Osteopath For Facet Joint Problem

[Helpless]

As the title says really, I have a chronic facet joint problem, I've had this for over a year now and I am one month into facet joint injections (six in all), this has helped the pain but not the cause. Will an Osteopath be able to offer me any help, I've tried just about everything else.

Chers.........

 

[sacha m]

Yes, he or she can do a lot for you.

Regards

Joe

 

[McHobbit]

I have no medical training beyond being a first aid instructor.

I do have 30 years experience suffering from back pain and there is no cure on the horizon.

The one thing I am sure of is Acupuncture, Osteopaths and Chiropacters give the impression thay can always help solve the problem. My experience is they can help relieve muscle spasm pain. At the moment I don't suffer from muscle spasm pain so would advise if you are having Facet joint injections seek advice from your consultant who will have had for sure a range of test performed.
These tests might include: [ul][*]X-rays[*]CT (computerised tomography) scans[*]MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)[*]blood tests[/ul]and will be fully aware of your problems and given that you have provided him with a full and correct description of the pains you suffer from has all the knowlwdge to advise you.

Physiotherapists can assess your back pain and help to relieve pain, increase your movement and help you manage the pain.

A skeliton will colaps on the floor so it is only the muscles which kep it in place, Physiotherapists Osteopaths and Chiropacters can help with muscle tone. Beware if they are not closely linked to your consultant they can cause you more pain than relief and even prolong the recovery period. I went to an exercise class following an epidural saw the video and went into the exercise regime with gusto, I staggered in and crawled out and had to take tramadol and wait 20 minutes prior to being able to travel home. Some of the exercises were bad for me some I keep up now. I must not rotate or bend my lower back you must deduce what you can and can't do without causing an increase in pain which may take 2 or 3 days to develop.

If you have a space problem around the facet joint area either due to bone growth (ostio arthrightous) or thining of the discs or maybe while there is a bulge in a disc sipnal movement can cause the nerve sheath to be stripped off, like using a pair of wire strippers, and the open nerve will produce an unsescribable level of pain. I have been asked describe my pain against the worst pain I can imagin and give it a rating out of 10 (this being the worst) my score is about 60, yes 60. Either I could not imagin a pain this bad or I got the answer correct. My 10 score was for cutting the top 4mm off a finger (twice) thats painless on the same scale which of course is logarithmic meaning the pain is 1,000,000 worse.

Treatment at a pain clinic If you have chronic pain, your doctor may refer you to a pain clinic. Pain clinics work with you to help relieve your pain by treating your symptoms and also by giving you counselling to help you deal with the pain. The big problem is MAY.

Even if you have medical insurance please check with your consultant first as more harm than good can be caused. At a NHS Osteopath clinic I was told to bend over so they could see how far I could bend, I said I could fully bend but it would cause me great pain and I may collaps so I wont. I was told they could not do any thing for me without a full examination which included my bending, further I was told I would be caught. I bent damaged the nerve went down on the desk and smashed it to pieces. they needed to get 3 physiotherapists (big ones) to get me onto the trolley for a night in hospital. At the pain clinic I said I would not bend and that consultant said OK you know what you must not do!

I hope this helps.
Alan

 

[zuegqumiiteixmema]

Hello Alanbuyer,

I do not know where you live but there are extremely good Osteopaths who do help people relieve the pain and in resetting dislocated and / or pinched nerves problems. Physiotherapists give heat and make you do exercises which does not help pinched and / or dislocated nerves as it agravate the problems. Until the nerves are resetted, it will not help you so this must be done first and than the physiotherapist.

I do not know how much you weigh but it seem that you are a heavy person. I am very heavy myself but I have no more problems as I had been suffering from 38 years with back problems and for the past 33 years, I have been living my life normally. Iwas a standard first aider and standard first aid instructor in the military and serve for 26 years, even with my back problemsduring the last20 years. After my first 5 years of going to the hospital for one month, each time in the spring of every year, the doctors told me that if I can back the following year(the sixth year)for the same thing, they would operate on my back. I vow not to come back and to do something about it so, I studied, researched and finally came up with 18 special back exercises to do which the military did not know and tough to the military personnel. I had some physiotherapy done but it help me some but not much. With my exercises, my back became stronger and I started to live a more normal life. I own my on wood lot for 20 yearsand have cut trees down, even with my back problems, and I have no problems which has reoccured yet. I have been retired from the military since 1990 and enjoy my normal life.

Hope this helps and please, view my profile

Regards

Joe
" There is help out there and if you are desparate and all you have to do, is to find it "

 

[sodding chips]

You need to get an acurate diagnosis. Facet joint problems can come from range of issues. The joints are locking up due to restricted movement of the joint or the joints are becoming inflamed due to instability (too much movement in the joint). If your problems are coming from instability and someone performs manipulation of that joint it can make the problem worse and add to the instability. In my experience certain professionals will carry out manipulation irrispective of the under lying problem as they belive in returning "normal function of the joint". I had 2 manipulations performed by an osteopath recently despite showing obvious signs of instability of the joint and its made things worse and I am now "hypermobile". This was a result of a very poor one size fits all diagnosis and not picking up on what was abvious to others and even myself. I am now going through a strengtehning program to try and resolve this situation but it will take time as over stretched ligaments do not shorten easiely so I need to get the supporting muscles to compensate and take the stress off the joint/ligaments. Be very careful of the one treatment fits all approach.
MRI scan will help identify the extent of the problem but may not show up anything (my scan was 99% clean) I know people who have had scans that have shown up seriuos degeneration and buldging disks but have only had minimal/no problems as their core muscle support was very good
Finding the right treatment for your problem is whats key. In my experience a very good physio with extensive training in manual therapy are the best bet and im lucky to of finally found one - only wants to see me once a month and making improvement already but has told me that my core muslces will take 3-6 months to get upto the standard required. Beware of anyone who claimes they can sort a long term problem out in a few weeks as after a few weeks (of wasted money) they will then tell you its going to take a few more weeks and the pattern goes on until you've spent a great deal of money.

 

[dwoodall]

Hi
Have a read about McTimoney Chiropracty. In my experience Osteopathy is a tad harsh for facet problems.