faq.html, for example), it seems like
> decompression has a mixed record, at best....

but maybe the first option before cutting on your back?
>

"Prisoner at War" <prisoner_at_war@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:b90f78b0-ad86-46b7-868b-7ac4adf37bc5@e6g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> On Jan 30, 2:12 pm, "AllEmailDeletedImmediately" <der...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>>
>> but maybe the first option before cutting on your back?
>
> Um...what first option, please? I see a google link to very technical
> discussions, mostly for chiros, not prospective patients.
>
> I wouldn't mind cutting my back as long as this problem gets fixed and
> I can run again! I honestly can't sprint at all, only jog slowly.
> It's like my right leg just isn't there at all! Even worse, I can't
> even put on my socks without huffing and puffing like I'd just done a
> deadlift (which I can do, actually, strange to say, at up to 315-
> lbs.!).
>
> The reason I'm asking about LASER surgery is because it sounds like it
> would remove the risk normally involved in spinal surgery. They don't
> even cut any muscles; it's a one-day out-patient affair! And surgery
> sounds like the way to go: if it's something pushing up against the
> nerve, well, why not cut away that damned something!! So is laser
> safer -- does anyone know??

have you seen a chiropractor to see if they can help? if i understand
hernation,
i think this decompression thing will work. they get it to the point where
they
shove the disc back in, i think. regular chiropractic might be able to
help.
call one and tell them you have a herniated disc and see what they say.

now, if it's ruptured.....

your insurance may not pay for any chiropractic, but probably will pay for
back surgery. laser?????

try this one. maybe change the state to yours. if your in another
country,
put in your country. see if anyone near you offers it and call. i'd try
anything
to avoid anyone messing internally. i'm not sure it's smart to remove part
of the disc if it can be put back in. but this appears better than actual
surgery
where they fuse your discs together.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...ia&btnG=Search

"Prisoner at War" <prisoner_at_war@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9f3e1f53-b8f9-49e7-833c-0ad3bd7aebfa@b2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> On Jan 30, 3:22 pm, "AllEmailDeletedImmediately" <der...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>>
>> have you seen a chiropractor to see if they can help? if i understand
>> hernation,
>> i think this decompression thing will work. they get it to the point
>> where
>> they
>> shove the disc back in, i think. regular chiropractic might be able to
>> help.
>> call one and tell them you have a herniated disc and see what they say.
>>
>> now, if it's ruptured.....
>
> "Herniation" by definition means "ruptured"...it's that "jelly"
> pressing up against the nerve:
>
> http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/b...erniated_disc/
>

okay. i thought a ruptured disc was one in which the sac thingy burst and
all the jelly stuff came out instead of just the sac bulging.

>> your insurance may not pay for any chiropractic, but probably will pay
>> for
>> back surgery. laser?????
>>
>> try this one. maybe change the state to yours. if your in another
>> country,
>> put in your country. see if anyone near you offers it and call. i'd
>> try
>> anything
>> to avoid anyone messing internally. i'm not sure it's smart to remove
>> part
>> of the disc if it can be put back in. but this appears better than
>> actual
>> surgery
>> where they fuse your discs together.
>>
>> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...ession+chiropr...
>
> Thanks, but I just don't see how chiro can help in this case. I am
> not one of those who discount them out of hand, but disc herniation is
> about more than misalignment, etc.

just call and tell them what's wrong. won't cost anything and ya never
know. they do
more than just alignments, especially with that decompression machine.
call for several
opinions just in case you get one who will take your money for nothing.
you shouldn't have
to go in if you already know the disc is herniated. be sure to use the
terminology your
doctor used, herniated vs ruptured.


>

"Prisoner at War" <prisoner_at_war@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9f3e1f53-b8f9-49e7-833c-0ad3bd7aebfa@b2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> On Jan 30, 3:22 pm, "AllEmailDeletedImmediately" <der...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:

in the meantime, i've emailed my chiro.
>

Dear POW,

Their site's got me scratching my head. In one spot they say they don't do
laminectomies. A couple sentences later they talk about doing them. I know
there's a lot of surgeries that they use laser scalpels instead of
conventional ones, and most of them do seem to be out patient procedures,
since I would imagine, the laser cauterizes as it cuts. Since the disk is a
"balloon" filled with "jelly" that's the only way I could figure they can
get away with only removing a portion of the disk.
It may sound crazy, I hardly believed it myself when I heard it, but a
spinal surgeon on a radio show said the new artificial disk replacement was
also an out patient procedure. Beats the hell out of me how they can do
that, but the surgeon was doing them even before the FDA approved the
procedure, participating in the trials leading up to approval. At that time
he said his patients doing the procedure numbered in the hundreds and
claimed a success rate around 90%. I called about doing it, and I don't know
if the policy was changed or not, but at the time, any previous procedure
disqualified you as a candidate.
Just something to consider.

Best of Luck--og


--
Be Sure to Check Out the PAYNE HERTZ blog, for people with chronic pain, by
people with chronic pain.
join in at: http://paynehertz.blogspot.com


"Prisoner at War" <prisoner_at_war@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9f3e1f53-b8f9-49e7-833c-0ad3bd7aebfa@b2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> On Jan 30, 3:22 pm, "AllEmailDeletedImmediately" <der...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>>
>> have you seen a chiropractor to see if they can help? if i understand
>> hernation,
>> i think this decompression thing will work. they get it to the point
>> where
>> they
>> shove the disc back in, i think. regular chiropractic might be able to
>> help.
>> call one and tell them you have a herniated disc and see what they say.
>>
>> now, if it's ruptured.....
>
> "Herniation" by definition means "ruptured"...it's that "jelly"
> pressing up against the nerve:
>
> http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/b...erniated_disc/
>
>> your insurance may not pay for any chiropractic, but probably will pay
>> for
>> back surgery. laser?????
>>
>> try this one. maybe change the state to yours. if your in another
>> country,
>> put in your country. see if anyone near you offers it and call. i'd
>> try
>> anything
>> to avoid anyone messing internally. i'm not sure it's smart to remove
>> part
>> of the disc if it can be put back in. but this appears better than
>> actual
>> surgery
>> where they fuse your discs together.
>>
>> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...ession+chiropr...
>
> Thanks, but I just don't see how chiro can help in this case. I am
> not one of those who discount them out of hand, but disc herniation is
> about more than misalignment, etc.

"AllEmailDeletedImmediately" <derjda@hotmail.com> wrote in
newsVaoj.2001$eg.231@trndny01:

>
> "Prisoner at War" <prisoner_at_war@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:9f3e1f53-b8f9-49e7-833c-
0ad3bd7aebfa@b2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com..
> .
>> On Jan 30, 3:22 pm, "AllEmailDeletedImmediately" <der...@hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> have you seen a chiropractor to see if they can help? if i
>>> understand hernation,
>>> i think this decompression thing will work. they get it to the
>>> point where
>>> they
>>> shove the disc back in, i think. regular chiropractic might be
>>> able to help.
>>> call one and tell them you have a herniated disc and see what they
>>> say.
>>>
>>> now, if it's ruptured.....
>>
>> "Herniation" by definition means "ruptured"...it's that "jelly"
>> pressing up against the nerve:
>>
>> http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/b...erniated_disc/
>>
>

Um no, the jelly doesn't press on anything. The nerve pathways are
narrowed by the curvature or compression from the lack of disk where it
ruptured.


> okay. i thought a ruptured disc was one in which the sac thingy
> burst and all the jelly stuff came out instead of just the sac
> bulging.
>


You are partially correct. There is no sac of jelly, it is a hard,
sinewy disk, not like a sponge like some dummys tell you.

>>
>> Thanks, but I just don't see how chiro can help in this case. I am
>> not one of those who discount them out of hand, but disc herniation
>> is about more than misalignment, etc.
>


Chiros treat much more than just misalignment. But misalignment is the
cause of the herniation, and if you don't treat the cause there can be
no cure. The chiro can manipulate you so the pathway that's pinching
the nerves opens up, then healing can start.


> just call and tell them what's wrong. won't cost anything and ya
> never know. they do
> more than just alignments, especially with that decompression machine.
> call for several
> opinions just in case you get one who will take your money for
> nothing. you shouldn't have
> to go in if you already know the disc is herniated. be sure to use
> the terminology your
> doctor used, herniated vs ruptured.
>
>

The bottom line is this: surgery is a last resort, and everything
possible should be tried before you consider it, including and
especially chiropractic care. It certainly is far too late to do any
harm, and may just save you an operation.

"Prisoner at War" <prisoner_at_war@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:60a268a0-7fdd-46ac-b27b-9902554c81f6@f47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
> On Jan 30, 10:05 pm, "AllEmailDeletedImmediately" <der...@hotmail.com>

> That decompression stuff is thousands and thousands of dollars,
> depending on the number of visits, for awfully mixed results. I'm
> really glad you brought it to my attention, and it was very
> interesting to read through all the material on it, but for that kind
> of money I'd rather consider laser surgery. The promise of using a
> laser is that it's pin-point accurate and so drastically reduces the
> risks involved. I'm just wondering how great a risk might still
> remain.

all surgery will have some risk. get the most experienced doctor you
can find.

keep researching, i guess. maybe there's a specialized yahoo group for
your condition that might have people on it that had it done.

>