Has anyone had a facet rhizotomy procedure?

[Spring Day]

Long story short, I got in a car accident in 2018 and I’m still dealing with back pain which is getting worse. I’ve been to PT, Chiro, and massage. And recently got two lumbar epidural steroid injections in July that did not work but only gave me weird side effects that didn’t pertain to the back injury at all. I finally got in with a neurosurgeon and they don’t think that surgery will fix my problem but they think my next step is a facet rhizotomy. Has anyone gotten this procedure? Could you please tell me a little more about it and if the results were to your liking? Did it fix the problem permanently or is this a procedure that must be done repeatedly?

Here is a picture of my dogs to thank you for your time

 

[OoohShiny]

Cool furry family!

I am no use whatsoever in terms of your medical procedure questions, lol, but I was just wondering if you have undertaken any specific strengthening / conditioning exercise for your back and core?

PIlates and Yoga is always sold as being good for core strength, so it would be great if that could support your back and maybe help reduce any pain

 

[elizat]

I am not in medicine. But I practice law and defend personal injury cases, amongst other types of law. I can only offer anecdotal thoughts. Not a great amount of success that I have seen with PI plaintiffs. Many report little to no relief long term.

However, that could also be skewed because folks could be saying that but actually having relief. There is motivation in my world to present increased need for additional medical care, to make the case value larger. So what's being reported may not be true. But I personally have not encountered a lot of people that have a success rate of relief that is 70 plus percent as suggested by some studies.

I would ask you doctor about success rates in their practice, complications, etc., to help in th decision.

However, some reading:

Percutaneous Rhizotomy for Chronic Back or Neck Pain: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines - NCBI Bookshelf

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Percutaeous radiofrequency facet rhizotomy--experience with 118 procdedures and reappraisal of its value - PubMed

Percutaneous radiofrequency facet denervation is simple and safe, still worth considering in patients with disabling spinal pain that fails to respond to conservative treatment. The use of general anaesthesia shortens the operating time and the patient's discomfort without impairing success rate.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Rhizotomy - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

www.sciencedirect.com

 

[Spring Day]

Cool furry family!

I am no use whatsoever in terms of your medical procedure questions, lol, but I was just wondering if you have undertaken any specific strengthening / conditioning exercise for your back and core?

PIlates and Yoga is always sold as being good for core strength, so it would be great if that could support your back and maybe help reduce any pain

Thanks for chiming in! As a matter of fact, I have. During PT they were very adamant that I continue to do core strengthening exercises. I haven’t done yoga though cuz truthfully I don’t like it. I’m more of a HIIT girl. But the neurosurgeon also recommended I do some yoga, so yoga I must.

 

[Spring Day]

I am not in medicine. But I practice law and defend personal injury cases, amongst other types of law. I can only offer anecdotal thoughts. Not a great amount of success that I have seen with PI plaintiffs. Many report little to no relief long term.

However, that could also be skewed because folks could be saying that but actually having relief. There is motivation in my world to present increased need for additional medical care, to make the case value larger. So what's being reported may not be true. But I personally have not encountered a lot of people that have a success rate of relief that is 70 plus percent as suggested by some studies.

I would ask you doctor about success rates in their practice, complications, etc., to help in th decision.

However, some reading:

Percutaneous Rhizotomy for Chronic Back or Neck Pain: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines - NCBI Bookshelf

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Percutaeous radiofrequency facet rhizotomy--experience with 118 procdedures and reappraisal of its value - PubMed

Percutaneous radiofrequency facet denervation is simple and safe, still worth considering in patients with disabling spinal pain that fails to respond to conservative treatment. The use of general anaesthesia shortens the operating time and the patient's discomfort without impairing success rate.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Rhizotomy - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

www.sciencedirect.com

Thanks @elizat! I’ve been watching videos and reading articles since I was referred this morning to the pain specialist. I’ll check out the articles you linked too. I’ve heard people inflate their injuries to get a bigger payout so the results may be skewed just like you said. But, I’m at the point where I’m so done with all these doctor’s appt that go nowhere. I’m 35 and I don’t think I should have chronic back pain already.

I’m planning on talking to my doctor once he calls me but thought I would check here for real life results. I feel like doctor’s tell me a rate of success but it’s not necessarily the case.

 

[caf]

I am not in medicine. But I practice law and defend personal injury cases, amongst other types of law. I can only offer anecdotal thoughts. Not a great amount of success that I have seen with PI plaintiffs. Many report little to no relief long term.

However, that could also be skewed because folks could be saying that but actually having relief. There is motivation in my world to present increased need for additional medical care, to make the case value larger. So what's being reported may not be true. But I personally have not encountered a lot of people that have a success rate of relief that is 70 plus percent as suggested by some studies.

I would ask you doctor about success rates in their practice, complications, etc., to help in th decision.

However, some reading:

Percutaneous Rhizotomy for Chronic Back or Neck Pain: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines - NCBI Bookshelf

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Percutaeous radiofrequency facet rhizotomy--experience with 118 procdedures and reappraisal of its value - PubMed

Percutaneous radiofrequency facet denervation is simple and safe, still worth considering in patients with disabling spinal pain that fails to respond to conservative treatment. The use of general anaesthesia shortens the operating time and the patient's discomfort without impairing success rate.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Rhizotomy - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

www.sciencedirect.com

@elizat Yay insurance defense lawyers! I defended lawyers who got sued or grieved as well as other licensed professionals!

OP go see another neurosurgeon. Find the best one YOU can.

 

[elizat]

Yay insurance defense lawyers! I defended lawyers who got sued or grieved as well as other licensed professionals!

OP go see another neurosurgeon. Find the best one YOU can.

I agree about seeing another doctor. I do legal mal too. It's always something new to learn!

 

[caf]

I agree about seeing another doctor. I do legal mal too. It's always something new to learn!

Yes, that’s why I went into it too! And I love lawyers. I’m weird. Sadly I retired last December due to my RA and spinal stenosis. Got too hard to practice.

OP - sorry for thread jack.

 

[minousbijoux]

Long story short, I got in a car accident in 2018 and I’m still dealing with back pain which is getting worse. I’ve been to PT, Chiro, and massage. And recently got two lumbar epidural steroid injections in July that did not work but only gave me weird side effects that didn’t pertain to the back injury at all. I finally got in with a neurosurgeon and they don’t think that surgery will fix my problem but they think my next step is a facet rhizotomy. Has anyone gotten this procedure? Could you please tell me a little more about it and if the results were to your liking? Did it fix the problem permanently or is this a procedure that must be done repeatedly?

Here is a picture of my dogs to thank you for your time

OMG, I just put it together! I'm sorry for all of this you're going through. Ugh, back injuries are awful! Gentle hugs to you.

 

[Tekate]

I know nothing about back pain but I do know about hip and shoulder pain, I just wanted to say I'm sorry you have this pain, lucky for me I was able to have replacements due to osteoarthritis, sending you healing vibes.

 

[Spring Day]

@elizat Yay insurance defense lawyers! I defended lawyers who got sued or grieved as well as other licensed professionals!

OP go see another neurosurgeon. Find the best one YOU can.

I agree about seeing another doctor. I do legal mal too. It's always something new to learn!

Yes, that’s why I went into it too! And I love lawyers. I’m weird. Sadly I retired last December due to my RA and spinal stenosis. Got too hard to practice.

OP - sorry for thread jack.

Oh that’s ok! I don’t mind the thread Jack at all

As for the second opinion.... if only you knew how many hurdles I had to go through to even get an appt with this one. And they’re 4 hours away from where I live. The first one I talked to that was local, I spoke to their PA first. She said I was a good candidate for the shots and surgery so I made an appt with the in office neurosurgeon. The day of my appt came and they called to cancel the appt an hour before stating that he was sick and rescheduled me for two weeks later. Then the day of the rescheduled visit came and I was on my way to the doctor’s office when his nurse called me and told me he canceled the appt. So I told her I was already on my way and that I would at least like to talk to him about my options. She told me she was given direct orders to cancel and cancel only and that he does not want to see me. I was taken aback and so was my PCP when I told him about it. He rolled his eyes and told me sometimes neurosurgeons will only take on clients that make them feel like Superman. After that I was referred to about 4-5 different neuroscience centers only for them to have excuses why they couldn’t see me. And then I finally landed on this one that I am talking to now. You can see why I just wanna get this done and over with.

 

[Spring Day]

OMG, I just put it together! I'm sorry for all of this you're going through. Ugh, back injuries are awful! Gentle hugs to you.

Hi Minou! Thank you! And I miss you tons!

 

[Spring Day]

I know nothing about back pain but I do know about hip and shoulder pain, I just wanted to say I'm sorry you have this pain, lucky for me I was able to have replacements due to osteoarthritis, sending you healing vibes.

Thank you @Bayek! I hope you’re healing well or if it’s been a while that you’re all healed up and feeling much better!

 

[caf]

That sucks! I’m so sorry! Have you had a lumbar MRI?

 

[kenny]

Awwww, I love your doggies and all the best to you.

 

[OoohShiny]

Thanks for chiming in! As a matter of fact, I have. During PT they were very adamant that I continue to do core strengthening exercises. I haven’t done yoga though cuz truthfully I don’t like it. I’m more of a HIIT girl. But the neurosurgeon also recommended I do some yoga, so yoga I must.

That is good news

I know what you mean re: HIIT vs 'relaxed' exercise, lol - I much prefer harder exercise!

I think there are different yoga variants, including 'hot yoga'? which IIRC is harder work because you are sweating like you're in a sauna, lol, so could be worth trying different ones if there are options near you!

 

[Spring Day]

That sucks! I’m so sorry! Have you had a lumbar MRI?

Yes, I’ve actually had two. One in November of last year and one just about two weeks ago. They say it looks pretty much the same with minimal change but I don’t know why the pain has increased exponentially.

Awwww, I love your doggies and all the best to you.

Thank you @kenny!

I know what you mean re: HIIT vs 'relaxed' exercise, lol - I much prefer harder exercise! I think there are different yoga variants, including 'hot yoga'? which IIRC is harder work because you are sweating like you're in a sauna, lol, so could be worth trying different ones if there are options near you!

Oooh, I’ve always wanted to try hot yoga. Maybe when covid is over (ha!) I’ll head over to a gym. I will be seriously going out of my comfort zone. I feel very awkward and uncomfortable in gyms or classes. I’ve always liked working out alone. Probably cuz no one can see me making ugly faces filled with pain and sweat or watch me bend over and show my a$$ to the world
For now, I’ll just use the peloton app to do my yoga.

 

[missy]

Oh that’s ok! I don’t mind the thread Jack at all

As for the second opinion.... if only you knew how many hurdles I had to go through to even get an appt with this one. And they’re 4 hours away from where I live. The first one I talked to that was local, I spoke to their PA first. She said I was a good candidate for the shots and surgery so I made an appt with the in office neurosurgeon. The day of my appt came and they called to cancel the appt an hour before stating that he was sick and rescheduled me for two weeks later. Then the day of the rescheduled visit came and I was on my way to the doctor’s office when his nurse called me and told me he canceled the appt. So I told her I was already on my way and that I would at least like to talk to him about my options. She told me she was given direct orders to cancel and cancel only and that he does not want to see me. I was taken aback and so was my PCP when I told him about it. He rolled his eyes and told me sometimes neurosurgeons will only take on clients that make them feel like Superman. After that I was referred to about 4-5 different neuroscience centers only for them to have excuses why they couldn’t see me. And then I finally landed on this one that I am talking to now. You can see why I just wanna get this done and over with.

Oh my gosh that’s awful. I’m angry on your behalf grrrrrr. But sadly not shocked. It’s harder now than ever to get caring and skilled physicians. They exist but they’re few and far between imo. And I’m in the NYC area so you’d think there would be a plethora of great doctors to choose from. Nope.

I’m not familiar with this condition @Spring Day but I’ll ask my endocrinologist and PCP if they have any recommendations. Can you give me your general location?

In the meantime sending you bucketloads of healing dust and gentle hugs.

 

[Spring Day]

Oh my gosh that’s awful. I’m angry on your behalf grrrrrr. But sadly not shocked. It’s harder now than ever to get caring and skilled physicians. They exist but they’re few and far between imo. And I’m in the NYC area so you’d think there would be a plethora of great doctors to choose from. Nope.

I’m not familiar with this condition @Spring Day but I’ll ask my endocrinologist and PCP if they have any recommendations. Can you give me your general location?

In the meantime sending you bucketloads of healing dust and gentle hugs.

Thank you @missy! That’s very sweet of you. I’m all the way on the other side of the US in Washington state. It really is so hard to find a good doctor. I’m so lucky that my PCP is so lovely and caring but it’s been a journey to find him! One of my precious doctors jumped states because he had too many malpractice suits against him. I called to make an appt and the receptionist was like yea..... he gone. Figures though, because he would make me sit there for two hours talking about his son and his family and only listen to my ailments for 10 minutes and then charge my insurance for all that time. I was also a teen back when it happened so I didn’t really know any better. If it was now, I would not stand for it, but I digress.

 

[Decision_Decisions]

I know this is a little old but I had to respond. This is not to discount your pain at all but some of your comments throughout this thread really stuck out to me.

Are you familiar with the concept of MBS (mind body syndrome)? It has other names too, like TMS (tension myositis syndrome), and PPD (psychophysiologic disorder). Basically it's at the root of chronic pain that doesn't have an identifiable structural cause, and there are doctors that think it may cause the majority of chronic pain. Not just pain, but also things like fibromyalgia, migraines, insomnia, chronic fatigue, etc. It can develop without any structural issues, or can occur after a structural issue that should have long since healed (like an accident). It can also happen when people have "normal abnormalities" like disc bulges or stenosis that so many people without pain also have.

It does not mean the pain isn't real. It is very much real. But it means the pain is caused by learned neural pathways in the brain, not because something is wrong with your body. It has a strong correlation with certain personality traits, such as perfectionism, negativity, pressure, criticism, being hard on yourself, hyper vigilance and sometimes trauma (although that's not necessary).

I have TMS, and although my pain is gone I feel like it's something I will always battle. I had MRI's, nerve tests, went to acu, PT, massage, yoga. Nothing worked long term until I learned about what it was and how to retrain my brain. Within a couple months my pain was completely gone.

I know it sounds crazy and I sound like a commercial. I don't want to push it on you but If you are at all interested let me know and I can point you in the direction of a ton of free or inexpensive resources where you can learn more. I'm super passionate about this because it literally changed my life.

Good luck!

 

[LilAlex]

I’m all the way on the other side of the US in Washington state. It really is so hard to find a good doctor.

No it isn't. But it may be really hard to find one who does what you want to have done.

Stumbled across this because of the post above. Sorry about the accident and your pain -- that's awful.

Look at the UW website and get on their schedule. If their best neurosurgeons or anesthesiologists/pain specialists don't want to do it, it's probably not because they are not good doctors. Just sayin.'

Lots of advice here from malpractice attorneys, though!

 

[luv2sparkle]

My husband had this procedure in June 2020. It was after he had 5 epidural injections. He has 4 compressed or herniated discs L2-S1. He had the rhizotomy injection in 3 places in his facet joint. He had another epidural in November. The rhizotomy offered some relief but not complete relief but it is definitely better. He was told that it could offer relief for up to two years. He got maybe three good months but he says it was not any better than the epidural. The epidural is quicker acting. He was getting script after script of ibuprofen but has since started taking Terry Naturally Curamin Extra Strength. It is the best price to get it directly from the company. It. has helped a great deal. I tried it for a headache and it did nothing for me. I don't take a lot of pain relievers though.

He won't have another rhizotomy. He has been getting a lot of relief doing the stretching and strength training exercises combined with the last epidural. He also was not a candidate for surgery and that is a very good thing. Once they start fusing your discs it doesn't end. It starts compromising the surrounding discs and it just keeps going and going. He was doing the exercises before he started the treatments but wasn't getting anywhere. So there was some measure of success from all the treatments. Walking helps a great deal as well and he tries to get a walk in every day, especially if he has been driving for a long distance. He just got back from going to see his parents, a four hour drive from us, and he had to go for a walk as soon as he got there.

I hope this helps.

 

[luv2sparkle]

My husband also sees a pain specialist. His regular doctor wouldn't do the injections, although he gave him the first epidural in the office. Instant relief. That is how they knew that the problem was primarily a nerve in the facet joint that was getting pinched. The pain specialist did way more imaging than the doctor did. You might need to find another doctor. My husband went to Dr. Lavi, of Lavi spine and orthopedics here in CA, and has also consulted with Kerlan & Jobe which are both highly respected groups here in CA. It might be worth getting a second opinion even if you have to travel for it. You need to have the best when it comes to your back. But you have to decide if it is worth it to you. We have known other people with similar issues that just decided to forego other treatment and just live with the pain. That is where the more natural pain meds can be of great help.

 

[SparklieBug]

I know this is a little old but I had to respond. This is not to discount your pain at all but some of your comments throughout this thread really stuck out to me.

Are you familiar with the concept of MBS (mind body syndrome)? It has other names too, like TMS (tension myositis syndrome), and PPD (psychophysiologic disorder). Basically it's at the root of chronic pain that doesn't have an identifiable structural cause, and there are doctors that think it may cause the majority of chronic pain. Not just pain, but also things like fibromyalgia, migraines, insomnia, chronic fatigue, etc. It can develop without any structural issues, or can occur after a structural issue that should have long since healed (like an accident). It can also happen when people have "normal abnormalities" like disc bulges or stenosis that so many people without pain also have.

It does not mean the pain isn't real. It is very much real. But it means the pain is caused by learned neural pathways in the brain, not because something is wrong with your body. It has a strong correlation with certain personality traits, such as perfectionism, negativity, pressure, criticism, being hard on yourself, hyper vigilance and sometimes trauma (although that's not necessary).

I have TMS, and although my pain is gone I feel like it's something I will always battle. I had MRI's, nerve tests, went to acu, PT, massage, yoga. Nothing worked long term until I learned about what it was and how to retrain my brain. Within a couple months my pain was completely gone.

I know it sounds crazy and I sound like a commercial. I don't want to push it on you but If you are at all interested let me know and I can point you in the direction of a ton of free or inexpensive resources where you can learn more. I'm super passionate about this because it literally changed my life.

Good luck!

@Decision_Decisions Thank you for sharing your experience. I would love to learn more about this, to point a couple family members who live with odd and inexplicable pain.

 

[Spring Day]

I know this is a little old but I had to respond. This is not to discount your pain at all but some of your comments throughout this thread really stuck out to me.

Are you familiar with the concept of MBS (mind body syndrome)? It has other names too, like TMS (tension myositis syndrome), and PPD (psychophysiologic disorder). Basically it's at the root of chronic pain that doesn't have an identifiable structural cause, and there are doctors that think it may cause the majority of chronic pain. Not just pain, but also things like fibromyalgia, migraines, insomnia, chronic fatigue, etc. It can develop without any structural issues, or can occur after a structural issue that should have long since healed (like an accident). It can also happen when people have "normal abnormalities" like disc bulges or stenosis that so many people without pain also have.

It does not mean the pain isn't real. It is very much real. But it means the pain is caused by learned neural pathways in the brain, not because something is wrong with your body. It has a strong correlation with certain personality traits, such as perfectionism, negativity, pressure, criticism, being hard on yourself, hyper vigilance and sometimes trauma (although that's not necessary).

I have TMS, and although my pain is gone I feel like it's something I will always battle. I had MRI's, nerve tests, went to acu, PT, massage, yoga. Nothing worked long term until I learned about what it was and how to retrain my brain. Within a couple months my pain was completely gone.

I know it sounds crazy and I sound like a commercial. I don't want to push it on you but If you are at all interested let me know and I can point you in the direction of a ton of free or inexpensive resources where you can learn more. I'm super passionate about this because it literally changed my life.

Good luck!

This is all new information to me @Decision_Decisions, thank you so much for sharing this. I'm sorry that you went through so much pain but were able to figure out the root cause whether it be physical or mental. I'm going to do some research on it and reach out to you if I need help. Thank you so much!

 

[Spring Day]

No it isn't. But it may be really hard to find one who does what you want to have done.

Stumbled across this because of the post above. Sorry about the accident and your pain -- that's awful.

Look at the UW website and get on their schedule. If their best neurosurgeons or anesthesiologists/pain specialists don't want to do it, it's probably not because they are not good doctors. Just sayin.'

Lots of advice here from malpractice attorneys, though!

It's not that I want a specific procedure done. I am willing to do whatever the doctors recommend hence the 2 year long course of action that has summated to this current procedure. I just want them to find the cause of my pain. There are plenty of doctors and surgeons at UW and Swedish in the Seattle area that I trust but I would have to drive 4 hours to get to them. I'm specifically talking about the area I live in because there may be only one doctor that specializes in a specific field and they may not be the greatest which has been proven true by my experiences with the local doctors. A neurosurgeon at Swedish was actually the one that finally came up with the facet rhizotomy procedure.

 

[Spring Day]

My husband had this procedure in June 2020. It was after he had 5 epidural injections. He has 4 compressed or herniated discs L2-S1. He had the rhizotomy injection in 3 places in his facet joint. He had another epidural in November. The rhizotomy offered some relief but not complete relief but it is definitely better. He was told that it could offer relief for up to two years. He got maybe three good months but he says it was not any better than the epidural. The epidural is quicker acting. He was getting script after script of ibuprofen but has since started taking Terry Naturally Curamin Extra Strength. It is the best price to get it directly from the company. It. has helped a great deal. I tried it for a headache and it did nothing for me. I don't take a lot of pain relievers though.

He won't have another rhizotomy. He has been getting a lot of relief doing the stretching and strength training exercises combined with the last epidural. He also was not a candidate for surgery and that is a very good thing. Once they start fusing your discs it doesn't end. It starts compromising the surrounding discs and it just keeps going and going. He was doing the exercises before he started the treatments but wasn't getting anywhere. So there was some measure of success from all the treatments. Walking helps a great deal as well and he tries to get a walk in every day, especially if he has been driving for a long distance. He just got back from going to see his parents, a four hour drive from us, and he had to go for a walk as soon as he got there.

I hope this helps.

My husband also sees a pain specialist. His regular doctor wouldn't do the injections, although he gave him the first epidural in the office. Instant relief. That is how they knew that the problem was primarily a nerve in the facet joint that was getting pinched. The pain specialist did way more imaging than the doctor did. You might need to find another doctor. My husband went to Dr. Lavi, of Lavi spine and orthopedics here in CA, and has also consulted with Kerlan & Jobe which are both highly respected groups here in CA. It might be worth getting a second opinion even if you have to travel for it. You need to have the best when it comes to your back. But you have to decide if it is worth it to you. We have known other people with similar issues that just decided to forego other treatment and just live with the pain. That is where the more natural pain meds can be of great help.

Thank you for sharing your husband's story! I'm sorry that he's in pain but that he's been getting some relief. I've had two epidural shots and I reacted very badly to it. I got a spinal headache. I was dizzy and nauseous and couldn't stand up for about 3-4 days after the procedure. I also had a rare side effect that only happens in women and that lasted for about 3 months until I got an ultrasound and they had to fix my hormonal imbalance from the procedure. On top of that, I didn't get any relief from the shot. I heard that if the epidural worked then I would be a good candidate for a facet rhizotomy but seeing as I got no relief, I have wondered why they pushed for this procedure. I have gotten the two pre-procedures done, the lumbar medial branch block. First time it worked, second time... not so much. I have a follow up appt with my pain specialist coming up in a couple of weeks to talk more in depth about the actual procedure and if I got enough relief from the lumbar medial branch block.
I also do stretching exercises but am always open to others that will help. Could you share some of the stretches your husband does that helps him? Thank you so much!

 

[LilAlex]

There are plenty of doctors and surgeons at UW and Swedish in the Seattle area that I trust but I would have to drive 4 hours to get to them. I'm specifically talking about the area I live in because there may be only one doctor that specializes in a specific field and they may not be the greatest which has been proven true by my experiences with the local doctors.

Yes. That's why you seek out the folks who do this routinely. You will need to travel. Period. They are almost always in major metro areas because that's where people with uncommon conditions are concentrated. (It's also where people with common conditions are concentrated.) A sub-sub-sub-specialist in the middle of nowhere would have no work. And if you are looking under every rock to find someone close to home who may be able to do this, you are going about it wrong, imo.

Do you only go to gem dealers in your town? Why not?

 

[Spring Day]

Yes. That's why you seek out the folks who do this routinely. You will need to travel. Period. They are almost always in major metro areas because that's where people with uncommon conditions are concentrated. (It's also where people with common conditions are concentrated.) A sub-sub-sub-specialist in the middle of nowhere would have no work. And if you are looking under every rock to find someone close to home who may be able to do this, you are going about it wrong, imo.

Do you only go to gem dealers in your town? Why not?

I never said I was opposed to traveling and I have traveled. As stated above, I have been seen by a neurosurgeon at Swedish. I was merely responding to your comment about good doctors and how I trust the ones 4 hours away more but not all in my immediate area. I'm not going about it wrong and your condescending tone is not appreciated.

 

[mrs-b]

Yes. That's why you seek out the folks who do this routinely. You will need to travel. Period. They are almost always in major metro areas because that's where people with uncommon conditions are concentrated. (It's also where people with common conditions are concentrated.) A sub-sub-sub-specialist in the middle of nowhere would have no work. And if you are looking under every rock to find someone close to home who may be able to do this, you are going about it wrong, imo.

Do you only go to gem dealers in your town? Why not?

Yes, well, hmmm.

I didn't get the vibe at all that @Spring Day wasn't prepared to travel, but I have to say, the only person who relishes the idea of traveling to have back surgery is the person who's never had it.

After back surgery, one has to get *home* - and I found a 20 minute trip in a car after a double laminectomy/discectomy not much fun. The idea of being hours away from home after spinal surgery is downright daunting. I'd *definitely* be...er..."looking under every rock" for a surgeon closer to home. If there wasn't one - fine - travel. But I'd be making sure first that one wasn't available locally. That's just common sense.

Spring Day, as someone who has had a very bad back for decades and who had mixed experiences with the orthopedic / neurological surgery fields, I wish you the very best of luck, whatever you do! For what it's worth, I've had most success from building the strength in my core, and I (much against my will!) took up yoga over a year ago, despite being bored out of my ever-loving whenever I do it (about 3 classes a week). I'm more of a cardio kind of girl, and I dislike yoga in general, but persevere due to the overall advantages I've experienced. I just find it deathly slow and boring and have been known to write an email while in a full forward fold position....

Good luck!

PS Re finding a good doctor - I'm with you on this; it's tough! I need another round of back surgery and am trying to hunt down someone I trust. I initially went to one woman who was Harvard trained and is still a lecturing professor there, while also on the Beth Israel surgical team - generally considered to be not so shabby. However, I was pretty severely put off when I read her report a couple of weeks ago and she persistently referred to the pain running down my left leg. Since it's my RIGHT leg, this was news to all of us. Had she followed her own report, she would, literally, have done the surgery on the wrong leg. If that doesn't give a person pause, I don't know what would!!