What can it mean when they find blood in your spinal fluid?

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Sister is 8 months pregnant. She has been complaining of severe headaches and nausia. Doctors did a spinal tap.
It certainly is nothing to do with schizophrenia. You don't tend to find frank blood in spinal fluid, except very small amounts from where the needle has punctured the skin. What they can find in the spinal fluid is something called xanthecromia, which makes the spinal fluid look yellowish, and is the result of blood cells which have been broken down. The spinal fluid is continuous with the brain, and if there is xanthecromia (broken down red blood cells) in the spinal fluid it usually indicates an area of bleeding within the brain, most commonly something called a subarachnoid haemorrhage. You should ask the doctor about anything you don't understand.  (+ info)

What should I expect from a visit to an orthopedic/spinal surgeon?

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I'm going to see an orthopedic/spinal surgeon on Thursday. I'm going to see him because I have a herniated disc in my lower back which causes my legs to tingle/go numb. I went through physical therapy for a few months but it only seemed to make it worse so my PCP referred me to the surgeon. What should I expect from this visit?
The doctor will talk to you, examine you and if you do not have one already, order an MRI.

If your symptoms are manageable and you are not getting progressive weakness, the doctor will probably advise against surgery.

If you are in too much pain but otherwise ok, the doctor might recommend an anaesthetic injection of the affected nerve(s).

If there is sign of nerve damage (eg progressive numbess or weakness) then an operation may be required. Surgery may also be offered in any case.

Listen to the surgeon's opinion, then make your decision.  (+ info)

What are the effects of spinal cord injuries?

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I met the most FANTASTIC little girl the other day! She is 7, and she fell as a baby and suffered some spinal cord injuries that have given her many of the syptoms of Cereberal Palsy. My partner has CP so I am somewhat familiar with it. The little girls walks with crutches, but I heard them saying she may need a wheelchair soon. I know this is a VERY broad question, but I am just looking for people with experience in the situation?
Well, since the spinal cord is affected, it mainly concerns the person's central nervous system. It can affect four areas of the spinal cord: (top to bottom)
1. cranial (everything is affected: mobility, breathing, loss of sensation, paraplegic where limbs cannot function)
2. thoraxic (breathing)
3. lumbar (loss of sensation)
4. sacral (paraplegic)

The little girl could have CP since it is either congenital or acquired. It is best to have her assessed by her medical team.  (+ info)

spinal cord stimulator and how to tell if you have new problems?

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I have a spinal cord stimulator and it does help although it doesn't block the pain 100%. I was wondering if anyone else had one of these and if they ever had any new disc problems after having it installed. If you did end up with new problems how did you know you had something new wrong and not just pain from your old injury?
Your symptoms would change. If there was pain running into the bottom of the foot it might change to the front of the shin or into the toes. The pain patterns or numbness are going to be the key. The stimulator is not going to stop pain from a higher level though it could conceivably lessen it. The stimulator is not going to stop any changes that are taking place in the back. Talk to the surgeon that did the procedure or a neurologist.  (+ info)

How long does it take to recover from a lower lumbar spinal fusion?

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I had spinal fusion on my L5 S1 lumbar in August. I was released for normal activity by my doctor after three months. I still have more bad days then good. Any words of wisdom? When will it get better?
First, don't smoke. Smoking is a primary cause in most failed fusions. Stay away from second hand smoke.

Don't do any heavy lifting. Engage only in low impact exercise or sports.

This may hurt for a long time. Spinal fusion is not like a broken leg. The spine is a complex structure, with lots of nerves involved, and it also acts as a shock absorber for the weight of your body. You may face many more months of healing before you see the pain fade away.

It would be best to speak to your physician and see if an appropriate course of physical therapy will help you along this difficult path.

By the way, this is where a lot of patients get addicted to pain killers. Don't add that grief to the misery you still suffer.  (+ info)

Is it possible to work as a Registered Nurse after a spinal fusion?

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I need a spinal fusion for double major scoliosis!! Going to be quite a long fusion. I am very healthy in all other areas and heal quite rapidly.

One other question for the fused people out there, do you feel all stiff with the metal implants in your spine? Is it obvious that you have the implants in, like sitting up really rigid?

Thanks to all who answer :)
Hello there,

i have had a 5 hour surgery to my spine,had it fused from top to bottom and have rods,i too had severe double curves and was like a z shape,

and yes i feel stiff after it, and cant bend lift or twist at the waist at all now, but i was told i can have the implants removed but they also told me i would still be very stiff as fusing is what causes the stiffness so i refused,

as i thought it pointless to go through more surgery only to be the same afterwards,

and my implants can be seen through the skin at the top like a bump a bit like a marble under the skin really,but i don't sit rigid i can stoop a bit and i mean a bit too!

i am unsure if you can be a nurse after but when i was in hospital one of the ambulance drivers who took me home told me he had been through the fusion surgery as well, and i was surprised at this as he was lifting stretchers and stuff,

and i was warned at the hospital not to bend and be too rough but of course i felt so well i didn't take the advice big mistake! as my implant came away from the spine and ripped through the skin,

at hospital they put it back inside me and attached it back to the bone while i was fully awake with no painkillers at all as they said it was to urgent to wait for painkillers to work,and it really hurt!

so you must be care full afterwards.  (+ info)

If I had Spinal Meningitis Haemophilus Influenzae type B when I was an infant do I have anythin to worry about?

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When I was around 18 months I had Spinal Meningitiss Haemophilus influenzae type B. They told my mother that I could possibly suffer from hearing and/or vision loss from the antibiotics used in during my treatment. I am now 22 years old and have not encountered any problems regarding this matter. The spinal meningitis I had was in fact bacterial. I was more just wondering if and when these hearing and/or vision loss could take place, if ever.
Meningitis causes brain damage and with that come loss of hearing and loss of sight which are actually quite minor side effects from meningitis when you consider all the other problems that people have once they have over come the disease.
If you were going to lose your hearing or sight it happens in hospital while you are being treated and not years down the track so to answer your question you are never going to be deaf or blind unless you end up with another illness that could cause these things.

Im am very happy you survived un like so many thousand of other people who don't and if they do there left with very serious illnesses including blindness, deafness, seizures, autism, cerebral palsy, loss of limbs, loss of Speech, inability to walk and in some cases even move.
The list goes on and on.
You should be very happy and proud of yourself that you are okay and thank you mum everyday because it was her the noticed the symptoms and got you the treatment that saved your life.  (+ info)

How do I go about donating spinal fluid?

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As crazy as it sounds Im very much interested in donating my spinal fluid much like one would donate blood (just obviously not on a regular basis). I would want to do it as a donor for a patient not for research. How do I go about doing this? Who do I contact?

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!!
Very carefully.  (+ info)

What are the nerves in the spinal cord, and what do they do everyday?

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I want to know the nerve in the spinal cord does, what its calles, what they do everyday, as in, what their job is...
The spinal cord as it leaves the brain controls everything the body does-especially the autonomic systems. You don't have to think to make your heart beat, your brain does that all by itself via these nerves as well as other things like breathing when you are asleep.
Remember the late Christopher Reeve. His central nervous system was interrupted just below the brain. He had to have a machine to breathe for him and a pacemaker to keep his heart beating.  (+ info)

What are the risks of having spinal steriod injections?

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I have lumbar disc disease- what are the pros and cons of spinal injections?
The injections are usually depot preparations of steroids. It is wrong to say that they are spinal injections because they do not go into the spinal cavity.
They generally exert a local effect , and can be said to be generally harmless unless used for a continuous long period exceeding two months.

Please see the following site. The possible side effects in your case is the same as described below
http://www.arc.org.uk/arthinfo/patpubs/6250/6250.asp  (+ info)

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