I am a 34 year old married female with a 26 degree lumbar curve who suddenly developed a variety of problems (all at once) five years ago in my left lower back and abdomen (diagnosed by various specialists here in Chicago as lower back pain, bowel issues, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, PLMD (similar to Restless Legs Syndrome), Interstitial Cystitis, deepened depression and other issues, if that is possible).
I had been told many times growing up that as an adult your scoliosis could cause other medical problems, but never WHAT problems, and cannot find anything about it now. After many diagnostics recently at the Mayo clinic; among the findings was that I had developed a lumbar twist and a bulging disk(s) in my back, causing the vertebrae to dig into my left lumbar muscles causing terrible lower back pain. All of my pain and other issues are on the lower left side. What are the chances that these issues could be caused by my scoliosis and/or progression?
One month before all these issues developed, I had joined and been attending a gym 3 times a week, lifting free weights and working out hard on the back extension machine--I am petite and the gym facilities don't fit me well. I believe that maybe this caused the lumbar twist and is affecting the abdominal nerve hypersensitivity. I also add that the RLS seems to radiate from within my abdominal area, with a feeling of bladder pressure that causes me to involuntarily kick and move at night, and sometimes during the day.
Mayo's extensive testing confirmed all my specialists' previously diagnosed existing conditions, however Mayo NEWLY discovered the spinal twist with the bulging/herniated L4 and L5 disks. They classified it as a neuropathy or "multiple pain syndrome" and did not link my spinal changes and pain to any of the other issues.
They advised to continue all my meds (about 8+ per day for all the issues) and continue to see my pain clinic or attend a pain camp to learn to live with the pain. Apparently I'll be like this for the rest of my life (We have no children yet).
I've yet to see a single Neurologist who deals with spinal nerve disorders, and yet to find someone who specializes in the nerves that branch out of the spinal cord in the abdominal region, even spinal surgeons. There seems to be little knowledge of this particular medical area, especially if you're female and the doctors seem to be wary of blaming spinal nerves on anything when the female organs can be the issue for so many pain disorders.
My female organs and bowel are all shifted and glommed way over to the left side. One surgeon in the past performed a presacral neurectomy which did not help the issues so the pain clinicians cannot give me pain blockers or shots, as the nerves they would target are no longer there. What is your take and advice on finding someone who deals with this sort of neurological disorder? Has anyone heard of this type of disorder, where there is spinal neurological problems possibly causing other "itises", "oses", "opathies", in the abdominal region? I cannot possibly imagine how all of these things could befall me at once, with no single trigger. Sorry this is so long. Oh, and do you think I should apply for SS disability? Has anyone done so and been successful? I can no longer work so I am trying to make it as an artist (I have a BS in Fine Arts). www.lisaart.com.
I had been told many times growing up that as an adult your scoliosis could cause other medical problems, but never WHAT problems, and cannot find anything about it now. After many diagnostics recently at the Mayo clinic; among the findings was that I had developed a lumbar twist and a bulging disk(s) in my back, causing the vertebrae to dig into my left lumbar muscles causing terrible lower back pain. All of my pain and other issues are on the lower left side. What are the chances that these issues could be caused by my scoliosis and/or progression?
One month before all these issues developed, I had joined and been attending a gym 3 times a week, lifting free weights and working out hard on the back extension machine--I am petite and the gym facilities don't fit me well. I believe that maybe this caused the lumbar twist and is affecting the abdominal nerve hypersensitivity. I also add that the RLS seems to radiate from within my abdominal area, with a feeling of bladder pressure that causes me to involuntarily kick and move at night, and sometimes during the day.
Mayo's extensive testing confirmed all my specialists' previously diagnosed existing conditions, however Mayo NEWLY discovered the spinal twist with the bulging/herniated L4 and L5 disks. They classified it as a neuropathy or "multiple pain syndrome" and did not link my spinal changes and pain to any of the other issues.
They advised to continue all my meds (about 8+ per day for all the issues) and continue to see my pain clinic or attend a pain camp to learn to live with the pain. Apparently I'll be like this for the rest of my life (We have no children yet).
I've yet to see a single Neurologist who deals with spinal nerve disorders, and yet to find someone who specializes in the nerves that branch out of the spinal cord in the abdominal region, even spinal surgeons. There seems to be little knowledge of this particular medical area, especially if you're female and the doctors seem to be wary of blaming spinal nerves on anything when the female organs can be the issue for so many pain disorders.
My female organs and bowel are all shifted and glommed way over to the left side. One surgeon in the past performed a presacral neurectomy which did not help the issues so the pain clinicians cannot give me pain blockers or shots, as the nerves they would target are no longer there. What is your take and advice on finding someone who deals with this sort of neurological disorder? Has anyone heard of this type of disorder, where there is spinal neurological problems possibly causing other "itises", "oses", "opathies", in the abdominal region? I cannot possibly imagine how all of these things could befall me at once, with no single trigger. Sorry this is so long. Oh, and do you think I should apply for SS disability? Has anyone done so and been successful? I can no longer work so I am trying to make it as an artist (I have a BS in Fine Arts). www.lisaart.com.
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