Slipped /Herniated Disc

[deeyala]

I hurt my back a couple of weeks ago and the doctor diagnosed me as having a moderate case of slipped "lumbar" disc. I was wondering if anyone had a similar experience around here (figured this would be a good place to ask).
I was wondering how the long term recovery would be and how is my exercise routine going to be affected in the long and short terms .
I want to know from someone who's been there, rather than the doctor's words.

For now, my doctor says I don't need surgery- just physical therapy to start in a couple of weeks.
Right now I am still on medication , movement is very limited, so doing any form of exercise is out of the question.

Just a little bit of history I am a bit embarrassed about: I hurt my back wearing my socks ( and not squatting or dead-lifting ).

slipped disc
Thanks guys in advance.

[pedroman]

Originally Posted by deeyala

I hurt my back a couple of weeks ago and the doctor diagnosed me as having a moderate case of slipped "lumbar" disc. I was wondering if anyone had a similar experience around here (figured this would be a good place to ask).
I was wondering how the long term recovery would be and how is my exercise routine going to be affected in the long and short terms .
I want to know from someone who's been there, rather than the doctor's words.

For now, my doctor says I don't need surgery- just physical therapy to start in a couple of weeks.
Right now I am still on medication , movement is very limited, so doing any form of exercise is out of the question.

Just a little bit of history I am a bit embarrassed about: I hurt my back wearing my socks ( and not squatting or dead-lifting ).

slipped disc
Thanks guys in advance.

mate i slipped 2 disc's a few years ago, and it is a very long process of recovery to get back on track. the most inportant thing is to give it plenty of time to recover while not losing too much back strength. which is hard when you cant work out the back. i still get a bit of pain from doing simple things like sitting in an uncomfortable chair for too long and heavy lifting must be done very cautiously. my advice is to do as much physio as you can do and DONT try and start lifting the moment you feel better. it will need even longer to recover once you reach that point that you think you feel 100%. consult your physio about inversion therapy or traction which is even better. and just take it easy..
good luck mate.

[masel99]

Is a slipped disc the same as a bulging disk. I have two, the very bottom discs. Also I have bone spurs in that area. I hurt my back extremely almost 3 years ago running up the stairs. I still injure it on and off every so often. It's never when I'm lifting, it's usually doing some simple movement like bending to pick something up off the floor. I just ice it up and I have a inversion table I use. The doctor told me that I needed to accept the fact that I won't be able to do things I used to. That was 3 years ago and I still do everything I used to just more carefully. It's a degenerative disease so there isn't much you can do but treat it when you need to and don't give up.

[chickeneater]

Check out the book "Healing Back Pain" by Dr. John E. Sarno.

Amazon.com has reviews on it. S/b available at your library

[gbg]

You should be fine in time, once the inflammation goes down and your ROM increases you can start some basic rehab exercises and in it will slowly start to feel better. I wouldn't recommend any lifting until your FULL ROM is back.
I herniated L5 S1 and have other back issues and I'm back to lifting as usual with some exceptions, play it smart and know your limitations.

[jellodirt]

Originally Posted by deeyala

I hurt my back a couple of weeks ago and the doctor diagnosed me as having a moderate case of slipped "lumbar" disc. I was wondering if anyone had a similar experience around here (figured this would be a good place to ask).
I was wondering how the long term recovery would be and how is my exercise routine going to be affected in the long and short terms .
I want to know from someone who's been there, rather than the doctor's words.

For now, my doctor says I don't need surgery- just physical therapy to start in a couple of weeks.
Right now I am still on medication , movement is very limited, so doing any form of exercise is out of the question.

Just a little bit of history I am a bit embarrassed about: I hurt my back wearing my socks ( and not squatting or dead-lifting ).

slipped disc
Thanks guys in advance.

My dog had a slipped disc in her neck, she eventually became paralyzed and we had to put her to sleep. I know you're not a dog but I would listen to your doc. It's nothing to fool around with.

[gbg]

Originally Posted by jellodirt

My dog had a slipped disc in her neck, she eventually became paralyzed and we had to put her to sleep. I know you're not a dog but I would listen to your doc. It's nothing to fool around with.

The only way you can become paralyzed is if the spinal cord is severed or impinged, that is very rare with a slipped disk.

[jellodirt]

Originally Posted by gbg

The only way you can become paralyzed is if the spinal cord is severed or impinged, that is very rare with a slipped disk.

My mother-in law had one too and almost lost the use of her left arm.

[gbg]

Originally Posted by jellodirt

My mother-in law had one too and almost lost the use of her left arm.

Your dog and mother in law have much in common and I'm sure it was more than a slipped disk

[jellodirt]

Originally Posted by gbg

Your dog and mother in law have much in common and I'm sure it was more than a slipped disk

Nope, slipped disc in her neck, started losing feeling in her hand, surgery corrected it. I wasn't talking to you in the first place I was responding to deeyala. Your ability to diagnose and rule out based solely on a forum post is amazing! You must promise to use your powers only for good.

[deeyala]

Thanks everyone for all the replies.
I feel much less worried knowing that others had it and went back to lifting.

[deeyala]

Originally Posted by jellodirt

My mother-in law had one too and almost lost the use of her left arm.

My dog had a slipped disc in her neck, she eventually became paralyzed and we had to put her to sleep. I know you're not a dog but I would listen to your doc. It's nothing to fool around with.

I know it's nothing to fool around with, but hopefully I wouldn't have it as bad as these cases.

Thanks for the advice.

[Taxguy]

I herniated a disc in my lower back around 20 years ago. Couldn't do much for 6-9 months. Started back lifting against the doctor's advice (he told me to take up golf). 20 years later I can still do every movement in the gym that I want. However, it occassionally reminds me to use proper form and not be stupid.

[kyoun1e]

I'm going on 41 and about 5 years ago I herniated one of my lumber discs tumbling down a mogul trail. I didn't realize it at the time even though I had clear discomfort in my back and leg. I didn't breakdown and go to the doctor until I had that annoying nerve problem pulsating on my calf and keeping me up at night. By that time, 3-4 months had already passed...which was good, because it more or less takes 9+ months to really feel like your back.

That first year was kinda tough, but I'm doing even more than I ever did at the gym and I'm in better shape as well.

That said, you have to be carefull. You should be doing certain stretches and routines to strengthen that area of your back. This type of thing stays with you and dogs you every now and then. Nothing you can do about it. Every quarter I'll do something really insignificant and my lower back will just lock up for no reason to the point where I can barely walk. Then, after some ice and a couple days away from the gym...poof.

Something you have to live with and watch, but you can manage it and do everything you want to.

KY

[Nagalfar]

Seriously.. try a inversion table, they work wonders, once you get use to it, find ways to add a little weight to your head/neck area to help pull your spine straight and stretch it a bit.. it will make a huge difference, as you get older, our spines compress, that allows disks to be pushed out much easier..

In the case of my wifes disk, the inversion table worked so good she has no problems with her disk now..

Good luck no matter what you choose deeyala, nice seeing you around..

[pedroman]

X2 on the inversion therapy, once you get used to the blood rush on your head they feel ok. as i stated before traction at a physio is a better option and even both combined work very well since the principal on both is the same. that is to create spaces between your vertabrea thus providing greater blood flow into your discs which will speed up recovery. allways consult your doctor and physio first though and if you have any other medical conditions, you might wanna mention those too. i know sufferers of glaucoma cant use inversion therapy.there are plenty of options for you mate.

[bamazav]

I had surgery on L5-S1. I started lifting last year. I am very conscious of what and how I lift. I am very cautious, as I remember pre surgery and do not want to go through that again. Listen to the doctor and do the physio. I went to the Back guy in the Ortho group that does all the pro athletes. He told me that if I had had physical therapy from day one I probably would not have needed the surgery. I am now 12 years post and seldom have any pain. I am working on building my back up. Be patient and listen to the doctors, find a good ortho with sports injury experience.

[gbg]

Originally Posted by bamazav

I had surgery on L5-S1. I started lifting last year. I am very conscious of what and how I lift. I am very cautious, as I remember pre surgery and do not want to go through that again. Listen to the doctor and do the physio. I went to the Back guy in the Ortho group that does all the pro athletes. He told me that if I had had physical therapy from day one I probably would not have needed the surgery. I am now 12 years post and seldom have any pain. I am working on building my back up. Be patient and listen to the doctors, find a good ortho with sports injury experience.

That is key with any injury, soon as it happens go see a Dr. or the injury will progress and you could injure yourself further, especially when dealing with the spine.

[deeyala]

Thanks guys for all the input.

Originally Posted by pedroman

X2 on the inversion therapy, once you get used to the blood rush on your head they feel ok. as i stated before traction at a physio is a better option and even both combined work very well since the principal on both is the same. that is to create spaces between your vertabrea thus providing greater blood flow into your discs which will speed up recovery.

Originally Posted by Nagalfar

Seriously.. try a inversion table, they work wonders, once you get use to it, find ways to add a little weight to your head/neck area to help pull your spine straight and stretch it a bit.. it will make a huge difference, as you get older, our spines compress, that allows disks to be pushed out much easier..

I will certainly suggest inversion therapy to my therapist.
There are some days when I feel that my vertebrae are just locked and grinding against each other and if I JUST got someone, who's much taller than I am , to pull my feet and head in opposite directions to decompress me I'd feel much better.
Ofcourse now that you have mentioned inversion, it sounds like a much healthier, medically approved alternative So I'd definitely ask my therapist about it.

[deeyala]

Originally Posted by kyoun1e

I'm going on 41 and about 5 years ago I herniated one of my lumber discs tumbling down a mogul trail. I didn't realize it at the time even though I had clear discomfort in my back and leg. I didn't breakdown and go to the doctor until I had that annoying nerve problem pulsating on my calf and keeping me up at night. By that time, 3-4 months had already passed..

My case was a bit different. I bent a little to wear my socks, then started feeling some slight discomfort in my back on the spot. I went home and thought it would go away.
One hour later, the pain was intense enough for me to head to the ER.

I now do have that pulsating nerve /tingly/ occasionally numb feeling in my leg.

Is it OK to expect this thing to go away in a month or so?

Originally Posted by kyoun1e

.which was good, because it more or less takes 9+ months to really feel like your back.

Originally Posted by Taxguy

I herniated a disc in my lower back around 20 years ago. Couldn't do much for 6-9 months. Started back lifting against the doctor's advice (he told me to take up golf)

I hadn't realized it takes that long to recover. I am in week 3 now and I was starting to get impatient about my limited movement.
The doctor told me it takes a minimum of 6 mths before "complete" recovery, but I thought by "complete" he meant "run-a -triathlon" kind of complete recovery and for now I just wanted to be able to sit on a chair for one hour without having to go back to bed.
Now I know I need to be patient.

How long was it before you went back to lifting?

[Taxguy]

For me, about a year.

[gbg]

Originally Posted by deeyala

My case was a bit different. I bent a little to wear my socks, then started feeling some slight discomfort in my back on the spot. I went home and thought it would go away.
One hour later, the pain was intense enough for me to head to the ER.

I now do have that pulsating nerve /tingly/ occasionally numb feeling in my leg.

Is it OK to expect this thing to go away in a month or so?





I hadn't realized it takes that long to recover. I am in week 3 now and I was starting to get impatient about my limited movement.
The doctor told me it takes a minimum of 6 mths before "complete" recovery, but I thought by "complete" he meant "run-a -triathlon" kind of complete recovery and for now I just wanted to be able to sit on a chair for one hour without having to go back to bed.
Now I know I need to be patient.

How long was it before you went back to lifting?

Are you being treated for this? and if so how?

[deeyala]

One more question:
How long before you all went back to work ?

My three-week rest ends next Thursday and that's when I am supposedly heading to work.
I work in a hospital and I am on my feet all day and I am a bit worried about it.

[deeyala]

Originally Posted by gbg

Are you being treated for this? and if so how?

For now, just bed rest and medications (anti-inflammatory / muscle relaxants ) and a Vit B complex injection. The tingly sensation is mainly from the nerve being pressed (and partially due to the inflammation). Vit B is supposed to speed up the regeneration of the nerve's protective layer.

That is until I start physio next week, that would help with decompressing the nerve and the tingly sensation.

I now have it only when I lie on my back and it's much less noticeable than the first week. (Initially I had it when sitting, too)
Still, it DOES keep me up at night and it IS annoying .

[gbg]

Originally Posted by deeyala

One more question:
How long before you all went back to work ?

My three-week rest ends next Thursday and that's when I am supposedly heading to work.
I work in a hospital and I am on my feet all day and I am a bit worried about it.

Was out for an entire summer, but I herniated a disk which is more damaging and permanent damage to the spine, where as a slipped disk, with proper treatment it is possible to recover fully from.

[gbg]

Originally Posted by deeyala

For now, just bed rest and medications (anti-inflammatory / muscle relaxants ) and a Vit B complex injection. The tingly sensation is mainly from the nerve being pressed (and partially due to the inflammation). Vit B is supposed to speed up the regeneration of the nerve's protective layer.

That is until I start physio next week, that would help with decompressing the nerve and the tingly sensation.

I now have it only when I lie on my back and it's much less noticeable than the first week. (Initially I had it when sitting, too)
Still, it DOES keep me up at night and it IS annoying .

The nerve could be compressed from the inflammation, you will no this when the swelling reduces and you no longer have numbness or pain down the leg.
If not the disk is what's compressing the nerve.

[Griff79]

Ask your physio about http://www.mckenziemdt.org/, especially for a herniated disk.

Griff

[gbg]

Originally Posted by Griff79

Ask your physio about http://www.mckenziemdt.org/, especially for a herniated disk.

Griff

I concur!

[bamazav]

deeyala,
Do to a series of misdiagnosis, I went almost 4 months not being able to sit. I am a pastor, each Sunday I would either stand up or I would lie down on the front pew. When I went to visit, I would lie on my stomache like I was doing a superman. By the time the back specialist finally had all the tests in, I was already beginning to suffer foot drop, meaning the nerves were already being damaged, making surgery necessary. DO NOT rush it. You do not realize how much you use your back until you are unable to use it. Explore all your options, but treat early, don't wait.

[deeyala]

A highly-informative website I've recently come across.
Thought I'd put it up here for anyone who might need it.

http://www.chirogeek.com/index.htm