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    barney68's Avatar
    barney68 Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Jun 7, 2015, 07:31 PM
    Back/Spine Doctor: Help reading X-rays of herniated discs and unknown joint shift?
    Hi Docs,
    (Age: 28, Sex: Female, Height: 5'2", Race: Asian, Lower Back Pain: 2 months)


    My girlfriend recently visited a back doctor in China and received X-rays and CT scans. The Chinese doctor explained that it was an L5/S1 mild herniated disc and L4/L5 mild disc bulge. He also said that the x-rays revealed some sort of joint shift but it was pretty unclear? So, I tried to do my own research when I got home about the joint shift but was not able to find any information. Can someone please glance at the x-rays. Also any suggestions on treatment and recovery tips.
    pics: xrays - Album on Imgur
    Thanks so much.
    talaniman's Avatar
    talaniman Posts: 54,327, Reputation: 10855
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    #2

    Jun 7, 2015, 07:49 PM
    Google herniated disks, and if you want a second opinion, see another doctor. There are none here. What does your doctor recommend? I would follow his advice.

    Why wouldn't you?
    barney68's Avatar
    barney68 Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #3

    Jun 7, 2015, 09:13 PM
    Well, doctors in China seem to have more of a local approach compared to Western doctors. I was hoping to look for a second opinion and some advice on the forum. The doctor recommended eating some chinese herbs that could help relieve the lower back pain, then accupuncture and massage theraphy to shift the spine (I think?? ) and lastly using a needle to sear the herniated disc. It all was a little bit confusing.
    talaniman's Avatar
    talaniman Posts: 54,327, Reputation: 10855
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    #4

    Jun 7, 2015, 09:32 PM
    The Best Exercises for a Herniated Disc | LIVESTRONG.COM

    https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...ises&FORM=VDRE

    Corrective Exercises for Herniated Disc | Exercises For Injuries

    And,

    Herniated Disc ยป Best Herniated Disc Exercises and What to Avoid

    Massages are good for pain, but how was this caused? Can't say that needle searing is a great idea though.

    You must be in a rural area and maybe a second opinion from a more modern doctor or clinic would yield more OPTIONS.
    J_9's Avatar
    J_9 Posts: 40,298, Reputation: 5646
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    #5

    Jun 7, 2015, 09:39 PM
    There are no doctors who participate on this site.
    Fr_Chuck's Avatar
    Fr_Chuck Posts: 81,301, Reputation: 7692
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    #6

    Jun 8, 2015, 01:11 AM
    No.. there are several types of doctors in China, you can get the same level of Western Medicine in China, as you can in US or Europe.

    It sounds like they went to one that either did a combination western and TCM, or just a TCM.

    You will want to visit a higher level Western style hospital and be sure you have a western medicine doctor. Also the Tier 1 cities have ones that speak English, if language is a barrier.

    Also do not laugh fast at the herbs, if you are willing to wait for the weeks it takes to be more effective.

    The needles and the massage can do wonders and yes it is where I would start first. Consider the herbs just a muscle relaxer, if the western doctor had given you a bottle of pills, you would not have even questioned it.
    joypulv's Avatar
    joypulv Posts: 21,591, Reputation: 2941
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    #7

    Jun 8, 2015, 04:05 AM
    There are millions of us who have lower back pain for reasons such as this, all over the world. And as we age, it's a fact of life. For most of us, options fall into 3 areas: self help, a good chiropractor, and surgery. Surgery really is a risk and not to be decided upon lightly. If she can get to the US and go to a spine center, a group of orthopedists who specialize in the latest techniques in this area, that's what I would do. Maybe such places exist in China too. I have great respect for their knowledge overall, and for combining 'western' with holistic.
    1. Most important for me is how I sit, because I sit most of the day. Chair adjusted to my height (so that feet are flat on the floor), memory foam with a piece cut out to relieve pressure on the spine, and an oversized heating pad. Heat is my drug of choice. I avoid narcotics even though I have them. I take both tylenol and ibuprofin, and try not to overdo it for the sake of my kidneys.
    2. Don't sit for more than 30 minutes at a time, and lean back a lot, as well as rotate your torso. And avoid lifting anything off the floor or heavy, period.
    3. Do pelvic tilts while lying down. Scrunch in your pelvis and hold it for a few seconds, and repeat several times.
    4. For me (older and pain all over now), my bed is extremely important. A firm mattress is best, but when you are sore, softness feels best, so I have soft on top of firm. Memory foam topped with a good quality 24" wide air bed (not the kind you take to the beach) only 1/3 full of air, and topped with a fake sheepskin folded in half. Took me months to work this out.

    If you see a chiropractor, get good referrals first. I went to one excellent one and one horrible one. A good one will look at the scans and tell you whether or not you are a candidate. You may not be. I was helped a lot because I had scarring of a sacral nerve, something MDs and scans can't detect. The good chiropractor actually listened to my symptoms and actually got it right!

    L= lumbar vertebrae
    S=sacral vertebrae

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