I've had the MRI, and yes, it's bad.

Chiropractor and physical therapy aren't helping at all.

What's next, Cortizone Shot? Surgery?

Anyone been through this who can speak with some experience. It's killing me not to be able to do anything that requires lots of movement, and I need an answer. I dont want to stay medicated all of my life, but I am a bit nervous about going under then knife for something like this.

7/27/2009 11:19:53 PM

7/27/2009 11:28:49 PM

My old boss had surgery twice for herniated discs and was still taking pain meds. He was supposed to have another surgery but that was before I quit.

7/27/2009 11:29:09 PM

Surgery.



Unfortunately, you'll have to worry about it for the rest of your life, but you have to TAKE CARE OF IT.


A lot of people get surgery, and then go back to acting like their back is 100%. You can't do that, unless you want to end back up on the operating table every few years.

7/27/2009 11:51:48 PM

I have Sciatica which is a result of a Herniated or out of place disc. It does not act up every day, sometimes it keeps me up at night.

I travel 90% of the time, and long flights it can bother me.

I went to a chiropractor, but feel that 24 visits (which he quoted me) is a f-ing racket and I really don't have 900 bucks to spend with a wedding coming up. He might have helped, but times is hard on a negro - so no 30 dollar copays for 3 times a week!

Ice works well, as does Aleve.

It actually has improved since I tried these two. My lower back does not hurt, but my left leg will occasionally ache like crazy in the back of the thigh or it will just go numb.

Weird pain - if I walk on hard surfaces, it hurts. If I run - it goes away. Walking 18 does not bother me. Standing at the store on a hard surface can be so painful i have to sit immediately.

good luck - if surgery could fix it - id sign up!

7/28/2009 12:28:45 AM

how do injuries like this occur?

sounds horrible and i'd like to avoid it if possible

7/28/2009 1:06:07 AM

Quote :

"I went to a chiropractor, but feel that 24 visits (which he quoted me) is a f-ing racket"

it is. they can teach you how to work on yourself, but it's strengthening your core that will help most.

also lift with your knees.

7/28/2009 1:44:29 AM

I have a slightly bulging one and I notice it most every day. I've learned over the past 2 weeks of being lazy that if I at least move around a little and do some very light stretching of it, I almost forget about it. But once I start being active again, it becomes an issue every single day.

For my back the doc said cortisone may help for awhile and surgery could be an option a long way down the road. Stretching and strengthening seems to help, and like ^ said, having my core and hips strong seems to make a huge difference.

^^ I hurt mine trying to break loose the lugnuts of my wifes car. I think a weak core coupled with a strong back and shoulders from a few months hitting the gym hard (but leaving the abs out) resulted in my injury.

7/28/2009 7:18:30 AM

my dad had a bulging disc in his lower back. it was causing him to lose feeling in his foot. he had surgery in greenville, nc and immediately regained feeling/strength in his foot and was back at work in a week or two. he doesn't really have serious issues with it anymore. it'll flare up occasionally and just kinda hurt a little for a couple days, but never any of the numb foot stuff.

7/28/2009 7:44:02 AM

If you guys are losing feeling in extremities, that is an extremely bad thing. You can't just let shit like that slide.

7/28/2009 6:50:52 PM

^^ heh heh, small world. My dad had a herniated disk and had surgery at Pitt Memorial (or whatever the hell they call it these days). They told him to be careful the rest of his life but hasn't had problems since. Apparently Pitt has some super baller back surgeon, or at least thats the way he made it sound.

7/28/2009 7:27:53 PM

I've had a pinched L5S1 nerve as a result of a bulging disc since I was 14. I was doing squats(with bad form) and yea...

I went 2 weeks before doing anything about it, we all thought I had pulled a hamstring as the only pain I had was down my right leg. Eventually I couldn't take it, especially when you're 14, it's hard to convey what you're really feeling. I got the MRI and they put me on some steroids to reduce the swelling. After ~3 straight weeks on bed rest I began PT rehab. I was never able to pass a sports physical since, but the pain never came back until Oct 07. I'm not sure what re-triggered it but I was again laid out and ended up seeing a chiro, which did not help. By Dec 07, after seeing a real doctor and getting some 500mg hydrocodone and some oral steroids for the swelling, I was back to normal.

In Jan 08 I began my weight loss transformation and have since lost 110lbs and am squatting/dead lifting 300+ free weights now(with proper form). I saw a PT over the summer last year and she helped me train my lower back muscles and become much more posture aware to really protect that area. I've re-triggered the pain for a few days at a time twice over the past 1.5yrs. Both times I was doing bicep curls, one standing, one preacher, on separate occasions. Again, I attribute the injury to poor form, especially on the preacher curls, I should not have been utilizing my back very much if at all on a bicep isolation exercise....anyways...

I still get cramps every single night for the past 1.5yrs down my right leg as a result of this chronic injury. It's usually in the morning right as I wake up when I'm subconsciously stretching. I can stretch to the point where I feel the pain about to set in. My right leg is also somewhat smaller than the left, yet still is the dominant leg. My achilles reflex is also completely absent in the right leg.

I have consulted a surgeon about possible scenarios and he said it likely wouldn't help. I'm better off continuing to receive the shots whenever necessary. Plus I get a bonus 350mg hydrocodone prescription when I feel like it.

7/28/2009 8:25:52 PM