I Spine With My Little Eye

Okay, part two of my back problems.

I met with Dr. Hamula who ordered some x-rays. Those x-rays seemed to indicate both Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis; an orthopedic condition.

I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Snihurowych (new doctor), and she ordered a couple more x-rays. She also expressed her concern about the numbness and dropped reflex in my left leg, and ordered an MRI.

My follow-up appointment with Dr. Snihurowych involved her entering the room and saying, "I do this job day in and day out, and don't usually get surprised anymore... you surprised me!"

The MRI showed a couple new problems with my L5 vertebra. I'll start with my annular tear, as defined by something I found on the Internet.

Our intervertebral discs change with age, much like our hair turns gray. Perhaps the earliest stage of degeneration occurs due to tears that occur in the annulus. These tears can result from wear and tear over a period of time. They can also be the result of a sudden injury to the disc due to a twist or increased strain on the disc that overpowers the strength of the annulus. These annular tears may cause pain in the back until they heal with scar tissue.


In additional to the annular tear, I also have impingement on the nerves running out of the vertebra. Terrific!

To ease my leg numbness, Dr. Snihurowych injected me with cortisone. That didn't go so well, and I nearly passed out on her first attempt. Thirty minutes and a few cookies later, I returned for a successful round two.

Guess what? To alleviate my condition, I had to start going to physical therapy too. Yea!