Lower Back Pain
Posted on: Wed, 11/26/2008 - 22:35
Noise in my spine

4 years ago I had double back surgery to have a tumor removed from my L4. I now have a synthetic vertebra and am fused from L3-L5. Yesterday morning I reached for a cup of coffe and I heard a large pop in my lower right side of my back. I froze when it happend thinking I would experience alot of pain and was nervous. When I was getting dressed I bent over to put my pants on and my spine made a grinding noise. Long story short, some times when I breathe I can feel the odd sensation in my spine, if I bend over, I feel it, bend my neck, twist my back or reach for something, I feel it. I saw the PA at my neurologist's office yesterday and I have a CT next Friday..earliest I could get in. I was given pain meds as well as muscle relaxers. The noise is so creepy that you can actually hear the noise when I bend. The PA said that maybe the hardware in my back may have broken and if so, I will need to have it removed. It is hard for me to describe, but the sensation in my back feels like grinding and also like I have liquid in the center of my back. Has anyone ever experienced this? Please excuse any typos..the meds are hitting me! Thanks so much for your time!!!


Posted on: Wed, 11/26/2008 - 22:54 #1
Hi MHH and Welcome

I hear and feel the grinding all the time. I have a herniated disc with an annular tear, but I also have arthropathy which is arthritis in the facet joints so I'll be getting facet joint steroid injections on Dec. 6. It's supposed to relieve the noise and pain caused by the inflammation. I hope things are okay with your spine and hardware. Take care and keep us posted. Charry

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L5-S1 herniated disc with tear with disc material in contact with S-1 nerve. 3 Epidurals. Facet joint injections and last epidural on Dec. 6. DDD C5-C7 osteoarthritis hyperextension of cervical spine. Off work 10 months due to pain.
MS Contin,Flexeril,celebrex,Lyrica,wellbutrin,lasix,amitriptyline,Oxazepam

Posted on: Sun, 11/30/2008 - 20:38 #2
Charry..thanx for responding

Charry,

I live in Atlanta. Now sure where you are..going to call the neurosurgeon in the morning to speed up the CT and Xray. I have no idea where you live, but would you know of any neurosurgeons in the Atlanta area? Thnx, MHH

Posted on: Thu, 11/27/2008 - 01:53 #3
Hello MHH

Welcome to S~H Wave

Hey I hear noises in my neck at the cervical spine all the time-popping,crunching.etc.,BUT I don't have any hardware in my spine.If I did and heard what you did I think I would be pretty concerned .. Puzzled

I'm a little surprised that they didn't want to do at least x-rays right away..since the surgery was 4 years ago and this noise and 'pop' was new,you would think that they would want to look at it right away? I haven't had spinal surgery and know nothing about the protocol when such things happen,but I think if that were me I would have insisted on finding the cause immediately.Perhaps that is because I haven't been through any major spine issues other than DDD and ESI's.

Please let us know what they find..and I hope that everything is ok.

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Posted on: Sun, 11/30/2008 - 20:40 #4
Robin, I live in Atlanta. Do

Robin,

I live in Atlanta. Do you know of any neurosurgeons in the Atlanta area? Thanks for your reply..I am calling the neuro doc in the morning. MHH

Posted on: Sun, 11/30/2008 - 20:48 #5
I have noises

in my back when bending, stretching etc. But I have had most of the disc removed at L3/L4 and have facet arthropathy so I am pretty sure that is where the popping and grinding noise is coming from for me. Good luck on your scan and please keep us posted.

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I am in no way associated with the medical field. Anything that I post comes from personal experience only.
DDD, Facet Arthropathy, DJD, Sleep Apnea
PT, Epidurals, Facet Blocks,Medial Branch Block, Rhizotomy,Discogram,Annular Tare L3/L4 Endoscopic Microdiscectomy,Laser Surgery
Methadone, Percocet, Soma, Welbutrin

Posted on: Tue, 12/02/2008 - 05:30 #6
Sorry No

I'm in NC and do not see a NS,but good luck to you.

Maybe do an online search in that area.. Confused

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Posted on: Wed, 12/03/2008 - 11:31 #7
MHH the grinding popping and

MHH the grinding popping and rubbing feeling in your back could be you hardware. If you had surgery 4 years ago and are fused with no issues there it would great to get your hardware removed. It serves no purpose after you fuse and the good thing is its a day surgery with very short recovery time for hardware removal. but wait till you get you CT scan back to be 100% sure youare fused. MHH i hope its just your hardware loose and everything else is in place. Please keep us posted and take care of your self while you wait, and hope for the best.

Paula

Posted on: Wed, 12/03/2008 - 11:34 #8
I have clicking

I have clicking and popping in my back. I just had a two level fusion with instrumentation on 11/21. It doesn't hurt but it is very audible outside of my body even. The doc told me not to worry about it unless it hurts.

One Love,

Stephanie

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"If we fall, we don't need self-recrimination or blame or anger - we need a reawakening of our intention and a willingness to recommit, to be whole-hearted once again."--Sharon Salzberg

27yo female, pain for the last 10 years, DDD, Stenosis, Recurrent rupture at L5-S1, Herniation at L3, Annular Tear L4, Low back pain, Leg Pain, Numbness, Partial paralysis. Discectomy Sx 2000, nerve block 2001, 2005, 2008. Discogram 10/9/08. Two level (L4-S1) TLIF (transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion) completed on 11/21/08. New stuff going on after surgery that I hope will go away, burning and odd nerve sensations in right hip buttock and thigh, clicking noise in back when I move forward or back (not painful, TG!), and sciatica and numbness in left leg and foot.

Currently taking percocet, robaxin, and gabapentin and walking as much as possible!

www.myspace.com/dwninmyheart
www.journeythroughthepainbody.blogspot.com



Posted on: Wed, 12/03/2008 - 11:37 #9
MHH i forgot to answer that

MHH i forgot to answer that I did experiecnce the popping and grinding for a year time. I was shocked to find out i had broken hardware but also was not fused. So i had to have old hardware out and new hardware in with more bone graph just like the origanial fusion. The part that is scary for me is the cervical hardware is loose and not fused so its a surgery i am needing soon.

Take care,
Paula

Posted on: Wed, 12/03/2008 - 15:18 #10
MHH

I too have noticed this noise and feeling you are describing. I noticed this a month or two...maybe longer, I can't remember after I had L5-S1 anterior discectomy and fusion. I does this everytime I walk. It doesn't hurt but feels uncomfortable and you can hear it as well as I can feel it. I asked the ortho surgeon and he said he didn't know what it was, maybe a ligamet or something which doesn't make sense. I just think it's hardware and/or bone regrowth where the cage was place. If any of you have any answers from your medical professionals, please share this information with me as sometimes it's scary.

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I am in no way a medical professional and all my views expressed are from my own personal experience and/or opinion.

God Bless all my Spiney friends,
Michele

Low back pain since I was a child, 6+ yrs chiro, decompression therapy, deep and soft tissue massages, ultrasound and stent treatments, PT, several injections, discogram. 7/1/08 L5-S1 anterior discectomy and fusion (still in pain). 12/11/08 had right SI joint injection, still in pain. 1/30/09 appt with neuro for 2nd opinion.
Meds: vicoprofen, cymbalta, clonazepam, daily vitamin, ambien+tylenol PM for insomnia, skelaxin.

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