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Anyone else rupture a disc in their spine? How did you deal with the pain. I hurt my back about a month ago and just received the MRI results...definitely shredded my back with L4/L5 and L5/S1 ruptured discs. The sciatic pain can be unbearable at times, especially when sitting, which has made me almost completely helpless. I can't drive to the grocery store or drive distances anywhere, can't sleep very well even while on medication, and can't do anything that requires sitting.
Did you get surgery? If so, how long ago? Are you still pain free or did you have your pain drastically reduced? God I hope I don't have to suffer through more months of this absolutely debilitating pain. Getting old stinks!
Same exact spot. Had surgery in Dec 1992. Post-op was bad as I had a fusion with steel rods and bone graft. Much better after 5 days. Had to wear a huge back brace for months to protect it. Back to half day work at 10 weeks. Full day at about 4-5 months.
Felt great for many years until L3-L4 started going bad. Neurontin and losing weight stopped that. No leg pain since then, maybe 8 yrs.
Yep, had to have surgery on my L4-L5 in my mid 30's. It started out as just a mild herniation, a bulge, but it ruptured and just got worse and worse. 9 months later I was risking permanent nerve damage and I was being debilitated by the disc herniation both in terms of functionality and the sheer excruciating levels of pain! I tried physical therapy (BIIIIG mistake, made me so much worse!), epidural injections, and pain pills, and chiro. The pain only increased as time went by, but I was very scared of surgery and just tried to fight through it. By month 9 I had developed full blown acute cauda equina syndrome, which is a medical emergency, and saw a surgeon who scheduled emergency surgery the next day. It was amazingly effective and I kicked myself for waiting so long. I still do have some back pain, several years post-op. But it is more manageable, and the debilitating symptoms I had before are gone. No sciatica whatsoever anymore. I regained all function that the equina syndrome caused. I'm fully functional again, and have been able to pick up my old hobbies of hiking, mtn climbing, skiing, and yes even backpacking.
The thing with back pain is everyone is different. And each person will react differently to different treatments. Be careful listening to advice of others. What works for one may not for you. People hear back pain and just think "big deal, I've had a sore back, or pulled a muscle. Everyone has back pain. Just take some meds, do some therapy, and you'll be fine". That INFURIATES me. I went through hell at work trying to get them to understand my situation. Back pain can range from mildly annoying to full-on debilitating, even to the point people consider suicide (as I myself did) to even committing it. I have also read that people with chronic back pain tend to lapse into long term depression. It can be very, very serious, and if you aren't careful you can make injury worse, and that can have LIFE-LONG repercussions.
I would recommend trying more conservative measures if you can stand it. My friend just this summer suffered an injury while riding a mountain bike, and his pain was approaching debilitating as well. However, he did well after receiving an epidural injection, which did nothing for me. But, he was able to delay or possibly even avoid surgery. The problem is if you are pinching the nerve to the point it is causing nerve damage, the longer you wait, the lower the likelihood of a favorable outcome after surgery.
Good luck, I know how hellish it can be. Every second is consumed with pain, it's depressing, and you can feel hopeless. Hang in there.
I started experiencing back pain in July 2015. my primary told me that it could be a torn muscle. Gave me naproxen 500mg twice a day. The back pain went away immediately, but I started feeling sciatic pain down my right leg. It hurts only when I sit, so I started walking a lot more. I would wake up early to stretch my legs and 90% of my day was pain free. I was only in pain when I first wake up in the morning and when I drive (long commute to and from work). I was in PT for 3 months. It helped to the point where the pain was no longer in my leg, but only above my right buttock. I received an ESI in October after a specialist ordered an MRI and diagnosed me with herniated disc on l4-l5. The ESI made the pain completely go away for a month. Now my pain is back and is much worse. The doctor thinks my disc may have bulged out even more. He put me back on naproxen 500mg. Waiting to get my second ESI in December. My back and leg was really bad earlier this week. I couldn't sleep through the night and was up numerous times. Last night was probably the only night this week where I was only woken up once from the pain. I put a pillow behind my back to elevate it and the pain would go away. I am also taking hydrocodone at night before bed and again if I was awaken from the pain. The specialist talked about making a consultation appointment with a surgeon, but I am only 27. I would prefer to treat this without surgery. Everyone I've spoke to suggested making surgery the very last option. I am continuing to do my PT workout and not worry too much about this. I am hopeful that my second ESI will make this a lot better
I bought a flexible bed. Not cheap but worth every penny! I raise the head a bit and the feet more. Like sleeping in a big recliner. It takes the pressure off my lumbar region. Flat beds are awful.
So I had my second ESI on 12-1-2015. It did nothing, unlike the first one I've had. The doctor is hesitant to do another one. He said that he had to go deeper this time. I am not really up for another shot either. I have my chiropractic appointment coming up next week. Continuing to do PT prescribed exercises. My pain mainly flares up now at 3:30AM until 5:30AM... it goes away quickly when I stand up. Rest of my day is pain free. I hope this means progress!
My husband had microsurgery last February. After six weeks of excruciating sciatica making him unable to sit or stand for more than a couple of minutes, his leg was pain-free immediately after surgery. He tried physical therapy and cortisone shots, which didn't really help, before opting for the surgery.
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