Degenerative lumbar disc disease casefile

Degenerative lumbar disc disease casefile questions the lie that you have arthritis, so learn to live with in; there's nothing to be done.

Every chiropractor could write a degenerative lumbar disc disease casefile every day of the week. It is our bread and butter, and it's good the medical research after medical research dissertation too confesses that we have the upper hand in the management of this horrid condition.

74 years old, two hip prostheses

This very fine lady has had lower back pain as long as she can remember. Six months ago the pain started radiating down her left leg, such that she could barely walk.

Her history includes two hip prostheses that appear to have been successful, and I could find nothing wrong with them. The pain was clearly emanating from her back.

These lumbar X-rays are revealing. She has far advanced degenerative disease, and signs of a curvature, probably worse before the hip prostheses. She also has a degenerative spondylolysthesis. Really this is case of lumbar spinal canal stenosis and a shocking back.

Here's an aside. Her doctor told her there was nothing to be done and she must learn to live with the pain. Consulting a chiropractor would be a complete waste of time and money, and would most likely be dangerous.

Hip arthritis

It is now well confirmed in the literature that a short leg leads to a curvature, and increased knee and hip arthritis. Looking at these X-rays (taken after the hip operations for hip arthritis) I am convinced that she had a significant short leg previously, though not any longer. The surgeon did a great job of her hips.

The curvature also leads to lower back arthritis. Hers is advanced, and at three levels, making it an interesting degenerative lumbar disc disease casefile.

• HIP ARTHRITIS ...

Last summer ... 

But something went seriously amiss 6 months ago. She does not know what. The low back and leg pain just got steadily worse.

What was interesting was that the classic Slump test for a pinched nerve was negative at the first consultation. Then it became lightly positive after treatment began. And then the whole thing got better. Sometimes a chronic condition becomes worse before it gets better.

Her pain was aggravated by bending backwards, and radiated down her left leg when she leaned to the left. That is the sign of degenerative facet disease, certainly to be seen on the X-rays.

Degenerative lumbar disc disease casefile

PROGRESS 

It was very encouraging to hear this morning, her tenth consultation, that she has been walking every day for the last six weeks, and three days a week for an hour. Without pain. One and half hours, that was too much and she was sore for the rest of the day.

Generally degenerative lumbar disc disease, and lumbar spinal canal stenosis respond surprisingly well to chiropractic.

She is taking the rehab very seriously, and frankly she has surprised us both. Please, please, don't believe it if someone tells you that have arthritis, and there's nothing to be done. Learn to live with it.

Quite odd! Her doctor contradicts her when she tells him how much better she is. It could not possibly be.

NB. Never take case files like this DEGENERATIVE LUMBAR DISC DISEASE CaseFile as gospel. This is an exceptional case.

Here is a question for you.

Why is it that some people with severe conditions respond so well, and others with minor conditions continue to suffer poor health and pain for months and years?

Mrs T is still doing fine. She is walking an hour every day without pain, and very satisfied.

I asked whether perhaps pre hip operation Xrays are available, because it's possible, even likely that she has an inheritable condition. Bingo, I hit the nail on the head. Both her daughters, around 50 are having significant hip and groin pain.

I am intrigued to see if she had Femoro Acetabular Impingement Syndrome Pincer or Cam, or Developmental Hip dysplasia. Xrays from the hospital have been requested. Regrettably I never got to view them.

Anomalies often occur in multiples. It is likely that both she and her daughters have a short leg and simultaneously one of these hip conditions. But that's just speculation.

• DEVELOPMENTAL HIP DYSPLASIA ...
  
• FEMORO ACETABULAR IMPINGEMENT SYNDROME Pincer
  
  

Update: More lower back pain this month. She just loves to garden...

"When the world wearies, and society ceases to satisfy, there's always the garden..."

Alas, her days of gardening are over. Perhaps a few potted plants...

Omega 3

Thought: The fields of Europe are white and blue unto harvest every summer with flaxseed. Most of it goes into animal feed. Read about the anti inflammatory omega-3 in flax seed. It could just change the course of your own degenerative lumbar disc disease casefile.

• Grinding flax seeds

Or, will your joints look like this dried-out and degenerate hip joint cartilage? What you eat, whether you smoke, if you exercise, just a simple heel lift could make an enormous difference. Should you have a leg length inequality and low back pain lying in your destiny there is plenty to be done; it is called prevention, a word we understand but tend to ignore.

Arthritis in lower back is not fun... so much can be done. Prevention, indeed rather better than ARTHRITIS IN LOWER BACK ...

Chiropractic and healthy living

There is indeed oodles of information now concluding that our lifestyle has a profound effect on health in general, and joint health in this instance.

If nothing else, seriously consider dramatically increasing the omega-3 in your diet. These three fatty acids are richest in fatty fish, flax seed nutrition information and freshly cracked nuts.

It takes little effort to eat fish twice a week, or take fish oil softgels, purchase a small coffee grinder and enjoy a tablespoon of freshly ground flax seed on your cereal, and crack a few walnuts or pecans.

The alternative? Somewhere a chiropractor or orthopaedic surgeon will in the future be writing up your degenerative lumbar disc disease casefile.

I do it myself by the way. I don't want a back and hips like those.

USEFUL LINKS

• Return from Degenerative Lumbar Disc Disease CaseFile to LOWER BACK PAIN ...
• Chiropractic Help LUMBAR STENOSIS ...
  
• LOWER BACK and LEG pain ...