TJ, surgery should be your last option. it's permanent. go see someone who will put their hands on you. i have that book mentioned and recommend it also. it's says bulging discs "may" just be trigger points. haven't read it in a while. tingling feet and fingers can definitely be pinched nerves in the neck and pelvis. there is too much going on and getting some help from a good therapist could save you a lot of time. that book is more for some self maintenance.
Thank you for responding. It's actually two bulging discs, according to the MRI. And they haven't healed completely in 7 months. I was doing the back exercises, but it didn't seem to be helping, although I am a very impatient person when it comes to stuff like this.
The back surgery would be laser surgery, and you are basically awake during the surgery since they use a twilight anesthetic, so there's less risk there. You can walk within two hours. You should be healed within a few weeks (whereas traditional back surgery takes four months). I've checked it out. I have a representative who I have been emailing and talking to on the phone. I am a candidate for further testing via this group (they do a complete workup and tests to make sure you really need the surgery first). It's mostly covered by insurance. I will only owe $1,000. They too feel that my nerves in my back are contributing to my burning heels and arches pain. (I haven't even told them about the pains I have in my arms, wrists, fingers, and palms! One thing at a time, right?)
These are the doctors and specialists I have seen for the burning pain in my heels and arches, but no one can fix me:
2 Orthopedic Foot & Ankle
1 Orthopedic Back
2 Neurologists
1 Peripheral Nerve Surgeon
1 Podiatrist (although I have seen 6 of them for the MN I have/had)
2 Pain Management
1 Acupuncturist
1 Deep Tissue Massage Specialist
1 Physical Therapy Doctor
1 Chiropractor
That was a walk down memory lane! I hope I haven't forgotten anyone. My insurance must love me.
I have a referral to a Neuro Surgeon who is supposed to be the bomb diggity, but you know how that goes. My Pain Management doc asked me to see him first before I consider surgery on my back.
The last asshole (Orthopedic Back) he referred me to was a complete joke and waste of my time and money. I had really banked on his being the bomb diggity too (since my doctor said he was), but he was horrible! He was in such a big hurry. He had no time for me. He had a huge waiting room full of patients. (Funny, we are supposed to be the patient ones. I think the doctors should be the ones with patience!) He argued with me that the scars I have on the bottoms of my feet were not scars from Morton's Neuroma surgery! I looked him straight in the eyes, and as calmly as I could, I said, "You are NOT listening to your patient, doctor. I told you those scars were from having corrective Morton's Neuroma surgery. It's a new way of handling failed, traditional MN surgeries, and apparently, you know nothing about it." I asked him if I could have an x-ray of my back to see if there would be any signs of pinching. He sighed! Said he didn't think it would but agreed to have me x-rayed. When I got back in the room, the nurse was there, she brought up my digital x-rays, then he came in, and without even looking at them, just very quickly scanning from one to the other, he says, no, there's nothing here. I said but you didn't even look at this one, what about this one (which the nurse showed me before he came in)? It looks suspicious to me in that area! He barely glanced at it and said, no, I don't think so. But it DID. The same area where I have the bulging discs clearly shows an area that looks like it's collapsed on one side. There were more things he did and said that ticked me off...in the literal five minutes of his time he gave me that I won't go into here for the sake of brevity, but just know, I was done with that jerk!
So, who else do I see?
