Desperate Relief from Herniated Disk

[W921]

Originally Posted by Jims83cj5

You are bat poop crazy, the lord will fix his herniated disc? Are bonkers. You don’t like surgeons, you dis chiropractors yet the lords gunna do it for him, unbelievable!!!

Doctor told me years ago that I would never get better. I told him I would get better. Doctor told me I was in denial.
But I did get better. Took years with ups and downs. Thank God he restored my back
If I believed I would not get better then I would not have.
This is one of the smaller things God has blessed me with in my lifetime.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

I had central spinal cavity stenosis (narrowing of the hollow canal within the body of the vertebrae) that put pressure on nerves in my lower back, causing severe sciatica (burning and tingling on the back of my legs, from my waist to my ankles). At times, I thought the back of my pants might catch fire!

For me, gabapentin provided a lot of relief. It is NOT a narcotic, relatively safe and provides relief against nerve pain. Do your own research and perhaps discuss this with your doctor.

The problem I had generally responds very well to surgery. I had that done and after 2.5 weeks, I was pain free.

I now have a LOT more empathy for people with back pain.

Good luck to you. I sincerely hope you are able to get some relief.

Stenosis of the spine and arthritis caused me pain that got so bad, that I was pretty much housebound, and had issues sleeping. I tried a chiropractor, physio, and acupuncture, and none of them really helped. I finally got to see a specialist, and had targeted cortisone injected. It has been around five years now, and I am still pretty much pain free. I do walk a few miles every day, and am in the gym 4 days per week to maintain my strength, and body weight.

[Jims83cj5]

Originally Posted by W921

Doctor told me years ago that I would never get better. I told him I would get better. Doctor told me I was in denial.
But I did get better. Took years with ups and downs. Thank God he restored my back
If I believed I would not get better then I would not have.
This is one of the smaller things God has blessed me with in my lifetime.

You believe your foolishness but don’t hand it out as medical advice to a sane person

[Jims83cj5]

Originally Posted by W921

Doctor told me years ago that I would never get better. I told him I would get better. Doctor told me I was in denial.
But I did get better. Took years with ups and downs. Thank God he restored my back
If I believed I would not get better then I would not have.
This is one of the smaller things God has blessed me with in my lifetime.

You believe your foolishness but don’t hand it out as medical advice to a sane person, oops I mean I’m sooo glad the lord helped you in your mind with a solid misconception of reality and medical relief, god bless

[Spidey]

Originally Posted by RACKER

Thanks to everyone for all the great advice. I will try to explore all options. My biggest fear is damaging something more than what I have. The MRI I had showed a ruptured disk that the center gell pushed thru the wall and is pushing up against the nerve. I gotta keep moving around and exercise but no doctor is giving me info on if anything I do will cause more damage. They say if it hurts don’t do it-like I didn’t know!My hat is off to all of you that have prolonged effects of this pain as I’m not sure I could hack it out. And I really stress to everyone to kept flexible and range of motion. I’m not to proud to admit that I didn’t do enough exercise that kept me limber and core strong so nobody to blame but me. P.S. the reason why I did end up this way is falling off a ladder.

This is very similar to what I had back in 1994. I had a bulging L5 disk from a kneeboarding stunt gone wrong, and the gel was pushing against the nerve. I was told that either it will abate eventually, abate occasionally (which many people can live with), or not at all. After two years of trying every treatment under the sun, I experienced no releif whatsoever, so I decided to go under the knife.

I was fortunate, as it was a successful surgery. I also waited a year for the proceedure because it was deemed 'elective', and I suspect the wait time is even longer now. *Not all back surgeries have the same risk. A partial discectomy where they shave off the buldge is much less invastive than a fuse or a full discectomony. I was out of the hospital the next day and three weeks later was walking upright again with no pain or discomfort.

My advice is find out what type of surgery you need and get on the wait list. You can always bail at any time, but may as well get on the list in the meantime.

Other advice on here for weight management, stretching and exercise is bang on. The only other piece I'd add is that we bought an infrared sauna and it's great for the muscles and joints post workout and after stretching, or even a great way to start the day before you jump in the shower.

[capncrunch1111]

Just throwing this out there, might help someone.

My g/f had some serious back issues for a number of years ago that left her unable to do lterally anything for herself (think bathroom, shower etc.). Doctors were pushing surgery and opiates on her.

She hated the medication that did almost nothing and didnt want surgery because of the risks.

On her own she started spending time in the pool taking daily deep-water workout classes at the local pool with all the geriatrics, over several months she completly healed up. The great part about the pool is that it simulates a zero gravity or weightless environment and takes pressure off your back allowing you exercise the muscles to strengthen them to allow healing.

She's 100% better with absolutely no problems.
This might not be for everyone, but worth looking into.

[W921]

Originally Posted by Jims83cj5

You believe your foolishness but don’t hand it out as medical advice to a sane person, oops I mean I’m sooo glad the lord helped you in your mind with a solid misconception of reality and medical relief, god bless

Things that seem bad in life God can turn around and make good out of them is we do our part.
All these things that seem bad at the time can make us better. Sort of like old saying what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
Its not so much about our circumstances. Its more about how we handle them.
Gods time table is often different than ours.
There is comfort in knowing everything is going to work out even if we don't understand what is happening at the time.
The alternative is stress,anger,fear ,discouragement,negatively, etc. Up to you. Takes a while to change our thinking if thinking a certain way for 40 years but it can be done.

[calgarychef]

My mom gets “abalation” done. Basically they kill the nerves involved, it’s torturous getting it done and the nerves grow back but it gives her a few months of relief.

[Jims83cj5]

Originally Posted by W921

Things that seem bad in life God can turn around and make good out of them is we do our part.
All these things that seem bad at the time can make us better. Sort of like old saying what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
Its not so much about our circumstances. Its more about how we handle them.
Gods time table is often different than ours.
There is comfort in knowing everything is going to work out even if we don't understand what is happening at the time.
The alternative is stress,anger,fear ,discouragement,negatively, etc. Up to you. Takes a while to change our thinking if thinking a certain way for 40 years but it can be done.

That line of thought is fine for the weak minded that need help to do the right thing all the time. The things your parents should have taught kids, right vs wrong etc common sense stuff like telling people god will heal them and let them suffer. There are several decent posts on here with real experiences and advice. Religious views are like politics they have no place in most things except manipulation of common sense. I hope the op finds his relief

[Jims83cj5]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

My mom gets “abalation” done. Basically they kill the nerves involved, it’s torturous getting it done and the nerves grow back but it gives her a few months of relief.

I have my appointment on Jan 30th

[W921]

Originally Posted by Jims83cj5

That line of thought is fine for the weak minded that need help to do the right thing all the time. The things your parents should have taught kids, right vs wrong etc common sense stuff like telling people god will heal them and let them suffer. There are several decent posts on here with real experiences and advice. Religious views are like politics they have no place in most things except manipulation of common sense. I hope the op finds his relief

I believe you will find that "strong minded" doesn't necessarily equal doing right or a happy meaningful life but I sincerely hope good things for you ( Smile)

[Stryker2]

I get how tough it is to deal with a herniated disk. You're trying out different treatments, which is good. Getting a second opinion from another specialist might help. Sometimes, they can suggest various things or new therapies that work better for you. Have you tried doing exercises to strengthen your core muscles? That could give your spine better support and ease the pressure on the problem area.

[Rvsask]

Originally Posted by W921

Things that seem bad in life God can turn around and make good out of them is we do our part.
All these things that seem bad at the time can make us better. Sort of like old saying what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
Its not so much about our circumstances. Its more about how we handle them.
Gods time table is often different than ours.
There is comfort in knowing everything is going to work out even if we don't understand what is happening at the time.
The alternative is stress,anger,fear ,discouragement,negatively, etc. Up to you. Takes a while to change our thinking if thinking a certain way for 40 years but it can be done.

Kind of “jerky” for god to make things bad before turning them around as good, no?

I guess in your comfort knowing everything will work out if we don’t understand what is happening should make you quit writing about the immigration thing anyways. After all the things that seem bad make us better.


To the OP, I hope you found someone in the medical field that helped you with your problem.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

I had central spinal cavity stenosis (narrowing of the hollow canal within the body of the vertebrae) that put pressure on nerves in my lower back, causing severe sciatica (burning and tingling on the back of my legs, from my waist to my ankles). At times, I thought the back of my pants might catch fire!

For me, gabapentin provided a lot of relief. It is NOT a narcotic, relatively safe and provides relief against nerve pain. Do your own research and perhaps discuss this with your doctor.

The problem I had generally responds very well to surgery. I had that done and after 2.5 weeks, I was pain free.

I now have a LOT more empathy for people with back pain.

Good luck to you. I sincerely hope you are able to get some relief.

I had spinal stenosis, with some arthritis, and at one point, the pain was so severe, that I never left the house for two weeks. I was given the same prescription, but it didn't work for me. I was finally given cortisone, and four days later, I was pain free. That was over five years ago, and although I have to be careful not to overdo things, I am still pretty much pain free.

[densa44]

The advice on herer that has worked has one thing in common, not giving up! Whether it is the power of prayer or just grit it amounts to the same thing, you have hope and work hard at getting better.

The risks of surgery are real and for it to work you will still have to work hard at getting better.

Try to always hope that you will get better and never ever give up!

[-JR-]

I have had low back pain for over 40 years . What works for one ,does not work for others > Trick for me is not to curl up when sleeping when its bad .
Movement is the answer as we have been told . When you stand up and you hips are more to one side ,this is because of the mussels trying to protect it self ,as you get older it becomes more of a memory or a reflex what your back does automatically when when standing up . Those mussels then pinch the nerve more , giving pain . But you ned to move .
After apply ice to your back to relax the mussel .Get out of bed very slowly using crutches . Walk as much as you can using crutches so your back does not bend to one side . When it does . Lay down and apply ice again .
The new findings is not to do any back stretches ,like pulling your knees to your chest . Leg lifts are ok . Its more about pumping blood thew your lower back . Walking is the best and always use crutches as it will keep your joints apart like being on one of those inverted tables .

[W921]

Originally Posted by Rvsask

Kind of “jerky” for god to make things bad before turning them around as good, no?

I guess in your comfort knowing everything will work out if we don’t understand what is happening should make you quit writing about the immigration thing anyways. After all the things that seem bad make us better.


To the OP, I hope you found someone in the medical field that helped you with your problem.

A Father would not want physical harm to come to his child.
If child will take it a Father will offer help.
If your contentment and happiness comes from your circumstances or other people your going to have a tough time on planet earth.

[pittman]

The advice you've received from your team isn't bad.

Most important is to stay active. Keep trying different things - you'll find something that provides relief. Medications are only a small part of the solution.

Most of the time it gets better. Takes weeks and weeks.

Surgery is a last resort. Often what we see on MRI and the pattern of pain people have doesn't go away despite fixing the problem that we've found. THAT SAID, there are plenty of folks out there who have had good results.

Best of luck.

[oldjeda]

My dear wife has 2 herniated discs. Only thing that worked for her was voltaren pills. And it worked wonders.

[mooseknuckle]

Hate to say it..... Opiates. 2 Percocet will fix you right up.

[MDR]

Pigeons pose fixed me up quickly when I couldn't bend to get my socks on. Still a dull ache now, but tolerable vs the hellfire of sciatic nerve pain.

[6.5 shooter]

Don't get surgery, fusing the vertebra only helps until the ones above and below begin to degrade then your back in to have them fused as well and that advice comes from my doctor. Had a specialist who suggested some sort of "injection" which was suppose to "dissolve" the bulged disks, asked him about side affects and his reply was well, it will work, but if I miss calculate the dosage it could dissolve the spinal cord as well, so I said no thanks. I did get relief from a zero gravity chair, quite expensive but worth it in the beginning. However the body is a marvelous machine and after 45 years the pain is manageable? If I do a few stretch's before bed and sit when my back screams at me, I can still go about my day in a fairly normal fashion. Chiro has helped but does not work miracles. Drugs are not an option for myself so it is Advil and Tylenol and a lot of mental toughness to get through the day. Sorry but this is the sad truth and I hope you find a path to help you out. But don't give up and there will be days you will want to.

[Jims83cj5]

I have a herniated disc at L1/L2 i paid the 3000 bux for a permanent nerve ablation, health care only pays for the temp ablation that only lasts for about 4 months, my problem has noy changed buy 90% of the pain is gone. Igot mine done a Beam Radiology in Calgary, well woth the money

[does it ALL outdoors]

Originally Posted by Gabby61

An Inversion Table is the only thing that works for me....I hang on it a couple time a day for a minute or two and Im good!!!

JMO

My inversion table is worth its weight in gold. Money well spent.

So is a good steam a couple of times a week, good for the body & the brain.

Back pain SUCKS, good luck to ya

[coyotecaller]

I was in the same boat. Lower left so bad, that if I dropped a tool or something, I’d be better off to go buy a new one, cause I couldn’t bend o er to pick it up.
Tried many many things. I did not want surgery. With the suggestion of a good friend, I went to a kinesiologist. After the initial assessment and determining what the trouble was, he designed a workout program to fit my needs. It took awhile for the pain to finally go way. But now, I’m more liberated than ever. I also had him manipulate the nerve. Turns out it was out of track. Man, what a relief. Not only did the pain leave, I lost 40 pounds. All body weight exercises.