# Herniatied Disc



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

Just wondering if anyone else has a herniated Disc or two. I now have two and could not work for a week prior to diagnosis. 

What kind of treatment did you get and how long before you could work again?


----------



## Chris Johnson (Apr 19, 2007)

Had 3, Lumbars 3,4,5 couldn't work properly for 3 months until surgery, had surgery and was working again within a few weeks, that was a big mistake, did more damage again to the same area and had to have surgery again!!! this time I took 3 months of to heal. Surgery was called a microdiscketomy.


----------



## BACKWOODS (Sep 10, 2007)

I had one, I think L4. I had 3 nerve block treatments with a steroid in it. 1st did not do much, next 2 worked well. It has been 4 years and no problems! Do the nerve block type treatment before you get cut on. I layed off about a week after the 2nd and 3rd block. Best of luck.
Steve


----------



## Dustball (Jul 7, 2006)

I had two herniated discs, now I'm living with sciatica. Most of the time the pain is tolerable but there are certain moments where it'll keep me twitching, especially when sitting down. I take Ibuprofen when it's a bad day but no needles or surgery yet.


----------



## Kent Whitten (Mar 24, 2006)

I've had more steroids injected than Barry Bonds, Mark Mcgwire and that yankee guy combined along with 2 surgeries. Now my ass just hurts. I'm a pain in the ass. No really, the sciatic is now getting to the old man here.

I've had these minor surgical procedures that really don't go with herniated discs, but you never know. It was some electrical rod injected that burned nerve endings off. This won't help the herniated disc, but you never know.

Fusion would suck too.

Sorry, I'm gloom and doom.


----------



## daArch (Jun 8, 2007)

Digger,

I really hope you are getting medical attention - preferably traditional AND alternative.

I've suffered from EXTREME sciatica twice, each for six months at a time (that'll make ya see God, Jimi, and Janis). Every back is different, every injury and symptoms and cure is different. Chiropractic care helped me heal the first time. Second time - steroidal spinal injection. I know folks who are 100% after surgery. I know folks who only time will heal.

As I said, everyone is different. get at least two professional opinions. And GOOD LUCK. Keep the faith that time heals all wounds (or is that, Time Wounds all Heels ?)


----------



## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

Herniated L4-L5, L5-S1, Facet disorder, degenerative disc, spinal stenosis, arthritis.
Best results with Lumbar facet steroid injection (series of three) and trigger point muscle shots. Don't do the nerve ending burn off. The Dr. who did my facet injections told me he quit doing the burn because for every nerve ending that gets burned off it will grow back as two (double the pain) in about 1 year-18 months.
Surgeon told me don't have back surgery because they are finding out now that you get an average of 10 years relief with surgery before you have problems again. Those problems are caused by the increased strain on the discs adjacent to the ones operated on.
Between Oct '05 and Sept '06 I lost count after having 21 different needle sticks in my back.


----------



## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

I have had success with acupuncture treatments for severe back pain.

A lot cheaper than surgery, and no recovery time.


----------



## Celtic (May 23, 2007)

My wife has a couple L4 - L6?
She got physical therapy and some drugs...and sciatica .



I am SURE I have a few ....I practically have to roll out of bed in the morning...if I sit for more than a 1/2 hour in a less than quality seat (ie, Spackle bucket ...on the floor, bent over gazing into recepts)....it's painful to stand up.
I chose to ignore the problem (even when it hurts)in the hopes it will just go away:whistling ....yea, I'm in denial.


----------



## Tmrrptr (Mar 22, 2007)

ALL situations such as possible ruptured disk are different.
How did you do it?
How old are you?
What shape are you in?
Did you do it, or REALLY DO IT?
Try physical therapy first.
If one doesn't work well, try another til you find one with a technique that is most beneficial to your situation.
Anything done under the knife is irreversible.
use knife as last resort
and,
the examining surgical doctors REALLY don't like chiropractors and therapists because they are not in the same club.
they will only send you to therapist AFER surgery, to recover from IT.
I actually know people who claim benefit from acupuncture...
If you really gotta have surgery,
Google Bum Run Grad
r


----------



## Kent Whitten (Mar 24, 2006)

well, you're right about the nerve ending burnings is that they do grow back. I've had good success with them, knock on wood, but they have grown back obviously and the pain is still there. From what my doc said is that he can inject steroids once a month, or do this once a year. 

I actually have gone to an accupuncturinst, but not for this and I always wondered about whether it would do good. It can't hurt, no pun intended. Back pain really does make your life miserable.


----------



## daArch (Jun 8, 2007)

Tmrrptr said:


> ALL situations such as possible ruptured disk are different.
> How did you do it?
> How old are you?
> What shape are you in?
> ...


I absolutely agree with the gist of your post, Tmrrptr, BUT, one of the PT pro's I went F-ed my back worse !!!! They set me back two months. should have sued the F*ucking B*astards. 

Me Mum says friends of hers had great results with acupuncture

And Vitamin I (ibuprofen) does a number on your stomach and HEARING when you do 2400 mg's a day for six months. I finally turned to Bourbon Therapy. Still works :laughing:


----------



## MechanicalDVR (Jun 23, 2007)

TimNJ said:


> Herniated L4-L5, L5-S1, Facet disorder, degenerative disc, spinal stenosis, arthritis.
> Best results with Lumbar facet steroid injection (series of three) and trigger point muscle shots. Don't do the nerve ending burn off. The Dr. who did my facet injections told me he quit doing the burn because for every nerve ending that gets burned off it will grow back as two (double the pain) in about 1 year-18 months.
> Surgeon told me don't have back surgery because they are finding out now that you get an average of 10 years relief with surgery before you have problems again. Those problems are caused by the increased strain on the discs adjacent to the ones operated on.
> Between Oct '05 and Sept '06 I lost count after having 21 different needle sticks in my back.


 
Most of what you said is accurate but nerves only grow back at @ 1mm per month. And everyone is different.


----------



## MechanicalDVR (Jun 23, 2007)

I crushed L4-L5-S1-S2, the injections didn't work, nor did the electric shock device. I had surgery six months after the injury. Had those levels fused and bolted with titanium plates and lag bolts. The propulus (disc fluid) damaged the nerves in the interim. So I also needed nerve surgery after the spinal surgery. I went back to work too soon and I now have stenosis in the level higher than the upper most fusion. I let them use bone from my own hip for the fusion, that was a huge mistake, the harvest site throbs all the time. I had to have surgery, I was in way too much constant pain to do nothing after the shots failed. I take pain meds twice a day, since '03'. Best of luck to anyone with spinal issues.


----------



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

And how did I know that I wasnt alone in this, being in this biz.

Tell you what though, I went to the Hospital, shot me full of pain killers and sent me home...No Insurance 

Went to a Chiropractor, old friend of mine. He has fixed me up real good, but I am taking it easy. He got me the MRI that showed the 2 Herniated Discs, also did x-rays to show a stage 1 degeneration, but I am happy about that. Stage 1 is usually in your 20's to 30's. I am in my 40's:clap:

Anyway, There is a fairly new machine out there. A Spinal Decompression Machine. I have been doing that since I started this Thread. AMAZING:thumbsup: Thing Really Works. In laymans terms, it pulls your spinal joints apart virtually sucking the herniated discs back into their spots. Thus allowing them to heal themselves. It will always be a weak spot but, I was able to walk normal again after 2 treatments. Going 4 times a week. 

I still have pain especially when sitting for long (like in the truck) or if I dont bend over right. But, other than that Very Little Pain.

It isnt covered by any insurance from what I hear, but, you have to try it. Workign Great for me.


----------



## daArch (Jun 8, 2007)

That's great news Digger, 

I'm happy for you.

I've heard the ads for the spinal decompression therapy. Sounded interesting and logical. In my 20's when I first strained my back, I would hang from whatever I could - grabbing onto a pipe, door jamb, tree limb etc with my hands, kinda like I was thinking of doing a chin-up. I've often thought of anti-gravity boots. ANYTHING to get the weight off my spinal column. 

as I said, glad to hear it worked for you.


----------



## Tmrrptr (Mar 22, 2007)

DaArch,
Sry to hear that..

It's a crap shoot.

Waddya gonna do?

r


----------



## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

Digger1799 said:


> Anyway, There is a fairly new machine out there. A Spinal Decompression Machine. I have been doing that since I started this Thread. AMAZING:thumbsup: Thing Really Works. In laymans terms, it pulls your spinal joints apart virtually sucking the herniated discs back into their spots. Thus allowing them to heal themselves. It will always be a weak spot but, I was able to walk normal again after 2 treatments. Going 4 times a week.
> 
> I still have pain especially when sitting for long (like in the truck) or if I dont bend over right. But, other than that Very Little Pain.
> 
> It isnt covered by any insurance from what I hear, but, you have to try it. Workign Great for me.


VAX-D, spinal decompression, I tried that in '95 and man that thing set me backwards about 1 year Neurologist told me that the stretching caused a small tear in the disc. If it works for you good luck.:thumbsup:


----------



## 220/221 (Sep 29, 2007)

Let's see...55 minus 30 = 25 years of back pain.


Get used to it cause it MAY be around in some fashion forever.

I have tried EVERYTHING and NOTHING has worked well for me except Vioxx .......and they pulled it off the market.


----------



## GHCJustin (Oct 12, 2007)

I herniated my L4-5.. It all started when i went to the doctors because i knew something wasnt right because of the leg/back pain.. Doc pushed and poked at my back and told me that i strained it and sent me home with some pain killers... few weeks later felt better and let it go.. A year goes by and all is good then i go to throw a bundle of roof shingles on my shoulder and down i go.. back to the doctors and she says that once again i strained it and i would be ok just to take it easy and take some pain pills... again a year or so goes by... Unloading a box truck full of kitchen cabinets and vanitys, just me and the driver.. we go to lift the 8ft long box off the tailgate and down i go.. cant even stand half way up leaning completely bent over.. sat there on my knees for about 15mins.. had to get help to lift me to a car and go to the doctors.. same doctor again tells me i strained it really bad this time.. i said this is getting rediculous we need to do some tests or something and we got into an argument.. she set me up with a back specialist and after lots of physical therapy that didnt work i had an MRI.. sure enough my disc was obviously herniated and putting a severe amount of pressure on my sciatic nerve.. Surgery was pretty much a given and so it was done... After the doctor said hes done hundreds of the microdisectomy surgerys and the size of my herniation was huge and in the top 10% in size of all that he has seen doing this surgery... Well surgery went well and i was out of work for 3 months after... Back to work and good for about 7 months.. then i slowly start getting the leg and back pain back for no specific reason.. So i was told to try 3 advil 3 times a day and it worked great.. Then after about a month my stomach couldnt take this kind of dosage anymore.. So now im on celebrex which is also working great but i can tell when it starts wearing off..I see the doctor again in 3 weeks and i have no idea whats going to happen... back problems are awful to live with and i feel all of you that have/are going through it.. the kind of work we do doesnt help it much either..


----------



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

TimNJ:

I asked my Chiropractor about your situation and he has heard of quite a few, especially in the early years. He told me that the machines have changed a lot, which given the advances in techonology, I'd have to agree. 

He also told me of one doctor in the area that recently did this to someone. Overzellous I guess. I know on me, he started really easy and has been increasing it very slowly. After a couple of weeks, I am just hitting 90lbs. of force.

GHCJustin:
I agree with you. I was lucky that I went to the Chiropractor first. He is an Old Friend of mine. Two days later the pain was so bad I could not walk. My g/f attempted to help me to the car and bring me to the Hospital. I began to pass out just as I reached the car door. I managed to get inside and she got a cold towel. Brought me back to real life. 

At the hospital, the doctor did not order an MRI or do X-rays. All he did was say I strained it and shot me full of 3 different kinds of pain blocks and 1 muscle relaxer. An hour later, I was still in sevear pain. Then sent me home with a bunch of Pain Killer prescriptions. 

I called my Chiropractor and her told me to stop them immediately. I explained that the pain was too much and he gave me his advice. ICE, ICE ICE. I got to his office the next day, Much Pain, but able to walk, if you can call crawling walking. Thats when he explained to me about Muscle Guarding. Muscle Guarding happend when you hurt something, Break a Bone, Injure the Back, etc. The muscle goes into a guarding state (usually by tightening up) to protect the joint, bone or what ever. Thats why you and I could not walk. The body knew, by walking, we could severly damage the spinal cord. SO it prevents us from being able to move. Convential medicen just alleviates the pain, and dosnt worrky about WHY its like that. 

So if any of you happen to experience this, don't just take a pain killer like we have been told to do. Find Out first WHY, then you can take pain killers to manage the pain while you get the Problem Fixed.


----------



## nywoodwizard (Sep 10, 2005)

2 Herniated disc and a pinched nerve for about 20 years,i take a anti inflammatory every few years if i hurts bad, I'm just a little more carefully about the way i work now,hasn't bothered me in a few years though.


----------



## 220/221 (Sep 29, 2007)

The bad news is that I have had disc issues for 25 years and it never really goes away.


The good news is that I'll be dead soon.


----------

