Back Surgery or Nah?

[Cuberic]

 i've got 4 pinched nerves, and 3 herniated discs, reverse curvature in the neck, and a "multidirectional curvature" in my back (lumbar/thoracic) scoliosis essentially on steroids.  This is causing a ton of pain. it's to the point where i've had to start waking up an hour earlier than normal so I can get my back loose enough to where it will allow me to bend and get out of bed.
i'm currently having chiropractic appoints every other day, and have so for 2 weeks. I've not had any difference in pain levels.

Pro's on chiropractic route
No surgery

Con's
Expensive (120 dollars a week)
not a guaranteed fix
takes upto 5 years for the condition of my back to "possibly be normal"

______________________________________________________________________

Pro's of back surgery
I know it's fixed right then and there

Con's
Long recovery time in the back (1.5 - 2 years)
possible paralysis
possible numbness
Metal rods in back for rest of my life.


also, this is part of why im not as active as i was during initiate portion.

[Banana]

Dw Joey :) this looks like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place :/. Would metal rods affect anything you wish to do in the future? I think it really comes down to: do you want to run a marathon (chiropractic) or do you want to run a sprint (surgery). The cons in surgery outweigh the chiropractic in my opinion, but that's due to the risk factor involved. Would it be possible to do surgery after a prolonged duration of chiropractic?

That post probably didn't help :( But good luck man in whichever option you end up choosing!

[Cuberic]

Would it be possible to do surgery after a prolonged duration of chiropractic?

right now my i'm stuck doing chiro for at least 6 weeks to see if there's any movement. so i've got 4 weeks to decide :/

[Keith]

Well it's probably good that you have the remaining 4 to see if there's progress. If there's progress I'd probably stay with that route to avoid risks. If there's no progress at all and you have the money now it'd probably be advantageous to get the surgery so you don't suffer for years when it could've already be fixed. But a lot of it depends on your lifestyle. If you have high income and don't mind being relatively sedentary the chiropractic route doesn't seem awful (assuming you have definite progress, especially since progress implies that although you may not be normal until 5 years down the road you might be feeling a lot better within a year or two). Lower income and want to get your issues out of the way to get started (or continue) with life? go for the surgery. Definitely a tough decision man, hope whatever you pick works out well for you.

[Ars Technica]

I know the feeling, I've got a messed up back as well. It completely destroys your life. I basically have to roll out of bed in the morning and fall onto the floor to loosen myself up enough to move. I've been hospitalized a few times because my back muscles have locked up so hard that I can't breathe properly.

Have you looked around for potential different types of surgery? I know here in America there is a place (not sure on the price though) that does a ton of spine surgery with lasers and has people up and walking in a day or two. May not be good for all the work you need done, but there may be different operations you could undergo.

Chiropractor is good because of no surgery, but with as extensive as your issues are and given that there are serious structural issues at play here this would be something I'd opt towards surgery to fix permanently.

[Al]

That really sucks dude. Hang in there. If it were me, I'd be consulting my doctor or doctors and experts. I would weigh their expert opinions a lot more heavily. Key word expert...they are really knowledgeable (they should be lol, some doctors maybe not) on what to do. They might not give you the best advice or what you want to hear, but even if so, it's good hear both sides. In the end though, it's your life and your decision. Like Banana said, you have to consider what's important to you. How would a rod or rods in your back affect you and so on. And that's another thing you should really ask a doctor.

I might also consider asking others who have gone through the same thing...ask chiros, docs if they've seen the same and what their patients' outcomes are. Try even random forums on the web dedicated to medical discussion or something. You have nothing to lose right?

[Cuberic]

My sister had the metal rod surgery before, and she wasn't able to bend properly for a good amount of time (2 years or so) but was able to eventually. I was looking into the laser surgery, but I'm having issues finding one that would help with scoliosis. it would help with the herniated discs and swelling though.

The main issue with the chiropractic is that she even said she doesn't know for sure if she can fix it. after the six weeks is when i'm able to see another specialist about it. i'm just asking anywhere and everywhere at this point for opinions. I'm also looking around for support groups of people who've had back surgeries to see their opinions on it.

[Ars Technica]

My sister had the metal rod surgery before, and she wasn't able to bend properly for a good amount of time (2 years or so) but was able to eventually. I was looking into the laser surgery, but I'm having issues finding one that would help with scoliosis. it would help with the herniated discs and swelling though.

The main issue with the chiropractic is that she even said she doesn't know for sure if she can fix it. after the six weeks is when i'm able to see another specialist about it. i'm just asking anywhere and everywhere at this point for opinions. I'm also looking around for support groups of people who've had back surgeries to see their opinions on it.

Yeah, wasn't sure what if anything laser surgery could do for scoliosis. Hopefully I'll be able to get it once I can afford it for my back. I definitely recommend you get the surgery though, it'll be a long road to recovery but I'd take that when the fix is a sure thing  instead of only a maybe. Fortunately, Medicine is advanced enough that the complications are significantly lower (but not zero!) than even a few years ago.

[His Lordship]

Didn't read the replies due to lack of time, but I worry about you asking for advice for something this serious on the internet to a group of relative strangers. I hope you're not taking our advice too seriously.

[Chilli]

I'd go for it mate, I've experienced this in my family. My mother had 2 slipped disks which had come completely off the spine which was pinching her spinal cord. She had them removed and the lower 6 inches of her spine fused with a cage and a bone graft from her thigh. Just above her coccyx about 4 vertebrae up. Its given her such a better quality of life, Its a risky surgery yeah but if done right it'll work wonders for you

[Al]

Hope you are doing okay. I found this site while I was looking at a site for a strength and conditioning association, since I'm into athletics and all. It was a icon in the sponsors section of it.

http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/

So maybe try looking into any of these special centers for back issues if you know what I mean. Famous/well-known doctors and renowned hospitals for it. I'm sure there's a way.