The MRI we paid for out of pocket revealed that she does not, in fact, have a frayed tendon. Therefore, the six weeks of physical therapy that Cigna was demanding would have been a waste of time and money. It also would have left her in unreduced pain for an additional six weeks. Grrrr!
Those MRI results led Mo’s doctor to order a bone scan of her lower back which revealed a torn vertebral disk, probably the result of normal wear and tear for someone her...uh...I mean, our age with an active lifestyle and a penchant for staircases.
When a vertebral disk tears, a small amount of fluid drains out and dribbles down into one leg or the other, eventually pooling where the thigh meets the butt cheek. That fluid isn’t supposed to be there, so it causes inflammation and pain. In Mo’s case that pain masqueraded for a long time as a frayed tendon.
But the most important news is that she’s allowed to resume her training program NOW. (Cue Rocky theme music.)
You may be wondering how injections can help a torn disk. (I know I was.) We were told that the lidocaine shots are for pain management and the cortisone shots are to reduce and eventually eliminate the inflammation.
Although there’s no guarantee that the disk will heal – indeed, that’s a fairly unlikely scenario – even while torn it is still providing adequate cushioning between the two vertebrae that it separates. Monica will also be given some back exercises soon that are designed to strengthen muscles that support her lower spine. These drills, it is hoped, will give her disk a fighting chance of repairing itself should it have a mind to do so.
Oh wait. Somebody beat me to it.
Looks like somebody else did, too.
Oh wait…