Does anyone else have "mechanical" back issues such as spinal stenosis and a spondyloarthritis?
I have lumbar spinal stenosis and just had a steroid injection that lasted 3 weeks for the pain. The pain medical doctor told me that surgery would be next. I keep trying to tell my PCP and the pain doctor that I have pain in my thoracic and cervical spine, my hips, my pelvis, my ribs (when that strikes, I feel like I'm going to split in two horizontally), besides my Achilles tendons, and my shoulder joints. I also have psoriasis. I have had back pain and issues since I was in my late teens and am now 72. I have not had a recent MRI or x-ray of anything for 3 years. I also have Psoriasis on my scalp, neck, and inside/outside my ears. Can anyone else relate? PS My doctors don't understand the stiffness or fatigue. Thanks, Gayle
Hi Gayle, I also have the symptoms that you have. I have suffered with back pain since I was little. I am 69 years old. That’s pretty much a lifetime of pain. I have recently broken out with psoriasis, this winter. This is new to me I have never had an outbreak and it was truly miserable. I have had 2 back fusions and 1 neck fusion. I also suffer from spinal stenosis top and bottom of my back which I have had surgery for. I have been very lucky with my surgeries . They have helped a great deal. Since I had them done. I also have a very awesome surgeon . This year I have had everything under the sun it seems. I ended up getting an infection in a knee replacement that I have had for fifteen years. I thought I had a piece of glass in my foot but when they cored it out I had a staph infection. I also ended up getting Pseudomonas Aeruginosa which is an antibiotic resistant superbug. Luckily I was able to fight it. . I also suffer from rib and back pain. Achilles tendon and pain in my knee wrists fingers and now a shoulder joint. Some days I don’t think I’m gonna make it. But I pick myself up and tell myself that as long as I can I’m gonna fight thrue it all. If you doctor doesn’t understand your pain and fatigue it’s time to find someone else. Having a physician that understands this disease is very important. I have had a lot of Dr.’s that ignore what I’m trying to tell them and it wasn’t till this year that I finally got the diagnosis of axial spondylitis. So hang in there, find a Dr. that understands what you are going thrue. And keep fighting!
Congratulations on your approval for the stimulation device. I hope this treatment works wonders for you. And you are so right, often we have to keep hunting for the right doctor or learning to self advocate with your current doctor in order to get the treatment we need. All the best, Kathy (Team member) Thank you for sharing your experience. You are on quite a journey and you keep on going! Do you attribute your resilience to anything or anyone in particular? Warmly, Kathy (Team member)
Hi, Gayle! (
) Thanks for sharing all of that. It sounds really frustrating to have so many areas hurting and not feel understood by your doctors. Sometimes it helps to get a second opinion if your current doctors aren’t really listening. They will probably be more open to getting you some recent labs done to assess where you are currently. You deserve a care team that is open to listening to your concerns and pain. Also, getting updated imaging and labs can also help give your doctors a clearer picture. I really hope others can chime in and share there experience. Let us know if your looking for any specific information. We're here to help! All the best, Latoya (Team Member)
