DrugBuyers.Com: MRI Results--in ENGLISH, please!?!

The spine is sort of broken up into three sections- the cervical spine (the upper part- neck area); the thoracic spine (the mid part of your spine/back- and yes, where you're feeling that sharp knife-like pain around your bra-strap area- the bulged discs are causing that); and the lumbar spine (the lower part of your back). Depending on where the damage is, you can also experience other symptoms depending on the severity of the damage- usually cervical spine issues are related to pains you may have running down your arms and lumbar spine issues can sometimes, again depending on the severity and nature of the damage, run into your hips and legs. I totally empathize with your pain as I have (at least as of my 6/01 MRI- I'm sure it's much worse now) 2 bulged discs in my lumbar spine that also wake me up throughout the night- but not merely if I lay on my back- had to get a special bed to sleep in a bed again- but I'll wake up feeling as though my hips and spine are crushed throughout the night. I also work a desk job- in disability. I've also been very intrigued by back issues since having my own problems and wanting a better understanding of them. What I can tell you is that the worst things for your back are sitting for any length of time and standing for any length of time. The best? Believe it or not, walking. Though, you can't exactly walk and work at the same time anymore than I can

I will also tell you, I believe with every bone in my body that a chiropractor actually caused the damage to my discs. All it takes is one quack that doesn't know what he's doing to mess up your body for life. My problem? I didn't get my diagnosis for about 7 years after the initial injury. At that point, all the Ortho. surgeon could tell me was he knew at some point in my life I had injured my spine, but there was no way to tell when or how. I just remember the one really, really bad chiro experience which left me feeling the pain of the adjustment was far worse than the pinch I'd felt which brought me to him in the first place. I have since found a truly great chiro, but it took some chiro shopping to find him. Others tried telling me it was just muscular and would leave me unable to get off of their tables after an adjustment. Yes, I do find relief when my GOOD chiro adjusts me in a way that feels as though he's pushed my hips off of my spine, but get one bad one and watch out. I also understand what you mean about just 'living' with the pain not being an option- but this is what I've realized- when you allow the pain to control your life to the extent that you stop doing the things that you love- then what sort of life are you living, anyway? Depending on your age and activity level, surgery could be an option- but I wouldn't recommend it unless you were wheelchair bound. My experience w/back surgery (reading about it, of course, working in disability) is that, more often than not, you'll either get little or no relief from the surgery or you may come out worse than you went in. It CAN be beneficial for some people, but until it's worth risking losing everything (your ability to get up and walk), then don't consider it an option and do EVERYTHING you can in life- don't take walking for granted... get out and walk every day because there may come a day when you no longer can and do you really want to be kicking yourself in the hiney saying, "I wished I had ridden a bike when I still could..." I don't. Hopefully I don't sound like I'm preaching, certainly not the intent, just hoping to let you know you're not alone and maybe give some insight which is helpful.

Do take care!!

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"I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Voltaire