Opinion ID: 599563
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the injury and the treatment

Text: 2 Mrs. Fields worked as a nurse's aid and was injured while lifting a patient in February, 1989. One month after this injury she developed a numbness in her lower back and leg. Dr. Croissant, her treating physician, discovered mild L-5 radiculopathy on the right lower extremity. 3 Therapy did not adequately deal with her problem, and Dr. Croissant performed partial laminectomies and discetomies of L-3 and L-4. At the time of her discharge from the hospital, he noted that her condition was improved but she was still complaining of pain. As of May 31, 1989, Dr. Croissant reported Marie is doing well post-operatively.... She is walking more outside and tolerating activity well. 4 The next doctor's report, dated October 30, revealed that Fields had another partial laminectomy of L-4 with the removal of some recurrent disc herniation. Dr. Croissant noted It was difficult to motivate her. She spent her time in bed. Although she looked comfortable, she did complain of some discomfort. At the time of discharge she was much improved. 5 In January of 1990, Dr. Croissant reported: Mrs. Fields is doing excellently. Her pain is much improved and her back is healed normally with a relatively normal scar. She is now two months postop. We are gradually increasing her activities and plan to see her in a month. Dr. Croissant reported in February that she was going to continue dieting on her own and to continue her exercise program. He hoped to get her back into a normal life-style and working as soon as possible. 6 The claimant presented a letter dated June 30, 1990 by Dr. Sperl to the appeals council: 7 We have started her on an out patient physical therapy program. Her symptomatology has definitely shown improvement. The thing that seems to bother her the most, however, is this ongoing complaint of radiation into the right leg. It was following her second surgery that she, in fact, began complaining of constant pain in the right leg. Prior to the surgery, she was only complaining of intermittent discomfort. 8