Back injury?

King_Me

Has anyone dealt with a fractured vertebrae? I hit a gate pole going approximately 40 mph 5 weeks ago driving a snowmobile of all things up north. Was transported to a trauma unit and spent 5 days there where they were really pushing me to have surgery to have rods, screws, pins inserted into my spine to support the injured spine region. Well I questioned their motive and ended up getting a TLSO brace(basically keeps your spine in a natural position). Things have progressively gone very well after the 5 week period so far.
Anyway, I’m suffering from what’s called a “burst fracture” of my L1 vertebrae. I have minimal pain with the brace on but when I take it off there’s some sense of instability of the back.

No sciatica pain at this point. I googled some of the results from this and find A LOT of people can’t even walk from this kind of injury(I guess I can count myself lucky). Just seeking out info. if anyone else has gone through a similar injury as this. I guess it’s common with high impact car accidents.

HialeahAngler

I have no clue but I'd advise losing as much weight as possible.

fins4me

I had 5 shattered vertebrae. Have had a couple of procedures to remove excess calcium buildups and to remove bits and chunks. Thought I would not walk for a while. Be glad the sciatica has left you alone,,, it is awful. I have had several other trips under the knife since the accident but so far so good. They have bonded back together for the most part and I have regained all my function. Back pain will always be with me but physical therapy has done a world of good.

King_Me

HialeahAngler wrote: »

I have no clue but I'd advise losing as much weight as possible.

What's funny is I lost 13 pounds already without doing any exercise routines or dieting?!?!?! I think the brace squeezes all the crap out of me.....lol

Before accident - 212 Now - 189 And I'm big boned!

Contender

I have sciatica to the point of not being able to walk. Worst 'false" nerve pain you'll ever have. Wailing through sleepless nights of pain. Be glad you don't have it.

King_Me

fins4me wrote: »

I had 5 shattered vertebrae. Have had a couple of procedures to remove excess calcium buildups and to remove bits and chunks. Thought I would not walk for a while. Be glad the sciatica has left you alone,,, it is awful. I have had several other trips under the knife since the accident but so far so good. They have bonded back together for the most part and I have regained all my function. Back pain will always be with me but physical therapy has done a world of good.

I have experienced a herniated disk in the past and the sciatica pain was MUCH worse than the back pain. Thank God this injury didn’t affect the nerves.
I have to wear the brace for at least another 3 weeks, just hoping the “instability” feeling goes away(when it’s off). They haven’t mentioned physical therapy at this point.

I can't imagine having 5 fractured vertebraes?!?!?!? Severe accident?

flatsjunkie88

Whatever the case I hope you get well soon.

Popeye

I dont pray, but I will.

King_Me

Thanks for the good wishes and prayers. Not sure if my friends sled was insured or not which hits another bad note I always pay for the results of my actions. Could be an expensive one.

fins4me

King_Me wrote: »

I have experienced a herniated disk in the past and the sciatica pain was MUCH worse than the back pain. Thank God this injury didn’t affect the nerves.
I have to wear the brace for at least another 3 weeks, just hoping the “instability” feeling goes away(when it’s off). They haven’t mentioned physical therapy at this point.

I can't imagine having 5 fractured vertebraes?!?!?!? Severe accident?

I had a platform collapse over a feed mixer,, fell backward 23ft onto a concrete floor.

King_Me

fins4me wrote: »

I had a platform collapse over a feed mixer,, fell backward 23ft onto a concrete floor.

OUCH!!!! Hope you continue to get better.

I still can't believe that the trauma unit wanted to perform surgery on me without really giving me an option until I asked about the options????

fins4me

King_Me wrote: »

OUCH!!!! Hope you continue to get better.

I still can't believe that the trauma unit wanted to perform surgery on me without really giving me an option until I asked about the options????

Get better every day. Work out 4 or 5 days a week in a warm water pool and in the weight room with a personal therapist/trainer.. Have droped 87 lbs in the last year. The biggest thing is to build up the core muscles around the injury and work on flexibility. Inactivity often brings on the sciatica. ANYTHING you can do to avoid it is well worth it...

001

King_Me wrote: »

What's funny is I lost 13 pounds already without doing any exercise routines or dieting?!?!?! I think the brace squeezes all the crap out of me.....lol

Before accident - 212 Now - 189 And I'm big boned!

212-189=23

Did you mean 23 pounds?

I have a buddy that slipped and fell. He broke a wing off of his vertebrate. It was extremely painful for him. Surgery wasn't needed, but it was a long healing process.

MACD

You must have insurance.

tuna man

Contender wrote: »

I have sciatica to the point of not being able to walk. Worst 'false" nerve pain you'll ever have. Wailing through sleepless nights of pain. Be glad you don't have it.

I had exactly the same thing. For 2 months. Was honestly considering suicide. Finally bought an inversion table, it cured the problem in justa couple days, period. Any time I have any back pain at all I use it a couple days, pain stops. K-Mart, $89.

fins4me

In addition,,, some surgery might be needed but try to keep it to a minimum. I was very fortunate to have had some very good spinal specialists working with me. From the start they gave me all of the options along with risk/reward posibilities. They and I opted for several minimally evasive prodedures taking small steps rather than one major reconstruction event. I spent weeks in a bed before I knew for sure I would be able to walk unassisted again. They were honest with me and told me that it might not happen. Swelling in the spinal nerve clusters was my biggest problem./ As it improved so did I.

Contender

tuna man wrote: »

I had exactly the same thing. For 2 months. Was honestly considering suicide. Finally bought an inversion table, it cured the problem in justa couple days, period. Any time I have any back pain at all I use it a couple days, pain stops. K-Mart, $89.

I never thought I'd say such a thing but was/am brought to the point of requesting amputation, cauterization or mercy killing because it is absolutely unbearable.

MACD

If you have insurance , the surgeons and specialists will be lined up like rednecks at the catfish hole.

Nowadays, a patient has to educate themselves.

Popeye

MACD wrote: »

If you have insurance , the surgeons and specialists will be lined up like rednecks at the catfish hole.

Nowadays, a patient has to educate themselves.

They wanted to amputate my head once. I said let me think about it.

Fishin Rod

King_Me wrote: »

What's funny is I lost 13 pounds already without doing any exercise routines or dieting?!?!?! I think the brace squeezes all the crap out of me.....lol

Before accident - 212 Now - 189 And I'm big boned!

It might have affected your math skills though... 212-13= 199 not 189

MACD

Popeye wrote: »

They wanted to amputate my head once. I said let me think about it.

Sometimes we make bad choices.

Popeye

MACD wrote: »

Sometimes we make bad choices.

:thumbsup

MACD

JohnnyBandit wrote: »

MACD can put you in touch with a cracker jack personal injury attorney.... He does dog bite cases too. So see if you can't managed to get bit in the near future.

Well,Doggy owners should not let their mutts bite invited guests....... But the doggy kooks will always stick up for their feces producing friends.

Popeye

JohnnyBandit wrote: »

MACD can put you in touch with a cracker jack personal injury attorney.... He does dog bite cases too. So see if you can't managed to get bit in the near future.

Ok, I will.

Salty Gator

Spinal reconstruction is pretty standard for an L1 burst fracture. That is probably why they recommended it at the trauma center. While you are researching your options, keep in mind that your fracture is less stable than a compression fracture. Lot's of compression fractures do fine without surgery, but there is a higher probability of a bone fragment getting displaced into your spinal canal with a burst fracture. At L1, I have not seen many of these treated conservatively except in older people with high surgical risk. If the fracture moves, and you wind up with fragments in the canal at L1, you have a very serious problem.

Whatever route you take, good luck with PT and healing up.

MACD

JohnnyBandit wrote: »

Way you told the story, your wife was not an invited guest.....

No, my wife was invited by the daughter. At the time , she was shareing living expenses 3 ways with her boyfriend and boyfriends mother.
The boyfreinds mother was out of town and left her doggy at home.
The argentine mastiff went ballistic on my wife, second offense according to animal control......So you don't think I was a little pissed off?

Sorry King_me for derailing your thread , but Johnny Bandit still has an axe to grind.

King_Me

Fishin Rod wrote: »

It might have affected your math skills though... 212-13= 199 not 189

Mis-typed the 212!!!....lol I weighed 202 before the accident.

Hickory Dog

MACD wrote: »

No, my wife was invited by the daughter. At the time , she was shareing living expenses 3 ways with her boyfriend and boyfriends mother.
The boyfreinds mother was out of town and left her doggy at home.
The argentine mastiff went ballistic on my wife, second offense according to animal control......So you don't think I was a little pissed off?

Sorry King_me for derailing your thread , but Johnny Bandit still has an axe to grind.

And unless you were lying then - you said you sued the landlord because they were not supposed to have a dog. That is why i think you are a head case - anyone who would sue an innocent landlord over that does not belong in society.

King_Me

fins4me wrote: »

In addition,,, some surgery might be needed but try to keep it to a minimum. I was very fortunate to have had some very good spinal specialists working with me. From the start they gave me all of the options along with risk/reward posibilities. They and I opted for several minimally evasive prodedures taking small steps rather than one major reconstruction event. I spent weeks in a bed before I knew for sure I would be able to walk unassisted again. They were honest with me and told me that it might not happen. Swelling in the spinal nerve clusters was my biggest problem./ As it improved so did I.

I was in the hospital for 3 days before they let me walk with the assistance of the brace. Was a scary moment not knowing if you might not be able to walk again.

MACD wrote: »

If you have insurance , the surgeons and specialists will be lined up like rednecks at the catfish hole.

Nowadays, a patient has to educate themselves.

Yup, got good insurance. Probably the reason to rush me into surgery. Glad I did't do it so far at this point.

Salty Gator wrote: »

Spinal reconstruction is pretty standard for an L1 burst fracture. That is probably why they recommended it at the trauma center. While you are researching your options, keep in mind that your fracture is less stable than a compression fracture. Lot's of compression fractures do fine without surgery, but there is a higher probability of a bone fragment getting displaced into your spinal canal with a burst fracture. At L1, I have not seen many of these treated conservatively except in older people with high surgical risk. If the fracture moves, and you wind up with fragments in the canal at L1, you have a very serious problem.

Whatever route you take, good luck with PT and healing up.

Thanks Salty Gator for the good info. That's what I'm really afraid of is one of the fragments embedding my spinal cord. Been 5 weeks so far so I'm hoping whatever damage there is is it.

Hickory Dog

King_Me wrote: »

Mis-typed the 212!!!....lol I weighed 202 before the accident.

King I had a buddy who had a very similar injury from a climbing accident, he went the brace route as well and physical therapy. If I have any advice for you from my surgeries and his experience it is get into physical therapy ASAP - every day sitting still not doing directed exercise/stretching is mobility lost. it is a ton harder to get back than it is to preserve. From my perspective I would suggest finding a sports orthopedic practice that works with a college sports program. For my last knee injury the docs I saw were all talking band aid type stuff with limits on future use - the sports doc was a little more radical but much more focused on getting back to full function without limits. I now hike with heavy packs all the time.

King_Me

Hickory Dog wrote: »

King I had a buddy who had a very similar injury from a climbing accident, he went the brace route as well and physical therapy. If I have any advice for you from my surgeries and his experience it is get into physical therapy ASAP - every day sitting still not doing directed exercise/stretching is mobility lost. it is a ton harder to get back than it is to preserve. From my perspective I would suggest finding a sports orthopedic practice that works with a college sports program. For my last knee injury the docs I saw were all talking band aid type stuff with limits on future use - the sports doc was a little more radical but much more focused on getting back to full function without limits. I now hike with heavy packs all the time.

I'm having follow-up visits with a neurosurgeon now and so far he has not said anything about PT. I'll ask him about it next week at my next appt. Thanks for the info!