Who has had a herniated disc?

[vlad]

See what Romo is doing is blowing my mind. I've had a L5/S1 herniated disc since about April - everytime I think I'm getting better I do something seemingly innocuous and BAM its like Mike Tyson is punching my nerves. Its very frustrating - so difficult to describe to those that have not had to deal with it. Wouldn't wish it on anyone!

Where was your herniation? How did you deal with it/get better? Were you able to get better such that you could resume normal activities?

 

[Plankton]

See what Romo is doing is blowing my mind. I've had a L5/S1 herniated disc since about April - everytime I think I'm getting better I do something seemingly innocuous and BAM its like Mike Tyson is punching my nerves. Its very frustrating - so difficult to describe to those that have not had to deal with it. Wouldn't wish it on anyone!

Where was your herniation? How did you deal with it/get better? Were you able to get better such that you could resume normal activities?

I have two - L4/L5 and L5/S1.

Did adjustments with a chiropractor for a while, did acupuncture, and PT. PT worked the best. Key is to keep your core strong. Fortunately, I also don't have stenosis, so I can get some relief by icing the area to reduce the swelling. I can do most of what I could do before, but I have to be measured when making quick movements. When it flares up, I get sciatica down both legs, sometimes as far down as my feet. Not fun. Hope you can get some relief.

 

[roughneck266]

Pretty sure I have something going on back there now. Trying to hold off on surgery till my wife gets a decision on transplant surgery. I have numbness mostly though,I do get pain, but now all the time.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

I did about 3 years ago and can say I am very glad it is finally well.
Tried loads of Naproxen with minimal results.
The steroid injection was a waste of money with minimal results as well.
Thirty days of physical therapy however did the trick.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

5mm herniation between the C4/C5.

I've had it for probably 15 years.

It caused lots of arm and neck pain (sounded and felt like ground glass in my neck when I tilted my head back & forth)

At one point surgery was an option, but after talking to several people I wanted to give physical therapy an honest shot.

I did organized physical therapy for 30 days, then proceeded to do physical therapy at home for the next several months.

Most of the therapy involved neck exercises, stretches and a contraption that consisted of bag of water, a rope, a couple pulleys and head harness– I used it to stretch my neck/spine (usually about 15 minutes per day).

Gradually 95% of the pain and discomfort went away.

I occasionally aggravate it by doing something I shouldn't of, but a couple ibuprofen usually gets it back under control.

I'm pleased that I didn't have surgery and went the physical therapy route.

 

[Stash]

I have one at L5/S1 as well. I've gone the chiropractor route for the past decade and that helps keep things manageable. But what I've found works best is physical therapy and core exercises.

I take yoga and pilates classes which keep me solid. The fact is that there's no miracle cure and you have to put the work in to make things better.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I have one at L5/S1 as well. I've gone the chiropractor route for the past decade and that helps keep things manageable. But what I've found works best is physical therapy and core exercises.

I take yoga and pilates classes which keep me solid. The fact is that there's no miracle cure and you have to put the work in to make things better.

Yep.

Everything I've heard about back/neck surgery scares me to death... I know several folks that ended up being worse for it.

And even if you come out of it with slight improvement, for the inconvenience/hardship of the surgery, I just don't see that being much of an option unless you're so badly off that surgery is the only thing left.

 

[Stash]

Yep.

Everything I've heard about back/neck surgery scares me to death... I know several folks that ended up being worse for it.

And even if you come out of it with slight improvement, for the inconvenience/hardship of the surgery, I just don't see that being much of an option unless you're so badly off that surgery is the only thing left.

Totally agree. I know too many people who were worse off after surgery - scar tissue, etc.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

I did, but surgery and exercise cleared me up pretty good. I don't seem to have many limitations from it as long as I make sure to exercise my legs/core and stretch daily.

 

[Khartun]

I have two in my neck, can't remember which at the moment. I opted on the steroid injections. I went through several rounds over a year or so. I haven't been bothered by them in 10+ years.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I have two in my neck, can't remember which at the moment. I opted on the steroid injections. I went through several rounds over a year or so. I haven't been bothered by them in 10+ years.

Did you do any physical therapy for them?

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

When I went thru the whole ordeal and started physical therapy I was surprised how much strength I had lost especially in my left arm. The pain that would run down the backside of my left arm was at times {usually at night} unbearable.

 

[arglebargle]

Had an L5 issue. Was working a job that required heavy lifting, so my back did not get better. Took about a year after stopping that for it to stop hurting all the time. Did some PT at various points. Part of it was learning how to move properly, and also learning how to say 'no, I can't help you with that.'

 

[Khartun]

Did you do any physical therapy for them?

No, just the injections.

The first round only lasted a few weeks. The next one lasted a few months and then the last one has pretty much stopped the issues I was having.

 

[WV Cowboy]

I dislocated my left SI (Sacroiliac Joint) six years ago. It is where the spine sits on the pelvis.

I could not stand up, or sit down, .. lay down, or walk up or down a step for 3 days.

I would have to think long and hard to decide whether I would want to go through that again, .. or my 4-way heart bypass surgery. I'm serious.

I still have lingering effects, .. and do daily stretching exercises to keep it in line.

Back pain is no fun.

 

[Lonestar94]

I did about 3 years ago and can say I am very glad it is finally well.
Tried loads of Naproxen with minimal results.
The steroid injection was a waste of money with minimal results as well.
Thirty days of physical therapy however did the trick.

5mm herniation between the C4/C5.

I've had it for probably 15 years.

It caused lots of arm and neck pain (sounded and felt like ground glass in my neck when I tilted my head back & forth)

At one point surgery was an option, but after talking to several people I wanted to give physical therapy an honest shot.

I did organized physical therapy for 30 days, then proceeded to do physical therapy at home for the next several months.

Most of the therapy involved neck exercises, stretches and a contraption that consisted of bag of water, a rope, a couple pulleys and head harness– I used it to stretch my neck/spine (usually about 15 minutes per day).

Gradually 95% of the pain and discomfort went away.

I occasionally aggravate it by doing something I shouldn't of, but a couple ibuprofen usually gets it back under control.

I'm pleased that I didn't have surgery and went the physical therapy route.

I have two in my neck, can't remember which at the moment. I opted on the steroid injections. I went through several rounds over a year or so. I haven't been bothered by them in 10+ years.

I've had facet joint problems (facet syndrome) and have an appointment to get some steroid injections into my spine..Been through physical therapy before but they didn't know exactly what was causing the problem, I found this physical therapy app on my Iphone for facet joints and thinking about doing that after the injections.. Hopefully I'll only have to do the injections one time.

 

[Lonestar94]

Pretty sure I have something going on back there now. Trying to hold off on surgery till my wife gets a decision on transplant surgery. I have numbness mostly though,I do get pain, but now all the time.

Something you did while roughnecking?

 

[roughneck266]

Something you did while roughnecking?

I am sure that played at least some part in it. I am not a roughneck anymore though. I am an electronics tech, but still have to do some things on the rig that dont exactly help.

 

[Rack]

I have multiple bulging disks and an L5/S1 herniated disk. And I'm deployed to Afghanistan. I do ok until I have to wear full kit, then it freakin' kills me.

But I've got a very high pain tolerance so I drive on (also have gout,, arthritis in both knees, and multilevel disk and joint degeneration - DDD).

 

[WV Cowboy]

I have multiple bulging disks and an L5/S1 herniated disk. And I'm deployed to Afghanistan. I do ok until I have to wear full kit, then it freakin' kills me.

But I've got a very high pain tolerance so I drive on (also have gout,, arthritis in both knees, and multilevel disk and joint degeneration - DDD).

Do you ever find a moment that is pain free? Can you ever escape the pain?