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Couple brief updates:
Diagnosis of degenerative arthritis is confirmed. The MRI also shows significant disc bulging into the T1-T2 range, which is depressing but unsurprising. The vertebrae themselves show spurring throughout. It's likely that imaging of other back regions would say the same thing, but unless there's a particular problem there doesn't seem to be a pressing need for more pictures. It wouldn't change what we do.
Lifestyle-wise, I need to avoid impact activities, which I generally don't do anyway. People with stressed discs are at much higher risk for ruptures under impact that wouldn't bother healthy spines. There are some things I don't do anymore that I wish I was doing more and maybe I shouldn't be doing. Sigh.
The Ortho and I discussed the prednisone effects I blogged about last time. He feels that the appropriate next step is to start working with a pain clinic that will help me treat the condition more holistically rather than reactively. So I'll continue the ibu-as-needed and get a referral to the pain clinic that'll take a couple weeks to set up. PT is a good plan in the interim.
Basically my back is fucked and it's going to be (more and more) fucked for the rest of my life. Go me.
Diagnosis of degenerative arthritis is confirmed. The MRI also shows significant disc bulging into the T1-T2 range, which is depressing but unsurprising. The vertebrae themselves show spurring throughout. It's likely that imaging of other back regions would say the same thing, but unless there's a particular problem there doesn't seem to be a pressing need for more pictures. It wouldn't change what we do.
Lifestyle-wise, I need to avoid impact activities, which I generally don't do anyway. People with stressed discs are at much higher risk for ruptures under impact that wouldn't bother healthy spines. There are some things I don't do anymore that I wish I was doing more and maybe I shouldn't be doing. Sigh.
The Ortho and I discussed the prednisone effects I blogged about last time. He feels that the appropriate next step is to start working with a pain clinic that will help me treat the condition more holistically rather than reactively. So I'll continue the ibu-as-needed and get a referral to the pain clinic that'll take a couple weeks to set up. PT is a good plan in the interim.
Basically my back is fucked and it's going to be (more and more) fucked for the rest of my life. Go me.
