Hello all.
I just received today the results of my MRI from yesterday and am very concerned now more than i already was. I have a feeling I will now be considered "surgical", which I'm still trying to decide if I even want to go the surgical route, but I think that even if I am surgical I still have to be in pain for awhile longer during "conservative treatments" before they would actually operate on me. I am having difficulty with managing my pain in the meantime, though, which is not helped by the fact my Doctor has up until this point not believed I am possibly in this much pain and has only prescribed me to take 2 pain pills a day. This is just not cutting it with my pain, as hard as I try to ignore the pain. I've been in treatment for a year now for slight bulging discs at L4/L5 & L5/S1 and some mild osteoarthritis and cervical DDD with bony spurs. I have had every imaginable test done before having my records sent to a surgeon this past fall out of desperation to get out of pain. The surgeon's office told me, when I called to make an appt, that I was not considered a surgical candidate so I stopped pursuing getting better and decided to just deal with the pain. Unfortunately, I was involved in a head-on motor vehicle collision about 5 weeks ago and my pain has been significantly worsened. Since the accident I have been to physical therapy 7 times, without any improvement so far, and have had an MRI done (yesterday). Previous MRI only showed 2 slightly bulging discs. The MRI from yesterday reports:

2.5 mm herniated disc at C5/C6 (with impingement of thecal sac), 2 mm herniated disc at C6/C7, 2 mm herniated disc at C7/T1, 2.5 mm herniated disc at T1/T2, 5 mm herniated disc at L4/L5 with abutment of nerve roots, and 4 mm herniated disc at L5/S1.

I should mention that I also have moderate scoliosis and moderate scale kyphosis.

My pain doctor refuses to put me in any braces, which is good from what I've heard because I've been told that braces weaken the muscles but is bad for me because my kyphosis causes me a great deal of pain. I cannot take NSAIDs due to another medication that I take which interacts with all NSAIDs. I have done a total of 17 visits of physical therapy this year; 10 were in Feb-Mar and 7 have been over the course of the last 3 weeks. There has been zero improvement from PT. I do NOT have sciatica, radiculopathy, etc. The only pain I have that radiates at all is down my right arm but feels like it is stemming from my right shoulder blade.

Here are my questions. 1) Based upon the sizes of the disc herniations as well as the other spinal history, would it seem that I would now be considered a surgical candidate? I will obviously be asking my doctor at my next appt which is in January. I have read in several places that it isn't so much the size of the actual herniations as it is the size of the herniations compared to the size of the individual's disc space. I have very small disc spaces as I am a very thin and petite individual. I am also fairly young (29 y/o) and in relatively good health so I know age would not be an issue in my surgical candidacy factor.
2) While I am waiting for my pain management doctor to figure out that I really am in pain and actually prescribe me enough pain pills to stay out of excruciating amounts of pain and even after that until I see the surgeon for a surgical opinion, does anyone have a suggestion on ways I can better manage my pain? I cannot take any anti-inflammatories, and I am only prescribed currently to take 2 pain pills per day and one muscle relaxant pill per day. I alternate 20 mins/heat and 20 mins/ice throughout my day. I do not work outside the home.

Thanks for any and all help!
Kat

Herniated discs at C5/C6, C6/C7, C7/T1, T1/T2, L4/L5, L5/S1; Kyphosis, Scoliosis, Spondylosthesis, Cervical DDD with bony spurs