[California_Help]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/20...fd73827ec0


I agree with this coach, do as much physical therapy as you can to avoid spinal surgery. I know an injured worker who went in for a very small lumbar spine surgery, not even a fusion. He got one of these spinal cord leaks and two years later he is still suffering.

California injured workers:

I know very well it is extremely difficult in California to get things like physical therapy approved. This is why I offer my assistance to anyone who needs it when it in California comes to how to appeal UR denials for physical therapy. I will also provide rational to give to your doctor to help get physical therapy approved. I am just an injured worker like yourself, and not a professional. I am not guaranteeing you will get approved, but if you need my help I will give it.

[kev_b]

This might be a good time to tell my story, I had a second spine surgery, it was just a simple laminectomy/foraminotomy, I was warned prior to surgery that a dura tear could happen but I wasn’t warned that the surgeon was incompetent on post-op care or how RFA’s works. I had a dura tear during surgery, it was repaired before he closed me up but a few hours later after being released home from his own outpatient surgery center the repair failed and I suffered from those nasty low-pressure headaches.
I went to the emergency room where I was admitted because of a very high white blood cell count, an indication of an infection so they started me in IV antibiotics. The following day the surgeon came to see me in the hospital, the surgeon said I could go home but the hospital doctor said no way until the white blood cell count was normal, 3 days later I was released and still suffering a CSF leak and low-pressure headaches.
After my 3rd follow up 14 days later with the surgeon he finally requests an MRI, authorization for a blood patch or surgery if the MRI showed a pseudomeningocele, the only problem was that the UR company never received an RFA, a second new request RFA for the MRI only was submitted 4 days after that only to be denied, take note a post-op CSF leak is an emergency situation but the surgeon never acted like it was as far as the RFA under the box on the RFA form for expiated review.
In the end after IMR overturned the MRI denial, an ethic complaint with the insurer and a court hearing for a late UR, the MRI was done, 4 months later! So, 5 weeks of low pressure headaches due to an untreated CSF leak, nothing for the pain and now adhesive arachnoiditis with clumping of the cauda equina nerves roots is where I am at.

[jayne]

well the pain got so bad I went in to fuse the lower back. I wanted to try to have a life. its worse You can be in so much pain for so long before you have to try.