Prolapsed (or slipped) Disc

F

Foxlike

Full Registered User
Has anyone on the forum had the pleasure of this little problem?

One of mine at a lower region of the back has properly gone and requires a discectomy, which I am cheerfully looking forward to.

If anyone has a success story of recovery from this and in particular a good exercise regime to get your fitness/flexiblity up, I would be grateful for constructive thoughts.

it's the flexibility I miss most at the moment, and post-operation I'd like to be up and going again. I was a judo/martial arts and yoga sort of chap on the quiet.
 
1) After surgery you will never be the same, success or not, it's major surgery
2) Only have surgery if the compression on your nerves or nerve root is so severe that it is affecting other systems
2.1) DO NOT have surgery if the purpose is only to relive pain

Now that that is out of the way, i know of many success story's, but all of them the patient is never the same again.

I also know of someone who had a herniated disk that seemed to rectify itself without surgery.

Avoid surgery if you can. If you must have it, take it on and take your time healing. A healthy back lifestyle will help your back, before and post surgery

Good luck

m
 
My sisters fiance had a prolapsed disc and it was starting to cause problems with the nerve (he had loss of sensation in the leg and was having trouble peeing), they operated via laser microdiscectomy. He's made a fabulous recovery (he's a prison officer) and was back on duty about 2 months later IIRC - light duties initially when he did go back. I believe he was given exercises to do and advice as to what he should and shouldn't be doing i.e no lifting for a few weeks. This was earlier last year, I don't see him often but from what I know as of last time I saw him he's not really had many lasting effects now he's back to strength. He's not really into yoga though ;)

I think a lot depends on exactly which disc is prolapsed, the extent of any damage and how they do the surgery as to specific exercises etc for recovery, but your best bet is to speak to your doctor and see whether you can be referred for physio afterwards so that they can advise correctly.

Good luck for the op and recovery!
 
Thanks Kestrel.

I have intermittent problem in urinating, and sadly too much sensation in my legs and feet.

I take on-board mts's points (most wise I think), and I'm a bit worried about the idea of surgery too. Sadly this has prolapsed out in nerves, and is not responding to a epidural anaesthetic. I wish I could manage to walk through it, but sadly it is a matter of effort to get up the bloody stairs!

I was given either the choice of life in pain or have an operation (I paraphrase slightly, of course!) so I am waiting for an appointment, with the pain relief being cranked up slowly to cope with increasing pain.

I shall have to wait out. I was just curious as to other's experience, everyone I have met so far has just given me a horror story and I am glad to have heard a success story for once. That's reassuring!
 
Foxlike said:
I have intermittent problem in urinating
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Then unfortunately you need surgery to release the pressure on the nerve. Go in with the right mindset and come out fighting (in your mind lol). You;ll be fine. Take the rehab and physio seriousely and when you can after your surgery, stretch your hams and get your abs strong, not six pack strong, really strong. Physio will give you safe exercises for both.
Yo'll be surprised at how very slightly your life is affected once you learn a healthy back lifestyle and are all healed up.

Are you having a neuro or orthopod do the surgery?

m

(btw, of course i'm not a medical professional)
 
Had a major hernia at C4/C5 about two years ago. Apparently long in the making and I first loss the feeling in a leg and after two weeks was hobbling like I had a club foot. After the MRI surgery was only option (saw two different surgeons in two locations to be sure). Nice Op, two days in hospital, in through the throat, disc out and a titanium cage fitted. As soon as I woke up all control was back in the leg, as soon as stitches were out started with a decent physio. Within 2 months back on the mountain bike. Due to the nerve damage, sensations of pain, cold and heat did not return to the skin on the lower right side however all muscle control returned and was actually better as the nerve had been slightly pinched for a number of years. Best of all was instinctive shooting times actually improved afterwards due to better muscle control (as above, it had been a longer term problem that just gave out). Mind you, since I was convinced I had a brain tumour until the MRI was done; pretty much anything afterwards was a bonus.
MTS is correct though, you will never be the same, and I would not play rugby again and am probably more worried about what is now the strongest part of my body. My take, get enough opinions to be sure that surgery is needed, there are some fantastic physio’s and manual therapists about, if you go for surgery, do the research on who will do it, is it a speciality for them? All in all, be sure that you are doing the right thing for you. And finally, if they say rest.. do it. Before the Op I tried to man-up and carry on doing normal things.. only the threat of permanent incontinence pants as a side effect of not stopping got my arse in a chair. Take no chances.
Good luck – and do not make it worse, pretty sure that the reason I still have no feeling is because I was a bit dim beforehand.

Forgot to clarify - i had no pain at all so it was a bit different than normal
 
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I've been trying to man up, which may have increased the problem!

Anymore and I think my wife will slit my throat in the night and ease my problems.

I belive I have been sent to a neuro surgeon, appointment to come later for their advice and opinion on what is to be done. Though the orthopaedic consultant who was reviewing me basically gave me no option other than surgery.
 
I had my back operated on in Jan this year, I was in Afghan doing PSD and it got to the point where I couldn't even stand up..... I tried to do the blokey thing (Ignored it/Blagged that I was fine etc) and I did everything to avoid having the surgery due to listening to all the self proclaimed experts horror stories and it got to the point that I was on Morphine/Tramadol/Diclofenac/Valium/Amitriptilyne (Obviously not all at the same time) and I couldn't even stand for more than a minute or two and I became an obvious liability to the lads I was working with...... Flown home from Afghan and I was then rushed into hospital the next day after my groin started to go numb and after an MRI scan they decided to operate that evening..... After the surgery the relief was instant and amazing, I could walk again with very little pain 2 hrs after the op, was off all pain killers within two days and now I am almost back to normal, just need to take your time and listen to the professionals not every other Tom, Dick and Harry cos everyone is an expert but the Neuro Surgeons etc don't do it unless they really have to....... I still have a lot of residual nerve damage that is slowly getting better (Foot pain and muscle wastage) but after 3 months I was able to return to work again in Afghan and I am now able to do everything that I need to do with no issues. Just take your time and don't do too much cos you feel great again, your back will never be the same as it was before but it isn't nearly as limiting or weakend as some would have you believe, get your core strength up, keep as much weight off as possible and be as gentle on it as you can......Good luck mate.........
 
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What a fighting fit bunch we are!

3 years ago I prolapsed L2/L3 and L3/L4. Its good to hear johng990's success story but personally, and like MTS stated I would avoid the op' until absolutely necessary, i.e something else is giving way.

I opted to take the pain-killing injections as my symptoms (once immediate effects of the trauma had subsided) were only pain and discomfort in the affected area and permanent sciatica down the left.
The annoying thing is that the effectiveness of the injection differs from person to person, I was only pain free for 8 months. As it stands I have been told I can only have 3 injections in total, so its a case of pain management in my eyes.

Pilates and Core Stability training are working well.

I say avoid op's unless difficulty in peeing or numbness as this I believe would identify more severe nerve damage.

AJ
 
Greatful for the tips.

I eneded up with a epidural injection into my very lower back (you don't want a needle going through there!)

It's worked on the siatic pain, but now I just want to get back to match fit.

I am up and walking about, which is about it. I do hope that it is the start of being back to normal life.

It's a bit alarming how I wasn't actually given much of a getting fit plan for after treatment. Just put out and told I can be put on more pain control. No wonder people who want to be off sick for longterm can; what about those who want to work!
 
Oooh yeah i leant over table to pass someone something, coughed and trapped my scatic nerve 3 and a half years back now. Was agony, tried to be a big brave girl and crack on thinking it was a pulled muscle, then next day lost all feeling in my right leg from knee down and as much as my kids thought it was funny to call me thumper (so kind), it was utter agony. Finally after 3 days was just in so much pain i had to go to hospital as i could barely walk. Told me after scans and the like i had trapped my sciatic nerve, which made me walk funny which then turned out to be 3 prolapsed discs, and it has put my hip out completely now aswell. Tried usual crap like physio, that was useless, had some great drugs but they just made me high, so not really an option! Eventually got to see a consultant who said that within 6 months most back issues will sort themselves out and put me in his case studies and made me wait 6 months, then sent me to a consultant, they finally agreed to operate, and then THEY decided it had free'd itself... still in agony, hip even worse than ever now. I am 40 years old, can't really lift my daughter up, somedays can barely move, if they offer you op do it straight away don't wait, get on with it, if not it creates all manner of other issues. Now probably going to need hip op aswell.

Try accupuncture as pain relief, very gentle pilates to help strengthen everything and start and stretch out your spine correctly again, but make sure your instructor is aware of your injury first, and get a decent bed mattress. Crap thing with sciatica is you can go to bed fine one day and get up next in agony the next, i have to literally roll out of bed on bad days and can't move until i have done some light stretches. OH and nag the crap out of consultants and dr's. Most horrendous pain i have ever had, and i have had a baby (granted that was a c/section but it still hurt ok.... All i would suspect an epidural to do is mask the pain and make you think its ok to be action man again and make it worse, same with pain killers. Oh and heat packs are good too, whack em on down back of your strides :) Trust me i have been so desperate i have spent days with a hot water bottle down back of my jeans
 
I had a major accident 3 years ago, and one injury was my back. after 3 months in hospital and surgery on every part of the left hand side of my body (including internal organs) i am still in pain all day in my back. ive had other surgery since on the back and im still in agony.. the back is a very tricky part of the body to totally recover from. i can work and move about and do everything as normal just in alot of pain. my surgen has adviced me that i'll be in this pain for the rest of my life unless i want to medicate everyday, in this line of work i obviously dont want to do that. my advice is avoid surgery if possible and enquire about other forms of treatment. but i am not a doctor if you really need it then obviously have it. but i dont sleep at night, ive been on the sofa for a year and a half as the missus dont want me in the bed as im annoying (we still get it on). but basically backs are tricky, ask your doctor for tramadol, it eases the pain abit
 
Foxlike, Dangerous to engage in an ongoing case without full access to your records etc. However, its a subject close to my heart so...... Discectomies are a serious old ordeal as reflected in the many posts above. Overlying this is the fact that when one plays with nervous tissue there's only one shot, y'cant go back and tidy it up. The question I would ask your surgeon is are you suitable for a microdiscectomy - less traumatic, shorter recovery and less to heal. On occasion with the well documented pressures on NHS it may be that discectomies are wheeled through as a swifter cheaper option when a microdiscectomy might be more suitable and give a better result given your employment, age, lifestyle etc etc.
 
Thats op i was due to have actually at sheffield general he was a cracking consultant really up for the least invasive method and one that got me back on my feet fastest, i am really not great under a full anaesthetic and ask for epidural surgery and he did say no as one cough or sneeze during procedure and your done, he was very good
 
I'm hoping that the injection has hit a section of inflamation. The prolapse is actually reducing, so I am told.

If it has hit the inflammation, that is apparently what is causing the nerve pain.

So, hopefully if it shrinks that then it should remove the pain.

Oh, and Annie-I was never really an action man! I'm hoping going back to the yoga of my hippie teenage years will do much more for me than anything (though I may skip the judo of my twenties). I am trying to look into physio to get my core muscles strengthened and try to support everything.

Basically, I am trying to sort myself out as much as possible. The consultant has made it clear he isn't interested in operating, so it's up to me.

Thanks for your input UK Med, I appreciate the problem of speaking without notes as it were.

I am walking which is good, I couldn't go for a hour long walk or so prior to this. Hopefully, the low-impact exercise will improve the core strength also.
 
Ashtanga Yoga mate, worked wonders for me after I prolapsed L2/3....as well as sorting my lumbar spine out, repaired my knees too!

OM.....!



Foxlike said:
I'm hoping that the injection has hit a section of inflamation. The prolapse is actually reducing, so I am told.

If it has hit the inflammation, that is apparently what is causing the nerve pain.

So, hopefully if it shrinks that then it should remove the pain.

Oh, and Annie-I was never really an action man! I'm hoping going back to the yoga of my hippie teenage years will do much more for me than anything (though I may skip the judo of my twenties). I am trying to look into physio to get my core muscles strengthened and try to support everything.

Basically, I am trying to sort myself out as much as possible. The consultant has made it clear he isn't interested in operating, so it's up to me.

Thanks for your input UK Med, I appreciate the problem of speaking without notes as it were.

I am walking which is good, I couldn't go for a hour long walk or so prior to this. Hopefully, the low-impact exercise will improve the core strength also.
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Hi, yep I had the a herniated disk inbetween L5-S1 four years ago, I was initially off work(Paramedic) for 3 months then went back, i still get lumbar pain but i just put up with it.I found that keeping active helps and I still run (3 half and one full marathon last year) I have worked in Iraq and Somalia last year and i found the pain only returns if iam inactive for any lenght of time, so the only advice I can give is keep fit but work up to it slowly , there are plenty of stretching exercises for the lower back and don`t laugh but yoga is Ideal.Good luck with your recovery
 
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