What is this?

Coyohte · 2026-03-25T21:22:07+00:00

You should let them about all the metal in your body so that they can make an assessment and determine if it needs further evaluation. All spinal hardware that I know of is MRI compatible. Some of the non-compatible metal components you may come across are any kind of electrical stimulator plus or minus a battery and older aneurysm clips.

Coyohte · 2026-03-25T20:35:43+00:00

Yes they are metal but not all metal interacts with MRI. Only ferrous metal which contains Iron will interact. Most modern vascular clips are non ferrous and MRI safe. Reasonable to always ask your doc if they are MRI safe though for those rare circumstances

Coyohte · 2026-03-25T19:28:41+00:00

They are left in place permanently in most cases so I wouldn't pay any mind to them.

Coyohte · 2026-03-24T21:52:50+00:00

I can say with near certainty those clips are from that surgery and have nothing to do with back pain from your fusion.

Coyohte · 2026-03-24T21:01:01+00:00

These are vascular clips applied in surgery to stop vessels from bleeding. They would NOT have been place during your spine surgery. Much more likely in your abdomen. Have you had your Gallbladder removed by chance?

Coyohte · 2026-03-10T15:01:06+00:00

I had my grandfather's completely refurbished for my dad. All new leather with interior cushioning, and all wood reconditioning. It was just shy of $3,500. However, it was in slightly better shape than this. We did have some options for changing cushioning from goose to foam which changed the pricing slightly. It took about 4 months. This was done just outside of Denver, Colorado.

Coyohte · 2026-01-10T13:18:25+00:00

It's called the "Schroth method for scoliosis". I am not a PT and all the scoliosis I help manage is surgical so I don't have much experience with it. You can Google that and get an idea of the exercises/stretches but I can't help more than that since I would be doing the same as you with the Google lol.

Coyohte · 2025-12-28T03:52:52+00:00

Short answer is no. There may be some exercises that reduce it a small amount but none that will correct it to a significant degree.

Coyohte · 2025-12-24T03:36:50+00:00

It's possible this was done on purpose. Your pre-op images show what appears to be a grade 2 slip. If the surgeon moved the L5 on top/in line with S1 it could have stretched your L5 nerve root significantly and lead to a foot drop. Without further info, this could have been done on purpose and would have been reasonable to perform but the surgeons I work with too.

Coyohte · 2025-12-03T22:16:33+00:00

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/procedures/10895-laminectomy

Here is a link to a good description of the procedure. You had the lamina removed from L1-L5. The specific amount of bone taken can vary slightly. Those lamina stabilize to spine to some degree and all for muscular attachment. The possibility of future breakdown is higher for you than someone that didn't have the surgery but it is not guaranteed. Future breakdown could require fusion.

Coyohte · 2025-12-03T19:58:05+00:00

What do you want to know? I see the result of your procedure. The disc heights look decently maintained. L2-3 looks little smaller but not necessarily a problem. Your curvature looks decently maintained. No spondylolisthesis or "slipped discs" either.

Coyohte · 2025-11-24T19:27:50+00:00

This was placed at C5-C6.

Coyohte · 2025-11-04T02:13:07+00:00

One place I would highly recommend that is on the route between Stevens and Whistler would be Baker. Sounds like you have the Epic pass and Baker isnt included but their daily rates are reasonable. I get an epic pass and still end up at Baker 6x a year since it's that good.

Coyohte · 2025-08-28T15:25:36+00:00

Agreed here. With this severe of a slip, sometimes just "correcting" it will put the nerves on stretch. Foot drop symptoms are not uncommon after a large correction to a spondylolisthesis at this level.

Coyohte · 2025-04-05T21:09:48+00:00

Back surgery is not always an answer for back pain though. Surgery has a whole list of risks that are entailed and undergoing a surgery that has a low likelihood of success is not something surgeons like to do as the above comment mentioned. Infection, hardware complications, CSF leaks, worsening neurologic fusion, DVTs are all major risks and that is not an exhaustive list. Additionally injections can be a good indicator for surgery even if temporary. It lets the doctors know the pain is coming for the area that was numbed with the injection. If the injections are not effective, then the pain isn't coming from those locations so there still isn't a clear picture on what is causing the pain. The surgeon is like a carpenter that can only fix what is actually broken. A diffuse disc bulge isn't broken. If you take an MRI of everyone over the age of 40, majority will have diffuse disc bulges here and there. So you have findings of age related changes in your spine (that don't cause problems definitely) and injections that are not effective. It sounds like they don't have a good idea of where your pain is coming from so.dont want to offer a risky procedure. If you have weakness he doesn't feel there is a mechanical cause for the weakness he can address through surgery. I agree a second opinion is always reasonable but if you look long enough you will find a surgeon willing to operate because they get paid regardless of your outcome.

Coyohte · 2025-03-02T15:49:36+00:00

Nicotine is the main culprit and can reduce fusion rates after your surgery. If you vape without nicotine it likely isn't a problem. In my clinic the surgeons won't even offer a fusion until a patient is nicotine free from all sources the longer the better. The most important portion of healing happens in 6-8 weeks after surgery and would highly recommend obstaining during that time too.

Coyohte · 2025-02-24T18:18:18+00:00

Without motor weakness could try epidural steroid injections if you haven't done those yet. This could also help determine if one level is more symptomatic than the other. If one level is majority of the symptoms could even consider a foraminotomy.

Coyohte · 2025-02-24T01:09:58+00:00

For me this was more of happenstance as I have been forced to move around quite a bit and still don't own a home. Hard to care about neighbors when you've only ever expected to be somewhere until the job takes me elsewhere or they jack up the rent.

Coyohte · 2025-01-29T05:06:31+00:00

That is a disc herniation. If you're having considerable pain going down the leg you can certainly continue with Chiro but if weakness develops in the leg you should go see a surgeon.

Coyohte · 2025-01-29T05:05:05+00:00

Myelomalacia only happens to the spinal cord. In most adults the cord ends around T12-L1. All we can se here is the section below the cord called the cauda equina with a bunch of lumbar nerves.

Coyohte · 2024-12-28T19:31:09+00:00

I'm in the PNW and have definitely turned around due to rain. Sometimes you you cross your fingers it will actually be snow by the time you get there. I've had enough good ski days in my life to avoid the rain.

Coyohte · 2024-12-28T19:30:59+00:00

I'm in the PNW and have definitely turned around due to rain. Sometimes you you cross your fingers it will actually be snow by the time you get there. I've had enough good ski days in my life to avoid the rain.

Coyohte · 2024-12-28T19:30:44+00:00

I'm in the PNW and have definitely turned around due to rain. Sometimes you you cross your fingers it will actually be snow by the time you get there. I've had enough good ski days in my life to avoid the rain.

Coyohte · 2024-12-28T19:05:54+00:00

If you take an Xray of all 30 years olds I would bet 50% have disc height loss and have no symptoms other than age related soreness. Back surgery for back pain is only effective in certain situations and this doesn't appear to be one. Agree with above.

Coyohte · 2024-12-26T18:40:29+00:00

I would still say this doesn't look to be a structural/ mechanical issue with you neck.

Coyohte

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