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Original poster

Protruding disk results have baffled me!

15 replies

CreativeBee · 21/04/2016 12:15

I had a fall down the stairs at work and severely injured my back and ankle. I had bruising on my right back, thigh and ankle. I was given the all clear from the X-ray when in A&E but pain and numbness persisted all down the right side so GP sent me for a MRI scan. I got a phone call (very confusing call) from the GP today. MRI scan results show I have a protruding disk/ prolapsed disk but here is the interesting part, all the pain is on my right side but the protruding disk/prolapsed disk is on the left!!! How is that possible??? The pain has got worse in my right, at the moment I feel like someone is stabbing me with a knife in my right foot but according to the GP I should be feeling all this on the left because that's what the scan results say lol. She's referring me as an urgent case to the specialist as more scans are needed 😩. Just feel baffled and deflated as I'm no closer to really finding out what's causing this excruciating pain.

OP posts:
maggiso · 21/04/2016 17:16

I think this can happen. I have scoliosis and a couple of prolapsed discs (amongst other things) and my symptoms can affect either side, though not usually both at once ( it changes from time to time- and sometimes I am less straight than others!) - I presume the prolapsed disc ends up sort of slightly wedge shaped which may affect the gap on the other side slightly. Also injury can cause swelling and knock on effects from less natural movement - especially if you cannot stand straight.That's just my guess. I do hope you get your MRI assessment/ review quickly, as its awful not knowing what has happened. When you see the specialist ask if physiotherapy might help, if appropriate. (Sometimes there are long waits for physio) There is a back pain thread if you want to join in with people much more knowledgeable than me. I am sure you would be welcome.

Original poster
CreativeBee · 21/04/2016 17:27

Thank you so much, my husband and 16 year old son have been in hysterics today saying they knew I was wired weird lol. I'm starting to wonder if they are right 🤔. Hopefully I'll be able to find the thread and repost this on there too. Thank you again X

OP posts:
Platelet · 21/04/2016 17:54

I had a similar experience. I slipped down icy steps in work in 2009 and soon starting suffering numbness, pain and tingling down the back of my left leg. After going to the doctors he referred me to a hospital physiotherapist. By this time (a few months later) I had lost the reflexes in my ankle.
I had an MRI scan and was contacted urgently by the physiotherapist as I had 'red flags' on the MRI. My disc had herniated so badly that the spinal cavity was almost completely squashed with the disc contents wrapping themselves a ll around the sciatic nerve. The damage was much worse on my right side but all the symptoms were on the left. I was scheduled for urgent surgery within a few weeks and the consultant said its not unusual for symptoms to appear on one side only. I had degenerative discs anyway and the fall just hastened the disc bursting.
I had the left side sciatic nerve cleared and operated on but they left the right hand side as it wasn't giving me any symptoms. I was glad actually as my left leg was pretty numb for a few months following the surgery and I'm left with numbness in places even now.
Lately I've been getting pain again and I'm noticing my little finger is having some strange feeling like it's wet, I expect it's degenerative discs again.

Original poster
CreativeBee · 21/04/2016 18:17

Oh wow! I can't believe that it was left for so long. I'm glad to hear that it's not unusual as the GP kept saying that you should be feeling the pain in the left not right, felt like I was being told that your symptoms don't match oir findings, are you really in pain? Guess I'll find out more once I'm referred to specialist. Can I ask how long you were off work? I've been off for 6 weeks now with no improvement and some days are worse than the initial days when I had sever bruising.

OP posts:
Platelet · 21/04/2016 19:41

After the fall I was off 6 weeks as I'd fractured my wrist at the same time. I went back to work and suffered for 10 months taking painkillers and anti inflammatories daily until I had the surgery. I was off 3 months after the surgery but the whole recovery was a slow process and it took about a year for everything to completely settle down. I still have areas of numbness on the calf, toes etc now.

Original poster
CreativeBee · 21/04/2016 20:06

I don't know how you managed to go back to work so soon. I can hardly walk or stand for longer that 2-3 minutes without being in excruciating pain. I don't think work are happy but I can't go back until I can actually stand without bursting into tears. The GP has given me tramadol which I seem to be having like smarties. I was given diazepam but can't have anymore due to it being addictive but it was the only time I managed to get sleep. At the moment I can't sleep because the pain is continuous and I can't find a comfortable position to ease pain. DH has moved out of the bedroom because he wasn't getting any sleep either 😞 So I'm suffering on my own lol X

OP posts:
SerenityReynolds · 21/04/2016 20:13

If the pain isn't being helped by tramadol, maybe ask your GP for something like gabapentine, amitriptyline or pregabalin which are more effective for nerve pain. Look on the NHS website for managing low back pain advice. Hope you feel better soon Flowers

Platelet · 22/04/2016 11:02

To be fair it wasn't pain so much I was suffering with - more numbness, tingling and altered sensation over the skin on my leg and around my genitals. I was managing on Diclofenac mainly. I think that usually is the trigger for surgery - leg pain and the fact that my genital area was affected. I didn't have Cauda Equina but was at high risk of developing it if the disc moved any more.
The back pain is probably due to muscles spasming around the nerve - I understand this is far more painful than I had but mine was more dangerous IKNWIM.

I hope you get some answers soon Flowers

gandalf456 · 22/04/2016 11:06

I have bone spurs in my neck pressing on the nerve roots to the left but I have symptoms on the right. Saying that, I suspect the disc might have herniated to the right since the scan. I have more weakness and numbness on the left, though.

Original poster
CreativeBee · 24/04/2016 13:43

Well it looks like I don't only need to worry about what damage I have done to my back but also now I need to prove this was an accident at work as work are refusing to pay me sick pay for injury at work 😡😡😡

OP posts:
gandalf456 · 25/04/2016 14:21

Any CCTV on the stairs?

Original poster
CreativeBee · 25/04/2016 15:01

Ooooo interesting you said that, the accident report was written using the CCTV but now they've said that actually the CCTV didn't catch the fall!! All the statements and the accident form are very contradictory!

OP posts:
gandalf456 · 25/04/2016 15:06

Hmmm. Are you able to request a copy of the CCTV footage or can you get someone legal to do that for you?

Original poster
CreativeBee · 25/04/2016 16:04

Union rep has tried but was fobbed off. They're going to try again. It'll get sorted (I hope) just didn't need the added stress. Been in so much pain today. Feel really drowsy due to painkillers though :(

OP posts:
gandalf456 · 25/04/2016 22:07

That's really shitty of them, Bee. I'm sorry. Hope you get it sorted

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