OT / Blown out disk in back

David G · Feb 15, 2012

It appears I have blown out a disc in my back. I bent over to pick up a trailer tongue a few weeks ago. I noticed a little twinge at that point. It has gotten a lot worse, so I got an MRI yesterday. Sure enough there is a bad disc.

I meet the surgeon Friday, and I am a lot nervous.

Kirk Grau · Feb 15, 2012

I have one as well. Have had it for most of 20 years now. Was given the option of physical therapy or surgery and I went with the PT option to start thinking I could go the surgery route if it did not help. In the mean time I started taking an informal survey of others when I found they had back issues. Seemed to be about 50-50 whether or not surgery helped. I am sure they have advanced a whole lot in the mean time, but I am OK with where I have ended up. I usually say I can do about 95% of what I ever did and the other 5% I should not have been doing anyway.

YMMV,

Kirk

VicS · Feb 15, 2012

Hang in there. I have had that surgery. Try to find a doctor who will just go in and trim the disc so it isn't pressing on the nerves. Don't let them weld two disc together or wire them of put in plastic. Just keep the disc from pushing on your nerves. I got that kind of surgery 20 plus years ago. My daughter got her's welded? Hurt worse than before. Finally went to a Dr. that would go in and just trim the ruptured disc so it wouldn't pinch the nerves. quick recovery and no pain. Vic

VicS · Feb 15, 2012

Hang in there. I have had that surgery. Try to find a doctor who will just go in and trim the disc so it isn't pressing on the nerves. Don't let them weld two disc together or wire them of put in plastic. Just keep the disc from pushing on your nerves. I got that kind of surgery 20 plus years ago. My daughter got her's welded? Hurt worse than before. Finally went to a Dr. that would go in and just trim the ruptured disc so it wouldn't pinch the nerves. quick recovery and no pain. Vic

andrew hegeman · Feb 15, 2012

happened to me too. just a little twinge picking up a tie, thats all it takes. it got to the point that i was incapacited. i had an mri doctor said the same thing. a herniated disc. but that im too young for surgery. my aunt talked me into going to see the chiropractor. they saved my back. it took awile but he got it straightend out. i feel great. i go once a year or so, if that often now. its been 15 years. ive never heard a good thing about back sugery. it seems that anyone who has it done is never the same, if not worse. a second opinion is definitly a good idea.

old · Feb 15, 2012

BTDT and if you do get surgery be sure to do only what the doctors says you can and not more no less. A lot also depends on which one you messed up as to what you should do. In my case it was the L-5/S-1 and due to things going on at the time I did not get to do as the doctor said and that in turn has caused me get pain and problems in life. I would also check on other ways to do things other then being cut on because once cut you will never be as you once where

504 · Feb 15, 2012

If the Doctor will do surgery with out trying anything else RUN AWAY fast. Most people who have a bad disc do not get relief from surgery. I have screws,rods and clamps in my back, Doc made me jump through a lot of hoops before he cut on me(PT, exerciser,weight loss.)and I have been pain free for 10 years. A neighbor went to the same Doc and was mad as a wet hen when he would not operate on her(bad disc)I talked to her 6 months later and she was fine, Docs did nothing.

Goose · Feb 15, 2012

Guess I'll be the first.

I had surgery for a herniated disc in 1968 at age 33. I said afterwards if I'd known it was that simple and did that much good, I'd have had it done sooner.

However, the surgeon that did it was a neurosurgeon of national repute, not an orthopedic surgeon. My family doctor (also water skiing and deer hunting buddy) said if he had to have the same thing done, he'd have this surgeon do it. Also, the nurses in the hospital told me this surgeon's patients always did better right from the start.

ShadetreeRet · Feb 15, 2012

If the disc is just out of place and not damaged very bad, I would definitely see a chiropractor. My wife had a disc that would slip out of place every so often and she would see a chiropractor and he would work it back into place in a few treatments. She woke up one morning and couldn't walk, carried her to emergency room and Dr. put her in traction without even doing am X-ray. She spent a week there and was no better. I took her out of there and to a chiropractor and in three days she was walking.

AB · Feb 15, 2012

I had that happen Dec. 23 trying to pick up my 6 yr. old. At my age (42) my Doc. prescribed meds then surgery later if needed. I could barely walk with assistance. Meds didn't help. I was leery of Chiro's but went to see one anyway. Three days a week PT with a chiro and now I'm back to 95%. It took about a month and I had my doubts but I feel so much better.

george md · Feb 15, 2012

David,

Had a disk trimmed year and a half ago,
could barely walk into hospital . Doc said be
there at 6:00 , operation start at 8:00, he
came out at 10:00 and told wife all done ,I
was home at 12:30 , walked to the shop and
spent the afternoon on computer . Actually
walked out of the hospital with no pain .

george

Mark-Mi · Feb 15, 2012

Well, I fought the herniated disk(L4-L5} for around 10 years with series of shots, PT and chiro. Ended up having the disk trimmed back. Left me with numbness in my left foot from nerve damage in my back from the nerve being compressed for so long.
Should of had the surgery 10 years earlier.
Good luck with your decision.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 16, 2012

Good luck..... I get some aches and pains now and then, but never really had back pain like some folks complain about I guess...
Hope it works out for you...

Saw a thing on TV awhile back about a day clinic in Switzerland that fixed herniated discs. Hobble in, get a local numb (spinal tap?) and they lasered (trimmed) the disc that was sticking out/getting pinched. Folks walked out like new the same day.

just another old geezer · Feb 16, 2012

I had a L5 disk 10 years ago. started in the fall and got progressively worse. 4 months of seeing the chiropractor ended when the pain suddenly got intollerable and I had to go to emergency. got pain meds and mri appointment. Got the mri and met the surgon. He did a physical exam, and told me" your mri results are not up here yet, but it looks like a classic herniated disk. we will treat it with heat and therapy and if all else fails we can resort to surgery". He then made me the appointments with the PT. on the way out of the clinic, I was paged to return to his office. When I got there he said" I have seen your mri and what I can't figure out is how you are still able to walk around" I was in surgrey at 5:00 the next morning.
I regretted the surgery for about the first 48 hours, this post surgery pain was worse. after that it got better.
FOLLOW THE GUIDE LINES FOR THE RECOVERY, NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU FEEL. I did, a friend didn't. I have no more back problems, he does.
I have to be careful about how much I lift and bend, but the pain is gone.
good luck to you.

just another old geezer · Feb 16, 2012

P.S. They trimmed some off of my disk, ground out some bone to give the disk a little more room and pushed the remaining disk back into place.

fixerupper · Feb 16, 2012

I hope they can get it fixed before any permanent damage is done, if there isn't already some. Find a neurosurgeon, not an orthopedist. Nothing against an orthopedist at all, they are very good at what they do, but you're dealing with damaged nerves from an injury and you have to live with it the rest of your life. Your back is your foundation.

Ten years ago my son had a disk rupture. He bent over to clean out a hog water and down he went, legs numb and the whole works. Had the surgery three days later but his one leg and foot still go numb if he gets carried away with his work. Look around, ask around, to find the best physician. Think twice before you choose a physician your insurance company 'prefers'. Nuff said! Jim

BushogPapa · Feb 16, 2012

Here is a FACT:...your Surgeon will NOT tell you about...
I have been through exactly what you are experiencing...
Damaged L5-S1 and got by for several years before I had a Discectomy...then, several years later a Fusion..
THEN, I found out about the "Spinal Stimulator"I have now..
Very FEW Surgeons will ever even tell you about the benefits of this..
If I had known about it, I may well not have had the Fusion..
I get a steady 85% Reduction in the pain all the time and even went back to Western Square Dancing..!!
This is merely 2 Electro-Stim leads placed in your back..one on each side of your Spinal Column and a very small (Silver-Dollar size) unit implanted to power it..
VERY NON-Invasive...and easily reversed if need be..
I have no idea where you are located, but in Cols Ohio, I went to Dr Gladstone McDowell (St Judes)..He can do MICRO-Surgery as well..
DO NOT have the Surgery until you check into this..
Ron..
E-Mail is OPEN..

BushogPapa · Feb 16, 2012

You may find that a GOOD Dr who specializes in Epidurals can get you over some painful times..
I have had Epidurals last for as long as 10 Months and some (from other Drs) not do me any good at all.
I found my pick at my back Surgeons location (Rebecca Brightman) and his name is Dr Reddy..
Fantastic man with a needle...!!
He is not one who professes to always be "Painless"..he puts the meds exactly where they need to be...!! Seldom did I ever have any "pain", but there always is that possibility of hitting a nerve on the way in..!
No problem..IF you really are experiencing the pain, it will be NO worse..!!
Good Luck and do NOT just jump on the Surgeon's table...!!

Ron..

BushogPapa · Feb 16, 2012

You may find that a GOOD Dr who specializes in Epidurals can get you over some painful times..
I have had Epidurals last for as long as 10 Months and some (from other Drs) not do me any good at all.
I found my pick at my back Surgeons location (Rebecca Brightman) and his name is Dr Reddy..
Fantastic man with a needle...!!
He is not one who professes to always be "Painless"..he puts the meds exactly where they need to be...!! Seldom did I ever have any "pain", but there always is that possibility of hitting a nerve on the way in..!
No problem..IF you really are experiencing the pain, it will be NO worse..!!
Good Luck and do NOT just jump on the Surgeon's table...!!

One thing more...I found that Lumbar Traction helped a great deal..
The VA gave me a portable unit to use at home and it helped many many times..!!

Ron..

bruster · Feb 16, 2012

After an accident in my service truck, Sciatic pain in both legs put me in line for an operation.
The surgery went very well, but the Doctor DID tell me I would not be able to back go back as a truck mechanic......(HA!, ..what did HE know!)
5 months of sittin on my butt, ...exercising, and I was itchin to get back to work. I got a job (only one for my experience)"Road Service Truck Mechanic"
After 9 months / 60 to 75 hrs a week, ($18/hr & time and a half past 40)I lost muscle control in the front of my legs.
Found a desk job, for a freight company as "Equipment Inspector" , but got laid off after 7 months
Filed and got SS Disability, so short ending......
Listen to the Doctor and take better care now on!

Spook · Feb 16, 2012

My dad just had his 4th back operation. The 1st one was at age 53. That lasted until he was 75, when he needed another. That surgery left him with nerve damage in one foot. The next one didn't fix that, and just last month he had the 4th surgery. Now he has nerve damage in the other foot, and may not be able to drive. He tells me to not be stupid - don't work as hard as he did.

Dave8N in Pa · Feb 16, 2012

Well as you can see there is a common theme in most of these post. Surgery will probably help but don't expect life to be (normal)afterwards. I guess some folks do pretty well most of us have had to learn a little different life-style. I have good days and bad. L5-S1 is vary common rupture. Its been 10 years and lots of theripy,a boat load drugs and limited success.On a good day I can work about a half a day. On a bad day I need a cane and don't move much. My late wife went thru the same thing 6 months after I did. She waited much to long to get surgery. She spent her last two years in a wheel chair. DON'T WAIT!! Follow your Dr.s advise. Lots of luck.

dieseldoc · Feb 16, 2012

I have had that problem for three years. If you leave it go you will get used to the pain. The one thing that annoys me is i am loosing some feeling in my left leg. I would have surgery if I had the money.

Mike M · Feb 16, 2012

Before surgery try the new thing I think they call it Lumbar decompression ? They basically stretch you apart and this lets blood flow in to promote the disc to heal. They advertise it all the time on the TV here in Northern Ohio. I'd sure try it before the knife !

OT / Blown out disk in back

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