Who has had a herniated disc?

[Rack]

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

I rarely take it but hydrocodone helps. Also if I lay flat on my back with my knees bent its not bad.

 

[WV Cowboy]

I rarely take it but hydrocodone helps. Also if I lay flat on my back with my knees bent its not bad.

When you have pain that you cannot escape from, it really wears on you.

I'm glad you can at least find a position that eases the pain.

I know that I am always grateful when I am dealing with pain, if I can find some position, sitting or laying, where I can get away from the pain a little.

 

[cml750]

I have had ruptured disc at both the L5/S1 and the L3/L4 levels as well as a bulging disc at L4/L5. I had surgery on both ruptured disc which happened about 7 years apart. The surgery really helped both times but I still deal with sciatica almost daily. I could hardly walk before surgery especially the second one at L3/L4. I would literally fall to my knees several times a day losing ALL strength in my left leg. The surgery was really my only option.

 

[Doc50]

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.

That's not sciatica -- it's radiculopathy: impingement symptoms from a major nerve root.

Persistence of that will cause progressive irreversible nerve damage, both motor and sensory.

No matter how much you want to avoid surgery, the benefits far outweigh the risks in persistent impingement or stenosis cases where muscle atrophy is beginning to occur.

 

[Doc50]

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

I have sent hundreds for surgery (after exhausting all conservative means of mgt). Rarely does the patient get less than a 50% improvement of symptoms, and approximately 25% get complete relief; of course, the complexity of the pathology has a major influence on the outcome. And if nerve damage has already occurred, the neuropathy symptoms will continue, but will be improved -- however, the progressive nerve damage from entrapment will stop. Complications such as nerve damage or infection are less than 0.5%.

I post this response so that folks will have the full disclosure of medical evidence and options, and not face the consequence of potentially crippling nerve damage, thinking that they should just "man up" and completely shun the surgical option.

Loss of limb strength, loss of bowel or bladder function, and intractable pain are all indications for surgical intervention.
See your doctor, or several, if you aren't sure what path is right for you.

 

[Stash]

I have sent hundreds for surgery (after exhausting all conservative means of mgt). Rarely does the patient get less than a 50% improvement of symptoms, and approximately 25% get complete relief; of course, the complexity of the pathology has a major influence on the outcome. And if nerve damage has already occurred, the neuropathy symptoms will continue, but will be improved -- however, the progressive nerve damage from entrapment will stop. Complications such as nerve damage or infection are less than 0.5%.

I post this response so that folks will have the full disclosure of medical evidence and options, and not face the consequence of potentially crippling nerve damage, thinking that they should just "man up" and completely shun the surgical option.

Loss of limb strength, loss of bowel or bladder function, and intractable pain are all indications for surgical intervention.
See your doctor, or several, if you aren't sure what path is right for you.

Then consider me in the "conservative means of mgt" section, and staying there.

It has nothing to do with "manning up", and everything to do with not making the condition worse or irreparable. Both my brother-in-law and father-in-law went the surgery route and are in much worse shape than I am.

And I regularly take both pilates and yoga classes, which many ignorant people think are just for women, so I'm hardly worried about my manhood being in question.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

And I regularly take both pilates and yoga classes, which many ignorant people think are just for women, so I'm hardly worried about my manhood being in question.

I don't take those classes in a formal setting but I do those stretches at home every morning. And they do help with lower back stiffness.

 

[Doc50]

Then consider me in the "conservative means of mgt" section, and staying there.

It has nothing to do with "manning up", and everything to do with not making the condition worse or irreparable. Both my brother-in-law and father-in-law went the surgery route and are in much worse shape than I am.

And I regularly take both pilates and yoga classes, which many ignorant people think are just for women, so I'm hardly worried about my manhood being in question.

Yeah, but you meet a lot of flexible babes there.

Seriously, Stash -- good for you. Life is full of adversity, and we just have to what we feel good about, and keep movin', never letting anything keep us down.

Here's hoping Romo can keep movin'. BTW, his surgery was very simple and quick, essentially plucking a piece of fibrous disc material out of its inappropriate impinging location. He was fortunate.

 

[vlad]

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.

Thank you very much for your response Plankton. Ironically I aggravated this/set it off by doing just that - strengthening my core. I'm getting into my mid 30s and i was like "now or never" and went to a trainer and said "i don't care about being jacked or glamour muscles, I just want to fix my posture".

Today I feel as good as I've felt in a long time. I'm supposed to get a standing desk at work - this Aeron chair I have is amazing, the one place I can sit and I don't even have to think about. The pain is similar to yours, but fortunately just down my left leg. Its a very large herniation according the Drs, so every day right now is an adventure. Honestly I'm just trying to make sure I can fly back to Dallas for Thanksgiving - else I'll have to tell my mom and don't want her worrying!

Good luck on your end too.

 

[vlad]

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.

Definitely worth getting it checked out - time is everything if you think you have something going on - fix it before you bulge or rupture!

 

[vlad]

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.

Sorry to hear of the troubles WV - definitely no fun. I had a 3-day stint of my own, holy s! I've just been living too bad for too long - need to get back to eating like I did as a youth (Indian diet (but not the restaurant kind loaded with cream and butter). Trying to make health a focus. I can't wait to get back to riding my bike to work daily! Subway isn't bad, thank goodness I don't have to deal with cars - I think that would be brutal.

 

[vlad]

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.'

Good for you man - learning to move, engaging my core as much as possible, glutes, all that is where I'm at. Glad you are doing better.

 

[vlad]

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).

Whoa man - that's really tough - thanks for the service - I can only imagine having to go through so many things at once.

 

[vlad]

I have had ruptured disc at both the L5/S1 and the L3/L4 levels as well as a bulging disc at L4/L5. I had surgery on both ruptured disc which happened about 7 years apart. The surgery really helped both times but I still deal with sciatica almost daily. I could hardly walk before surgery especially the second one at L3/L4. I would literally fall to my knees several times a day losing ALL strength in my left leg. The surgery was really my only option.

So sorry to hear it - that's a ton of stuff going on back there. Are you in PT now?

 

[vlad]

Then consider me in the "conservative means of mgt" section, and staying there.

It has nothing to do with "manning up", and everything to do with not making the condition worse or irreparable. Both my brother-in-law and father-in-law went the surgery route and are in much worse shape than I am.

And I regularly take both pilates and yoga classes, which many ignorant people think are just for women, so I'm hardly worried about my manhood being in question.

Hahaha, love that last line - I'll never figure out people over the age of 12 that think that way. I know a few people that went surgical route and didn't like the results, one woman that did and is very happy. I'm with you - unless its the only option, its not an option, but glad Doc gave some info.

 

[vlad]

Thanks everyone for their responses, much appreciated.

 

[WV Cowboy]

Sorry to hear of the troubles WV - definitely no fun. I had a 3-day stint of my own, holy s! I've just been living too bad for too long -

Yea, that is what I would tell anyone your age, try to get in shape and stay in shape.
I am 60, and luckily I am in decent shape, but it could be a lot better if I had worked to stay in shape.

Every time I try to get back in real good shape, I aggravate something, ... back, knee, hip, etc.
So I stop, to just get back to being pain-free. I like pain-free.

Getting old is not for sissies.

 

[xwalker]

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?

My Mom had it about 20 years ago. She was hospitalized because she was in pain to the point that she couldn't function.

She had surgery (minimally invasive type with a scope) and had zero issue afterwards. The pain was basically gone immediately and she was 100% in a couple of months. I think hers was in the L5 area.

 

[Lonestar94]

Well the steroid injections didn't work.. I'm Angry and upset at this point..

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Well the steroid injections didn't work.. I'm Angry and upset at this point..

Have you started physical rehab?

Steroids didn't do anything for me.

Long and disciplined physical rehab did it.

But really different tricks for different folks, you need to find the right path for you.