one year outcome

One year disability level:

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Well, it's been a year since I injured my lower back in a bike race up my favorite training hill to Henry Coe State Park (see photo - I'm the 2nd climber). I would have never dreamed that I would 'still' be suffering from sciatica and back pain a full year later!

I'm still unable to ride a bike, hike, play golf, or do much of anything without 'severely' paying for it. I have great difficulty with lifting, sitting, bending repetitively, prolonged walking (especially hills) or doing anything remotely physical. I'm just happy that I've recently been able to return to work - full time (30 hours a week) - as a Chiropractor, although I still can't do some of the physical stretching techniques or manipulations that I used to be able to do.

I've also developed what the gastroenterologist called, Irritable bowl & stomach syndrome. My stomach has 'up-set and bloated' for some six weeks now. The year of NSAIDS, Percocet, and Neurontin has greatly upset my GI system.

As a 'State appointed', Qualified Medical Evaluator, I'm quite familiar with the three main 'Out Come Assessment Tools' commonly used for evaluating the disable spinal patient. The Roland Morris-24, SF-36, and the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire are the bread and butter, subjectively speaking, of all good disability evaluators.

My Roland Morris results (here) confirm a moderate residual disability to the open labor market, where I scored 7 out of 24. The 'Oswestry Low back pain questionnaire' (here) also confirms a moderate to severe disability, where I scored a 42%. My 'Standford Score' (here) is 4.38 as of 11-28-03 which is more than a moderate disability- things are getting worse and it looks like its time for a microdisectomy. Feel free to browse to these pages to take the test your self!

I have not chosen to give my self a 'permanent disability rating' yet for I do NOT believe I'm maximally medically improved as of yet for the following reasons: My sciatica started from a severe exacerbation on 12-28-02 . My 'Bottom' (worse level of pain), did not occur until April of 2003. This 'bottom' occurred from yet another severe exacerbation from a two hour hike in the mountains followed by a 30 minute exercise session. I've never recovered from this day.

Click 'here' to see my recent (10-29-03) neurosurgical examination and treatment plans. I now have a well respected neurosurgeon who is willing do surgery on me. Its up to me now!

The links below will show you my actual Disability Assessment Scores on some of the most common assessment forms.

Roland-Morris | Oswestry | Stanford Score | Home | Top