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Spinal cord injury not diagnosed

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    Spinal cord injury not diagnosed

    Has anyone had a spinal cord injury that went un-diagnosed because of their MS?

    I've had MS for 20+ years. I have a spinal cord injury from an unknown problem. The problems mimicked MS problems. Numbness, weakness, loss of balance.

    By the time the MS neuro found the source of my problems, I ended up with a surgery to stabilize my spinal canal, spinal fusion, and problems that may be permanent.

    #2
    If you did not report any injury to your doctor, there would not be any reason to go looking for injury damage.

    Sure hope you are doing well? fed

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      #3
      Fed,

      I advised him that I was starting to "wobble" when I walked. He gave me the neuro shoulder shrug.

      Several visits, e-mails, tests, treatments over a 4 month period and there it was, a spinal cord injury and not MS or PML.

      Sounds unbelievable, but that's pretty close to how it went.

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        #4
        Sure sorry to hear that; Limping etc. can be M.S. too, unfortunately.

        I had several back surgeries before they decided it was M.S...oh, and 2 fake knees--that are now stiff again!.

        Curious, what made him look at your spine, finally? fed

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          #5
          So, you don't have MS or do you have both?

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            #6
            misslux, I understood it to be both, MS and back injury...

            I could be wrong, I had to re-read it a few times. fed

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              #7
              Yes, I have MS, dx'd 1988. Also a spinal cord injury of unknown origin.

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                #8
                I am in limbo, but I hurt my back carrying something heavy almost two years ago. I went to a spine specialist last year and he completely blew me off when he read my chart (notes from my MS specialist). I asked for an MRI, he refused. I recently went to my GP, he wants me to get another EMG and do months of PT. I just want an MRI. I see my MS specialist in a few weeks, hopefully he will listen to me, he usually does.

                After I hurt my back (thoracic area, between shoulder blades), I started getting weakness and cool-burning sensations in my arms and legs. I get these symptoms every time it flares up, from me lifting something too heavy. I am pretty certain that I have a herniated disc.

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                  #9
                  Agree

                  I personally feel spinal issues as well are poorly diagnosed. I know what caused mine, but it took them 2 years to finally fix an unstable spine. My situation, put me into emergency spinal surgery- as soon as the surgeon finally saw me - he had me in surgery in 8 days... which is unheard of here. I do think that the symptoms overlap with MS , I also think if you "look" okay the docs don't expect anything to be wrong, which is what I was told. I knew I wasn't right, stairs were downright scary, I couldn't lift my legs, and perspective of walking was off. So yes, it is possible to have an issue and the docs don't believe you until finally an MRI confirms. Mine was a complete dent into the spinal cord with the potential of collapse.

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                    #10
                    spinal injury

                    Yes, I have a spinal fusion. My disk ruptured suddenly. For years before that the symptoms were numbness below the knees while walking some pain, improved with steroids. My neurologist kept thinking I had some non specific attack to the spine. turns out I had spinal stenosis and a ruptured L4 by the time I got to my surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery. He was wonderful, felt is may have been the result of being hit by a car when I was younger. It is frustrating as I still have some minor symptoms that may be it or MS but my nuerologist is unwilling to deal with it. The first nuerologist I had treated me as a whole person.

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                      #11
                      Hope ALL of you get your backs taken care of. How UTTERLY FRUSTRATING that Drs blow off so many things because we have MS.I have been lucky (I think) that a pain Specialist took my pain seriously. I am getting a Spinal Cord Stimulator but am a little bit worried about possible structural problems. Well guess I will eventually find out.Hope you ALL do NOT have to put up with too much pain !!!!
                      Peace to all,
                      LM
                      RRMS 11/11/2005, SPMS 20011 (guess I 'graduated')

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