EagleViewArabian wrote:
FTF, totally OT but I know you broke your back a few yrs ago and I was wondering if you needed surgery and how that went.  Also how you deal daily, are you still in pain?  I ask because I have a herniated disc in my lower back (not as bad as a break obviously) that I can't get under control.  I've done steroid injections, PT etc and I'm still in daily pain.  I'm looking at potential back surgery.

Anyway, just wondering what kind of prognosis I'm looking at.  I'll freak out if I'm not able to ride!  You can PM me if you want.  Thanks.
Hi Eva.

My back was broken in two places in Oct 2005. T8 was crushed, and I'm not sure where the other break is located. They never did anything about that one and didn't seem too concerned; one of those "wings" on a vertebrae broke off, but they said it wouldn't go anywhere. There were no discs involved in the break, so I can't address that at all. I was in pain for 8 weeks in the brace and we gave it a chance to heal up and for the pain to leave, but it did not. So I went ahead and opted for the surgery. At first I was afraid of any back surgery - you hear so many horror stories about it. But today, I think they have made so many medical advancements that it's not as scary as it used to be.

This is the link to the spine center I went to:
http://www.sierraregionalspine.com/
Dr. Olson was my doctor, who invented the procedure I had (balloon kyphoplasty) and teaches the same procedure to other spine doctors. The place was first class all the way.

I was pain free from that point forward. I walked out of the hospital two hours after the surgery as if nothing had ever happened. In fact, I was pulling 100# bales of hay down to feed the very next morning. It was unbelievable. The only problem I had was from the muscle pain (from being in the brace), which lasted for a couple of years. I'm pain free from the break today. I'm not physically fit due to other issues (heart attack in Dec '08) and a couple of TIAs since, and I'm not as young as you are. I never did do injections or any therapy prior to the surgery. I've ridden since the surgery, so that isn't a problem. I've heard disc issues are quite different than what happened to me. My husband had major back surgery in Oct '08 which involved several discs and the removal of a tumor inside the spinal column itself; several steel rods were placed in his spine. That was a major deal compared to my injury, but he's doing ok now, too.

Best of luck to you and I hope they can fix you up and you're pain free!