posted Fri, 03/01/2019 - 17:48
2786
Herniated disc lower back
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Well with out going into to much detail, I was unloading a truck at work yesterday. Bent over to pick up a mildly heavy box and boom I hit the ground herniated two disc, undoubtedly one of the worst pains I've ever felt . No joke I nearly evacuated my bowls #1and #2. But I held it together, made it too the hospital, ct scan , morphine blah blah blah. Doctor ordered an out patient MRI, he's not sure if the disc is pushing on any nerves, which is why he ordered the MRI.
I'm looking for any advice and experience with any similar injuries, is it a sure thing that i'm gonna need surgery?
or is a few chiropractor visits and some prednisone steroid therapy enough to fix this problem.
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well just a quick update, got an MRI of my lower lumbar, L2-L5 showed mild disc bulge, L5-S1 showed an impingement of the sciatic nerve .
so I'll need surgery to fix the nerve according to the neurologist, but I've seen this surgery before this day in age its very moderate and barley invasive . After the surgery ill be better than before the injury, so I'm not stressing it to much. ty to everyone for the advice and support.
I’ve had bulging discs and impinged nerves in lower back for 10+ years. You don’t need surgery cause they say so. I have good days and bad but mostly good.
Alphamale500Well, I really think whether surgery is needed or not is really on a case by case basis. As you yourself know, there are some people like you who can deal with their back problems without needing surgery. But, in other cases surgery may be necessary. It all depends on the type of injury, how much pain the person is in, and how tolerable the injury is to each person.
I have some bulging and protruding discs myself, and also a fucked up neck. I guess from so many cars I smacked up when I was a kid, but never learned about the injuries until years later. I never got surgery and I don't take any pain medication. But that's me. And that's great that you don't find it necessary for surgery either!
I've actually had some problems with opioid pain killers when I was a kid, which is why I'll never touch any pain medication ever again in my life(Except for Tylenol or Ibuprofen). I know where it can lead and it's just not worth it! That's why I think it's so important that people, especially younger people, don't take opioid pain killers unless absolutely necessary. This shit is killing our kids!
I wouldn't worry about surgery unless it was 1001% needed. You should be fine after 6 weeks
Looks like youv'e recieved some good advise so I'll keep mine short. I wrote a bit about lower back road to recovery a while ago. About 3 years after C5,6 &7 neck fusion/disc removal I had severe problems with L4-L5. After the MRI showed 80% degenerative disc I was put into pain management. Doctors stated they wanted my condition to get worse before surgery. Back surgery is a mixed bag and does not have the success rate as the neck.
Oral steroids (prednisone) will alleviate inflammation for a while but my condition came back. My story wrapped up in a nutshell (no homo) was rest, rest and more rest. Skip the long term opiate treatment and consult a chiropractor. Back to the basics core strength exercises. To this day I have not had surgery. It does flare up from time to time but very manageable. I wish you the very best sir.
Fang
A herniated disc is the same as a prolapsed disc. The disc material has been compressed from between the vertebrae and can press upon spinal nerves. Depending upon where this has occurred it can result in sciatic pain. I developed a prolapsed disc from doing bent over rows with big weights. I have suffered sciatic pain for the last 30 years. Only cure is removal of the disc and fusing of the related verterbrae, or operating on (removing) the disc material that is impinging upon the spinal nerve. That can be done with a scalpel, or most recently, laser surgery. I really don't want some 3rd doctor using a scalpel on my spine, and don't trust their skill with lasers...so I just suck it up and live with it. When it gets too bad - I take an NSAID..and forget chiropractors - that's quackery..especially for a herniated disc. Once the disc is damaged through compression, no amount of spinal 'manipulation' is going to recompose that disc.
OZ I cant afford to think like that bro, I gotta believe that my body can heal itself I'm 30yo so there should enough youth left in me to get the job done.
Your right though brother with injuries like I have its all about the location of the herniation, its been two days since the injury and the pain is subsiding somewhat and my range of motion is improving somewhat too.
My MRI is tuesday, so ill give a for real update then.
Firstly - my apologies. I didn't mean to come across as being negative. I'm hoping that you only have some inflamation that will subside and you can heal quickly. Your doctor will give you a treatment plan which will get you up and about. Have a great weekend - rest and don't stress.
jayiskSorry to hear about your injury. But until you get the MRI to see what is going on with your back it is all just speculation.., which will cause you stress and make you worry.
Once the MRI results come back a treatment plan can be made and your options will be told to you. This maybe a short or long recovery..,again wont know until they see whats going on with your back.
Until then try and stay positive and not thing about "what if's"
take care brother!
Rodger that ty bro.
Ace VenturaNo offense, but in my opinion, taking an NSAID to mask pain instead of trying to cure it is quackery. Your advice is bad and outdated. I agree with Steve’s faggot ass on this one
No offence taken. As I stated in my post - the only options as far as I am concerned are surgery, which I'm not prepared to undertake. As I said to Steve - I have tried Chiros for years and they did nothing for my condition, so for me, they are not an option.
I rarely take NSAIDs - only when absolutely necessary, as they can interfere with heart meds.
StevebThanks bro
Ace VenturaOkay
Steveb519 karma how adorable.
Ace VenturaI’m trying to keep that number because it’s also my area code. Otherwise I’d have a lot more
StevebHow is what a Chiropractor does quackery but an MD who will fuse your spine and give you opiates not a quack?
This isn't good advice, Chiropractors can fix that and many other problems without causing more damage unlike Medical Doctors.
There's a reason every major sport like the NGL uses Chiropractors to fix their players. They get herniated discs a lot and if you fused their spine you wouldn't be "curing" them you would be ending their careers.
I had a herniated disc and bad sciatica for years. I saw a few Chiropractors and the first two didn't do shit. The third one was able to fix my back. You just need to get a good one.
Chiros can't repair herniated discs. If you have some medical research/evidence to point me to I will certainly retract my statement. "A chiropractor can help address back pain and other herniated disc symptoms." https://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/herniated-disc/chiropractic-car...
They claim only to deal with symptoms. If you look at the bottom line - they discuss surgery.
I have been to a few Chiros over the years and they did jack shit except lighten my wallet. I also tried acupuncture without success. Maybe there are good Chiros out there - I just stopped looking. There's a lot of support for Chiros on this thread - so if they work for you and some of the guys here, that's great.
StevebIf it's herniated because of your spine not being aligned or to much compression they can repair it. My sciatica was bad I couldn't do shit.
Ok mate.I accept that Chiros can help. Obviously a lot of guys here agree with you, including the OP. TBH - my experience was years ago before Chiropractors were regulated in Australia, meaning anyone could claim to be a Chiropractor. A lot of people were injured by these quacks before the government stepped in. My experience then has tainted my attitude. But hey - I will keep an open mind. Have a great day ahead bro.
StevebIf your disc is too fucked up I don't think anyone can help. It all depends on how bad it's squished. Some people become paralyzed from it.
True. I even had an epidural. Last time I saw a Doc the fusion option was the only option so I said - no thanks. They have laser here now, but it's new and I don't want to be a guinea pig for some Doc on L plates.
agreed I've had very good results from chiropractors, it just takes time and patience.
I was a non believer before, now I wish I started earlier in life. It's gotten me out of some painful jams. U have to have a good one.
Alphamale500It's not a sure thing that you're gonna need surgery. Obviously, that depends on the findings of the MRI. But don't get yourself all worked up. I have some bulging discs and other problems and yet I continue to work out as normal, except for a couple back exercises that do make my back hurt when I try and do them. It's really gonna depend on how bad and exactly where you hurt your back, and how well your body can deal with it.
But above all else, one piece of advice that I'd like to give you is DO NOT LET YOUR DOCTORS GET YOU HOOKED ON THESE OPIOID PAIN KILLERS THAT ARE KILLING SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE! Do whatever you can to avoid taking them.They'll ruin your life bro, please believe me. I've lost about 15 friends to this stupid shit! I wish you all the best. Keep your head up bro and stay positive!
no worries bro I will never touch opioids again ever, I walked that road and it ended with me putting oxy in my vein.
I've got an excellent chiropractor lined up she is the best i've ever used, I may try some different peptides to speed up healing though, I just hope to god its not pressing on nerves, either way ill find out tuesday.
Alot of good advice below. I've had a similar situation twice. The pain dropped me to my knees and it took everything I had just to crawl to a chair. A 26" back massage roller, an inverter chair to hang upside down, therapeutic stretching, and chiropractic maintenance once a month or when needed. Havent had a problem since I've been doing this and I beat my back up regularly. Honestly the stretching did the most work. Everything else is more maintenance.. good luck brother
Any shooting pains? Does it radiate thru your glute Down the leg? When you tighten your core does it the pain intensify?
Since it dropped you to your knees and came on all of a sudden, it’s very possible the herniated discs r pushing against nerves in the spinal canal, .... the mri will show for sure so be patient and don’t do anything until you know for sure. If your able/ willing to take the meds they most likely gave you, do it. Not condoning narcotic use , but I’ve delt with pretty serious lower back issues over 20 yrs and sometimes it’s a necessary evil ... try the heat n ice or some light massaging but chill until you get the mri results
Sorry to hear that. I injured my shoulder jacking up a ride at work one time.
I know it feels to think how could something so easy injure me. Sometimes it's the straw that breaks the camel's back.
Hang in there..
Good thing you're addicted to pain, on the flip side I'm sorry to hear about your back, it's like a car frame, you can twist it and then straighten it on a frame straightener but it will still never track the same. Good luck.
lol yea, wrong kinda pain in this instance.
Yea that's what a few older vets at the gym said about this injury, ill never be quite the same again, but i'm gonna do every thing i can to make sure that does not happen.
I hope you fit in the MRI machine, that was a rough 45 minutes, they wedged me in there with pillows to roll my shoulder forward to gain the clearance then they put this headset on you that plays music but the jackhammer that's going off .5mm from your face makes it impossible to hear anything, it feels like its 120 degrees inside of it. I'll pass on any MRI in the future.
Variable my man. I’m sorry to hear this though. Depends on the grade of the tear, age, comorbidities, etc. a lot of factors that go into determining treatment. Certainly not all bulging discs need surgery. Many will get better over time (3-12+mos) with correct PT and core strengthening!
Wrong. Symptoms may alievate - but discs do not heal themselves. I have had a herniated/prolapsed disc for 30 years and still suffer.
https://www.spine-health.com/blog/can-herniated-discs-heal-their-own
ty bro, and I hope your right
Ace VenturaYou could try stretching/decompression such as an inversion table and the like, combined with chiropractic work. I’d skip the drugs. That shit is just bullshit anyway. If you’re not experiencing any nerve pain at this time, there’s a good chance you could reverse the damage. Just be healthy and don’t beat on it too much
that is for sure the route i'm taking, I'm not gonna start all that pain management + pain pills bullshit i've been down that road and i'm not taking it again. I was reading an article earlier that stated nandrolone could help relieve some of the pain by increasing fluid to the spinal cord and spreading the vertebra slightly so as to relieve pressure on the nerves, I wonder if theirs any truth to that
You may just need a good alignment but that is why they are questioning if it is touching any nerves. A chiropractor can get you back in place but won't touch you if there is a risk they could damage the nervous system. I'm sorry that happened to you bro.
ty bro.
I know an excellent chiropractor the lady is a genius , I'm getting an MRI in a few days then ill know the true extent of the damage.
I've had 2 pulled muscles this year that put me down for a week at a time, and now this and something tells me I'm gonna be out of the gym several months for this one
StevebFind a good chiropractor you'll be surprised at what a good one can fix. And surgery can sometimes make shit worse.
for sure bro, I'm going to avoid surgery as much a I can.
forgot to mention the herniation is in my lower back.