I have a question about how much the Gokahle Method can help supplement or minimize surgery for "severe" spinal stenosis plus L5 spondylolysis and "mild anterior spondylolisthesis."
I'm a 55-year-old man in fairly poor physical condition (I've had fibromyalgia for years) and with poor posture. In 2007 I was diagnosed with parathesias in both feet, with the cause being radiculopathy due to central stenosis. My symptoms over the last few months have gotten much worse, to the point that the tingling of the parathesias in both feet is now more like burning. I still have strength and sensation in my feet but I can't sit for any length of time without the tingling & burning getting worse - doesn't matter what kind of chair I use.
I bought the Gokhale Method book & took a first lesson with a very nice instructor (Roberta Cooks) in the New York City area, but last week a new MRI showed that I have "severe central stenosis" at L3-L4; "increased signal loss and bulge with a new left paracentral protusion" of 2 mm at L4-L5, along with "moderate-severe foraminal stenosis, more to the left"; and "bilateral L5 spondolyosis and mild anterior spondylolisthesis." The report also describes "Some narrowing, signal loss, and bulging of the disk" and "moderate to severe foraminal stenosis" at L5-S1.
I know that medical advice as such can't be given on this forum - but the physiatrist who reviewed this MRI with me thinks that I will definitely need surgery and has advised me to start interviewing surgeons.
Given my symptoms, is surgery inevitable? Are some of these issues workble with the Gokhale Method or physical therapy? If I do have surgery I'd like to get the minimum if that is possible.
My real fear here is that I may be advised I need fusion at L5-S1, which could prevent me from ever getting good posture with a J-shaped spine if it were done.
2 hours 10 min ago
09/10/2008 - 8:36pm
I always advise my students to remember that, if and when surgery is needed, how fortunate we are that people exist who have studied long and hard and are experienced to do it well. I would trust the surgeon in this case because you have very significant symptoms you should not ignore. I would certainly work with our techniques as a supplement to help the outcome of the surgery, to need less rather than more surgery, and to avoid the need for future surgeries.