Ow, my (hypothetical) back!

[navypilot555]

Hi, looking for advice from any Flight surgeon -
I am currently a winged aviator (1310), in the middle of my first sea JO tour. I was granted a waiver for intervertebral disc disease from NAMI before flight school with No symptoms at the time. I am looking for someone to help me understand how my medical status would be affected if I seek treatment / care from my doc if I start to develop more severe back pain related to this at this time. How would my waiver hold? If my back pain does not return to normal, what would happen to my flight status / career?

I am only able to find information on waiver criteria in the reference guide but unclear if it revokes waiver and if possible to reapply or would I be to redes / POCR?

13.4 INTERVERTEBRAL DISC DISEASE
https://www.med.navy.mil/Portals/62...PLETE_210811.pdf?ver=_pLPzFrtl8E2swFESnN4rA==

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[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Hi, looking for advice from any Flight surgeon -
I am currently a winged aviator (1310), in the middle of my first sea JO tour. I was granted a waiver for intervertebral disc disease from NAMI before flight school with No symptoms at the time. I am looking for someone to help me understand how my medical status would be affected if I seek treatment / care from my doc if I start to develop more severe back pain related to this at this time. How would my waiver hold? If my back pain does not return to normal, what would happen to my flight status / career?

I am only able to find information on waiver criteria in the reference guide but unclear if it revokes waiver and if possible to reapply or would I be to redes / POCR?

13.4 INTERVERTEBRAL DISC DISEASE
https://www.med.navy.mil/Portals/62/Documents/NMFSC/NMOTC/NAMI/ARWG/Waiver Guide/ARWG COMPLETE_210811.pdf?ver=_pLPzFrtl8E2swFESnN4rA==

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I can imagine something like this would fall into the category of "it depends", since none of us here are doctors and (2) we don't know your medical record more than you haha.

Get seen, get treated and hope for the best.

 

[sevenhelmet]

Hmmm… If memory serves, there’s an “ask the flight doc” thread here that might work better than commandeering a thread about mental health to discuss a physical injury.

 

[navypilot555]

Thanks all - just looking to hear from anyone that can speak about Nami Waivers. Can't seem to find information online on if a waiver can be rescinded in designated personell, and if this condition is enough to warrant a permanent DQ if not better in a certain time. If so, what are the next steps.

 

[IKE]

Having just got my first waiver recently, I think there are conditions on the waiver. Do you have your original letter? Medical should in you e-record.

In the case of my issue, the Aeromedical Reference and Waiver guide has a threshold I have to remain within to be waiverable, and my waiver letter from NAMI reiterates the threshold and provides conditions of continued waiver.

Short of actually seeing a doc (as advised above), that's all I've got.

 

[TimeBomb]

Waivers can be rescinded, if the underlying condition has changed, or if the conditions of the waiver can no longer be met.
In your case, the waiver guide seems pretty liberal about recommending waivers for back problems in designated aviators, as long as the aviator is asymptomatic. So I would say (which doesn't mean much of anything) that if your symptoms get worse, and don't respond to the approved OTC meds, PT, or surgery, then you might be looking at a loss of waiver.
Keep on top of this, and be especially cognizant of any neurological symptoms. The exact symptoms can and do vary, but that development is a sign to get moving on the problem, lest the deficits become permanent.
V/R

 

[taxi1]

If you have a bad back, then the best thing you could have is a waiver for something else, so when you see the doc they spend all their time talking about the something else and ignore the bad back.

 

[navypilot555]

Waivers can be rescinded, if the underlying condition has changed, or if the conditions of the waiver can no longer be met.
In your case, the waiver guide seems pretty liberal about recommending waivers for back problems in designated aviators, as long as the aviator is asymptomatic. So I would say (which doesn't mean much of anything) that if your symptoms get worse, and don't respond to the approved OTC meds, PT, or surgery, then you might be looking at a loss of waiver.
Keep on top of this, and be especially cognizant of any neurological symptoms. The exact symptoms can and do vary, but that development is a sign to get moving on the problem, lest the deficits become permanent.
V/R

Thanks for the response - I am not too familiar with the medical process and how it could affect flight status. Appreciate your take on it.

I do think waiver is contingent on me being asympotmatic. That being said, if it gets worse and I need to seek help from my squadron flight surgeon, get checked out, etc, and the if pain does not get better with doctors recommendations or meds as listed in the guide, it stops me from flying - what happens next? This is partly what I am unfamiliar with and trying to learn about - how does med board / limdu/ redesignation and all that work out in this timeline, for ex someone with intervertebral disc pain who loses the waiver ?

 

[TimeBomb]

It has been my experience that almost all typical low back pain can be successfully managed. The research on chronic back pain supports focusing on nonsurgical treatment, if there are no neurological findings. You might want to see if you can get your flight surgeon to set you up with PT, or even the chiropractor so you can minimize the use of meds. NSAIDS in high doses and/or over time are tough on the kidneys. If you haven't had recent imaging, like an MRI, you might request one to get a sense of where you are in terms of nerve involvement, if any. Operating on backs solely for pain relief is an iffy COA. Might not help, might get worse.

If you need surgery, and that takes care of symptoms, the waiver guide suggests that you would not require a medical board. Waiver requests are appropriate after being cleared by surgery and 6 weeks post op.

If your back problems fail to respond, and you don't need or don't want surgery, and the symptoms interfere with flight, then a medical board would be indicated. That's pretty far in the future, from what it sounds like.

LIMDU is designed to allow for a period of treatment and recovery, with the expectation that the individual will be able to return to duty at the conclusion of the period. As mentioned, if you aren't getting better with the usual treatments, more time probably isn't going to work. However, I have used the LIMDU period to buy some time for the member to get teed up for a career change if it looks like that his condition will make that inevitable.

V/R