Reply to: Found out the cause of my back problems....

[hyperD]

I did an iron man with a stuffed L4/L5.

My back is screwed - MRI scan showed degenerative damage in L4/L5 too.

Apart from using a Posturite chair (which helped during the day) the best boost to my back has been cycling (on a properly setup road bike).

[DaveB]

Well, initially it was the pain that was the reminder that the metal was there, then really bad heat, and then pain. By then I realised what was up and started pressing on the buzzer like crazy. The problem is, he asked if I had any metal in my body, and I do have 4 screws in my knee, so I mentioned them, and forgot the little sliver in my hand (I'd taken a shed down a couple of days before and not seen to it). The screws in my knee were fine

Really hurt, and I am sure I felt it being moved.

They stopped and xrayed me, saw the sliver, then sort of went white, then I had it removed.

The pain was quite intense, but I am unsure as to the movement was in my mind.

It probably did move. If it was an elongated bit, like a sliver, then it will have been trying to align itself to the magnetic field like a compass needle swinging to point north.

I did a spell in a medical reasearch department that had an MRI and a CT in the basement, Everyone had to do the safety training regardless of whether you would actually work with the scanners.

[Old Hack]

This was YOU? What was the metal? What happened?

Details man.......

Well, initially it was the pain that was the reminder that the metal was there, then really bad heat, and then pain. By then I realised what was up and started pressing on the buzzer like crazy. The problem is, he asked if I had any metal in my body, and I do have 4 screws in my knee, so I mentioned them, and forgot the little sliver in my hand (I'd taken a shed down a couple of days before and not seen to it). The screws in my knee were fine

Really hurt, and I am sure I felt it being moved.

They stopped and xrayed me, saw the sliver, then sort of went white, then I had it removed.

The pain was quite intense, but I am unsure as to the movement was in my mind.

[gingerjedi]

You should try MRI with a bit of metal lodged in your right hand....

I had to have my eyes x-rayed as I used to work in a machine shop, better to be safe I suppose!

[DaveB]

You should try MRI with a bit of metal lodged in your right hand....

Depends on the metal. Anything non-ferrous is fine. Anything ferrous is going to result in you being firmly attached to a very large magnet and/or having said lump of metal forcibly removed from wherever it was stuck.

[BrilloPad]

You should try MRI with a bit of metal lodged in your right hand....

This was YOU? What was the metal? What happened?

Details man.......

[Old Hack]

That was to diagnose my arrhythmia, ended up with the ICD which means I can't go in the MRI scanner again - yay!! The one at LGI (Leeds) is from the seventies, the white plastic has gone off-brown...

You should try MRI with a bit of metal lodged in your right hand....

[BrilloPad]

The truth is virtually everyone has a bunch of screwed up discs by the time they're 50.

Try exercises, strenghthening your back.

+1

Most affected are those aged 30-50. It tends to get better after that.

Pilates was very good for me. Though I have heard alexander techique is good too.

I did an iron man with a stuffed L4/L5.

[DaveB]

Also,getting a scantily clad asian woman to walk up and down it is the best thing you can do for your back.

FTFY

[Lockhouse]

Also, losing weight is the best thing you can do for your back.

[stek]

What music did you choose?

I had Led Zep.

I had Radio 5 Live, which the MRI operator guy kept forgetting to turn back on after 20 minutes of;

'Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in again, breathe out again........, and breathe normally, stek' over and over again.

Lying twunt said I'd only be in the fecking thing for 20 mins and yeah, that was true, for the kind of test/calibration period - another 90 minutes after that. Now I'm not a claustrophobe, but I did start to feel empathy for those that are.

That was to diagnose my arrhythmia, ended up with the ICD which means I can't go in the MRI scanner again - yay!! The one at LGI (Leeds) is from the seventies, the white plastic has gone off-brown...

[BlasterBates]

I saw an interesting and informative programme on back problems.

It started with an X-Ray of back that was totally screwed. The Doctor talked it through showing all f***ed up discs, then he said that's my back, I don't have any pain and I can exercise normally.

The truth is virtually everyone has a bunch of screwed up discs by the time they're 50 and most (I stress most) of them don't need any surgery. Just because a disc has ruptured or swelled up doesn't mean it has to be operated on, it will recover...and it doesn't always look pretty on a scan. It seems though that some people are prone to inflamation of the nerves, i.e. they get pain where most people wouldn't. Apparently there are treatments for this, which are well worth chasing up before any surgery.

The danger of surgery is that it basically weakens the back and then you get another slipped disc 6 months later. The point is if you are prone to pain after a slipped disc, one operation may just help you for the next 12 months, before you get the next one.

My mother had this, had a slipped disc, very painful didn't go away, so had an operation. She was gr8 for a few months, then slipped another disc, same procedure. All in all she had 5 or 6 operations and was left with a very much weaker back with 4 or 5 discs missing.

Just thought it would be worth mentioning in case your surgeon recommends surgery.

Try exercises, strenghthening your back and consult a physician who knows his stuff, and get another opinion if he does recommend surgery. It should be something you really want to avoid.

[gingerjedi]

What music did you choose?

I had Led Zep.

[Gruffalo]

did the scan pick up those purple prickles at all?

Black and white - I feel cheated

[lexington_spurs]

did the scan pick up those purple prickles at all?