Is it MS or my thoracic disc herniation causing my walking problems?

[beyondMS]

Hello everyone,

I am a 36 year old male who was diagnosed with MS in June 1997. I had a bilateral sensation that traveled up to my knees at that time. My father and brother are physicians and asked me to do an MRI. They found multiple plaques in my brain but my spine was clear.

The neurologist at the Montreal Neurological Institute put me on the Avonex CHAMPS study. For eight years I injected myself with Avonex but I slowly deteriorated. To make a long story short, weakness developed in my right leg over years.

I am now suffering from back problems - upper back problems. I did an MRI of my spine recently and they found a disc herniation at T7-T8. Can this be causing my walking difficulties? My reflexes are fine, suggesting that it is the plaques on my spine but some doctors tell me it could be from the thoracic disc herniation.

The upper back pain is acute. As I am sitting writing, I often place my right arm on the desk and put pressure on it with my left hand to relieve the upper right back pain. I noticed that I wake up all spastic in the morning.

I know what MS exacerbations are because I experienced one year after my initial episode in 1997. It was blurred vision in my right eye.

What bugs me now is my upper right back pain. It's not the MS. Does anyone have experience with thoracic disc herniation?

thank you and God bless,

beyondMS

[sophia]

I can't seem to get a dr. to tell the differences. when I had the spinal cord surgeries they said all the ms was me overdoing it, and then, they finally did an MRI and found all these lesions in the brain, and said, duh, looks like you have MS. but now I have MS no one seems to understand I think this walking that is worse is my T discs too. I hurt really bad between the shoulder blades and the MRI for the brain and cervical showed slight bulging into the cord, but that was dismissed or not read. I looked at it myself. as usual. its not rocket science its a picture. a very detailed picture. you just compare it to your others and see the changes. but I hope to get some relief. they want to start me on Tysabri and I don't want to. I don't feel the MS is gotten bad. Good luck I want to know what they come up with. oh, I feel the pain your describing.

[beyondMS]

they want to start me on Tysabri and I don't want to. I don't feel the MS is gotten bad. Good luck I want to know what they come up with. oh, I feel the pain your describing.


Forget Tysabri...too risky, especially if taken with Avonex. I assisted an interesting lecture today on MS and gait problems. The doctor was from Cleveland Clinic and he found that weakness in the hip reflexor muscle was very important in walking difficulties. They found that a new prosthesis helped patients walk better and regain some muscle strength. It is ugly but if it works, who cares?

The problem with MS is that you can't tell if it's the MS causing your discs to herniate because over the years you compensate my putting pressure on one side on your body.

I think I will try PT, hydrotherapy and this new prosthesis. I will let you know.

thanks,

beyondMS

P.S. If you want to understand where I hurt, spread your legs open while sitting, bend over and place your right arm inside your right leg and palm under your right foot. You will feel the part of your upper back stretch and the one that is killing me.:(