Herniated disc L4-L5?

Anybody here had one? What did you do about it, meds, injection, surgery?

I have one and it's compressing onto nerves that causes severe pain, it don't always hurt but when it does it's very bad. Doc gave me choices of gabbament(sp) or neurotin, injection or surgery, says surgery would keep me out of work six weeks(I can't afford that right now)

Any info is appreciated.:up:

 

Yes. Physical therapy and exercise. Yoga helps tremendously.

Avoid meds/surgery. Meds are a temporary treatment/long-term crutch, and no one EVER says, "Boy, am I glad I got cut open."

 

If the only way to get fixed is to get cut open, then so be it, but if you're actually happy to get cut open, you have issues

My point is: If there's a viable way to avoid surgery, take it.

 

As was mentioned above, yoga + stretching will really help once it settles down a bit. Take it really easy and don't push yourself. Vinyasa works for me.
L4/L5 low back pain is no fun as I have experienced it first hand.

You may want to look into a therapy that you are strapped in the table and the machine actually performs a stretch/pull motion. I forget what its called, but it did pull me apart in measured doses and over the course of a month of treatment, my back settled down.

After that episode, I went out and bought myself a "Teeter Hang Up"
To this day I will still use it when my back starts getting tight.

If at all possible, stay away from any type of surgery. I know 3 guys that had back surgery and a few years later they are in no better shape pain wise than they were before having surgery.

 

Did 2 years of drug therapy and physical therapy for my back. Finally had enough...

Had an MRI at 1pm on a Wed. was on the table getting cut at 8am Thursday.

12 years since with little to no pain. No drugs, no PT.

Boy, am I glad I got cut open!

 

Decompression therapy or IDD(Internal Disc Decompression) This helped my mom with 3 squashed discs that left her in the bed and unable to move. I had to carry her to the car and take her to the emergency room while she was in tears. The IDD got her healthy again and back at work where she does a laborious job...at 61.

Also find a good chiropractor that does the atlas/orthogonal method. You can call my guy and ask for someone in your area as they aren't common... 404-768-8008 - Dr. Roddy I've tried several normal chiro's but this particular method fixed the problem!

 

I did no drug therapy, and did physical therapy for 4 weeks. Continued on with an exercise program that I should have been doing anyway (might have prevented the herniated disc). No surgery.

15 years since with little to no pain.

Boy, am I glad I didn't get cut open!

 

Thanks for initial responses. I failed to mention that this has been bothering me on and off for two years. I need to find out how bad it's messed up first, talked to his PA for info this morning, my MRI was last monday.

 

Off to work now, I'll see y'all around midnite

 

I had ALIF (anterior lumbar fusion) in June and I haven't felt better in years.

Had dealt with severe nerve pain (sciatica) in my legs and lower back for 1 1/2 yrs and just couldn't take it any longer.

Back to work on light duty in 4 weeks but it took 8-10 wks to get back to normal activity.

My disc was completely blown out so injections were not an option.

If you have surgery, make sure it is anterior. They go in thru your stomach but you heal much faster.

If you haven't already, get an MRI and talk to a neuro surgeon. If he is any good he won't recommend surgery except as a last option.

Good luck. That is some serious pain you are dealing with.

 

Tough it out Nancy and get back on your forklift.

 

I worked operating rooms for about 15 years and looked into a lot of open spines. Soon to be ex is an MD. There's a reason that MDs hold out as long as possible before having back surgery. I understand the current key-hole procedures are a big improvement in technique and results. However once you start mucking around in the spinal canal, if something heals wrong, a misadventure happens, you can't go back. And, have you ever considered a post-op infection. Terrifies me.

I had a neuro surgeon tell me to hold out until I didn't have enough strength to step up on a chair. Then have back surgery. I'm still holding out.

 

Your level of damage was far less than mine I would guess.

Mine was blown out as well, injections did nothing.

My injury was work related. I got hung up in my riggin under a bucking horse, dragged for two laps around an arena at a dead run. The ER Doc said there were at least 34 different hoof marks on my back, legs and skull.

Shortly before things went very wrong....

 

Yoga- have not had a back spasm since.

 

I have front spasms whenever I go to Yoga.

 

A few years ago, I had a few breaks and fractures of L4, L5 and S1. One herniated and one bulging disc. Brutal sciatic nerve pain as a result.

I got cortisone injections, went on (and quickly off) neurotin and other pain killers, inverted tables, multiple MRIs and opinions, and did physical therapy for 6 months. The physical therapy and core strengthening helped somewhat, but I was still in a good amount of pain daily. Riding in a car was so painful it was unbearable. I would marine crawl into the shower in the morning and then sit under hot water for 15-20 minutes until I could even stand up.

The specialist I was seeing basically said I needed surgery 6 months ago and I still did and there was no way around it. As a last ditch effort, I went and saw a good, reputable chiropractor. Within two weeks, the pain was great reduced and within 6 weeks I was pain free. He used a combination of TENS therapy, manual manipulation and a machine called a ProAdjuster. To this day, I'm super careful about lifting things and very mindful about stressing my back, but I'm still pain free. I go and see him every few months for an adjustment.

I used to think of chiropractors as witch doctors. (But a witch doctor would have been my next stop after the chiropractor to avoid surgery.) But dude won me over. It's legit medicine and the ProAdjuster machine works. Well, for me it did anyway.

I'm anti surgery. Maybe to a fault. Spine surgery scared the shit out of me. I was very happy to be able to avoid it. Maybe it'll work for you?

 

Been there, done that. Never again.

 

Yep, mine was the exact same spot. Hurt for years until one day it locked up and put me in the hospital for 3 days. MRI said I had compacted vertebrae/herniated disc.

The doc I had said the only cure was to fuse my spine. He said I could never ride a dirt bike or play hockey after this.

For the first time in my life, I got a second opinion. When I met the new doctor and told him who I had seen he damn near went into a rage. Called my first doc the Butcher of Louisville!

I ended up getting a series of three epidurals over a 3 week period. And I went to the back classes that basically reinforce what you've been told forever (sit up straight, bend your knees when you pick up something heavy, etc). I haven't experienced significant pain since and it has been over 20 years.

 

This.

Inversion table. Worth it's weight in gold