by Heather
In 1989, I was involved in a serious automobile accident that caused a compression fracture in my lower back. Since that time, although I had undergone many types of surgical and non-surgical treatments, I had been living with almost constant pain.
People told me I should feel lucky that the accident didn’t leave me paralyzed, so it was difficult to get anyone to truly understand the pain I was always experiencing. But it affected everything about my life. I couldn’t even sleep through the night because something as simple as turning over in bed caused excruciating pain. The first part of every day just after getting out of bed was almost unbearable.
I first went to see Dr. Zuhosky of Total Spine Specialists a few years ago. We tried several different therapies, including epidural steroid injections and oral steroids. They sometimes provided temporary relief, but the pain would always come back. We talked about fusing the injured vertebrae (a procedure that had been performed right after the accident), including the vertebrae above and below the original injury, yet it would have severely restricted my mobility for the rest of my life.
Dr. Zuhosky also explained the IDET procedure (intradiscal electrothermal therapy, described in detail on page 2). He was very candid with me and said that the therapy was only about 50 percent successful. I told him that even 50 percent improvement was a lot better than continuing with the pain I was living with.
The procedure was performed in November of 2002. I had to have the electrothermal process done for two different discs, and there was a lot of scarring from previous surgeries, so it lasted longer than the typical procedure. I wore a corset brace initially and had to stay off my feet for a while. After eight weeks I started physical therapy and was able to return to work by January.
Now, I feel fantastic. I work out nearly every day and have lost almost 50 pounds. That’s something I couldn’t have dreamed of doing a couple years ago. I still have occasional flare-ups if I sit or stand for too long, but I would say that the improvement is at least 90 percent. The IDET procedure was the only treatment ever explained to me that gave me hope of being able to return to somewhat of a normal life.
Obviously, I had a great experience with Dr. Zuhosky and Total Spine Specialists. He was always very straightforward in discussing my condition and treatment options. Because of him, my life is very different now.
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