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My mother had back surgery with poor results. She actually ended up much worse than she had been. However, she was plagued with complications including infections and her body rejecting the metal that had put into her body to replace a damaged vertabrae. Of course this doesn't mean you will have these problems. Each case is unique and make sure you do your research on your particular surgery, the issues involved, and the quality of your surgeon.
I just had the lumbar discectomy on August 5, 2008. I had my son in 2005 and had been having back pain a year before I gave birth. I tried everything to avoid surgery, but nothing seemed to help. The pain became so unbearable I opted for the surgery. I realize I just had the surgery but I'm concerned that it did not work. My leg pain is gone and that is a relief, but I am still having lower back pain. I'm scheduled for another MRI this week to see if I am still healing or if there is still a piece pressing on my sciatica nerve or something like that. I'm not really sure and I'm concerned. Has anyone else had less then good success with the surgery? If so, what was the cause of the surgery not being successful? I have heard that it is good for leg pain but not so good for pain in the saddle or low back area. I'm not sure why. WI Girl, you are much younger then me, but I am only 41 and I can't imagine having this pain the rest of my life. I think after I am all healed I may look into an alternative treatment like accupuncture. Since you are so young and you have stenosis it is possible another disc may herniate, at least that is my understanding. Like you I did not have an accident, just a bad spine I guess! I haven't been able to find anyone who has written about a situation like mine. Everyone seems to be like you and has a wonderful outcome almost from the beginning. I am a very active person and work out regulary but have not even been able to walk to work out. Maybe I'm expecting to be fully healed and I need to just be patient? What do you think (anyone)!
What proceedure did they use on you? Usually it is minimally invasive.
I had Nucleoplasty.
From what I read at the time (it was new) that it made some people better but some worst. It's like either you can be helped or not. I was worst.
The thing about spine surgery, even something minimal is that is really takes a year to heal. I wouldn't do much for that 1st year and I'm serious because you feel better when you have it done, then you go back to doing stuff and a year later you're in the same if not worst shape (like me)
I've had 2 fusion surgeries, same thing, a year later I was in more pain. What choice does someone really have though?
I'm pretty sure I have nerve damage, ligament damage, & severe muscle spasms.
Try the acupuncture and do what ever you can now before it's too late and you suffer more damage. Before fusion look at your options because new surgeries are coming out all of the time.
I would not have any surgery and do not want to take any drugs so I just deal with all the pain. Back pain is the worst though, most people do not understand. Did you have disc problems?
Surgery is a hard choice to make but when you do, it is because there is no other choice.
The pain I feel is horrible. My back throbs, I can feel the muscles in heavy spasm. It feels like the muscles/bone are rubbing against metal. I feel like someone stuck a hot pic in my lower back. This is 24/7, every day.
Just wanted to share my experience with a recent Lumbar Laminectomy.
I'm 36, remember having horrible back labor 8 years ago, but other than that, never had any defined injury to help explain the deterioration that showed up on my MRI. I was a tummy sleeper, so waking up each morning to a stiff, and sore lower back seemed to be the norm.
In the weeks leading up to my injury, I had begun exercising regularly (4 days a week in a step class or a 4mile walk on a flat surface trail). I find myself undermotivated for exercise during winters in my mid-Atlantic state, so as spring arrived I was ready to hop back on the wagon. I had been working out for 3 weeks, when while packing boxes and lifting them for our impending move at the end of the school year, I did it!
Even with the words, "Lift with your legs, not with your back" ringing in my ears, I still hurt myself. I lifted a box that was too heavy (gotta love hindsight), from a full on squatted position and then when I came up, I turned to my right to place the one box onto another.
I instantly felt like I had pulled a muscle in the back of my upper right leg. The days after, I just rested, and layed off my step aerobics, as it certainly did not feel good. Well, those days turned into weeks....so I decided since the pulled muscle had not healed in 2-3wks time, I'd better visit my local Chiropractor. While my left hip was out, (most likely from over compensating for my injured right leg.), he felt I had a bulging disc. I visited him 5 times over a two week period, and finally told him, we'd have to come up with a different plan, as my pain seemed to be increasing in intensity. The pain I had was a radiating pain in my right rear and down the back side of my right leg, but it stopped at the knee. We decided to let my body rest for a week...and during that time frame, I woke up at 2am, with the most God awful, unrelenting pain of my life. Childbirth at least had an ebb and flow to it, and that pain was productive. This was just an electrifying kind of pain that sent those signals all the way down the back of the right leg and into my foot.
I stayed put until morning, when I sent out an SOS to my nearby family to come rescue me, get me to the doctor, and the kids to school. My GP felt it was a ruptured disc and ordered a MRI...I could not get in until the next day. Found the results out at 5pm...and had to suffer through the weekend with the pain, that 2 Vicoden would not even touch. Finally on Monday, a neurosurgeon confirmed that my disc had ruptured so badly, that it fragmented and rested on my open nerves. This was in the lower region, the 4-5 location.
He did the Lumbar Laminectomy at noon on Tuesday and by that night at 10pm (although it was done slowly) I was able to walk out of the hospital. Upon waking from surgery the pain in my leg was immediately gone. It was such a relief to not feel that pain.
The surgery was at the end of May....and I've had good days and not so good days.
I think that I am like another posting on here that mentioned, it's hard to be patient. I guess I expected to be more viable by now.
I can walk and get around, but tire easily. I just began a program with a PT this week, and have found that in the moment the stretching exercises feel good, but then a few hours after...I can barely sit or remain mobile. I am getting some strong muscle spasms, that BIOFREEZE just does not seem to help.
I guess after my long story...what I am curious about is...for those of you going through or already gone through PT, did your back spasm too? I'm so scared to death to do anything because I never want to feel that pain again.
Did this experience dampen your mental spirits too? It's been tough to sit out at so many things this summer. I really took my body for granted over the years, should have been more consistent with my exercise, and paid more attention to the all encompassing CORE muscles!!!
My new Chiropractor mentioned that the laminectomy is an archiac means of repairing a ruptured disc...that the new way of thinking is to not remove the lamina and go with a discectomy. Anyone have any comments about the differing procedures?
Thank you for your time, your feedback and for having a forum for this topic. I felt a sense of relief to hear about everyone's experiences. Happy healing to you all!
Last edited by ForumNewbie; 09-07-2008 at 08:12 PM..
I can walk and get around, but tire easily. I just began a program with a PT this week, and have found that in the moment the stretching exercises feel good, but then a few hours after...I can barely sit or remain mobile. I am getting some strong muscle spasms, that BIOFREEZE just does not seem to help.
If you are having spasms you should call your doctor asap. Don't do what I did and let it go. I had no clue what spasms felt like and if I did may not be in the shape I am in now. A doctor I saw a year ago said I was the worst he's ever seen. My spasms start in my legs, all the way up to my lower/mid back.
I also had some PT and while I felt ok walking out, a little while later I was shot & in more pain. Could be the spasms were made worst by it. I don't know as it's been so long I can;'t remember what the pain was like back then.
Chippery; I just had a Laminectomy Aug 14th. 6 in incision and 21 staples. The surgery was at L3,L4,L5 of the Lumbar area. This is above the tail bone that the nerves work the right thigh,calf,foot. Controls the feeling, numbness and tingling and pain. Initially I was told that they would probably scrape the bone to relieve pressure on the nerves. The staples are out but wont see the MD untill the 28th when I will ask for a complete description of what went on. The Diskectomy removes a protruding disk (bulge) a person may have. I had a compressed disk for 50 yrs and had no problem to speak of untill two yrs ago when I began having numbness in the right thigh and downwards to the foot. You can get a complete description of the two words by simply typeing in the words separetly for a screen view or printout like I did. I needed the typeing exercise anyway, so no problem. Steve
Mayo clinic -
Herniated disk vs. bulging disk: What's the difference?
Quote:
A bulging disk does look different from a herniated disk. A bulging disk is one in which the outer layers (annulus fibrosis) of the disk simply bulge into the spinal canal. The bulging typically affects a large portion of the disk. Bulging disks are more common than herniated disks and usually cause no pain.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AliceT
L3 bulging disc with L4, L5 herniated discs. The info I find on the internet says herniated and bulging are one and the same thing, but the same doctor used the different terms in the same sentence. Surgery is not currently on the agenda, but has been mentioned. The internet is one source, but word of mouth from those that been there and done that are just as valuable. Just trying to stay ahead of the curve.
You're a little higher up then me, mine is the sacrum and L5S1. I will eventually have issues higher up.
Usually they start with some sort of painkiller. Most of us don't want them but eventually the pain is so bad you give in. Then, you start with injections. Injections don't help everyone but it's worth it to try. I know people that it works and people that it did nothing. I've had various injections, most did not work for me except one in my sacroiliac joint
From there you consider your options when you can't live with the pain, or you are sick of taking pain meds.
Years ago I made the decision to have Nucleoplasty which is one way to take care of a herniated disk. It was pretty new at the time, there wasn't much info online but what I read, either it made you better or not. I actually did ok for the 1st year, then went downhill.
I was in so much pain, nothing helped. I went back to pain meds but they didn't work. I'm a light weight when it comes to drugs, there are awesome meds out there but I can't take most of them for one reason or another.
Making the decision to have spine surgery is hard. New techniques have come up that don't fuse your spine. In the coming years I think we're going to see a major medical breakthrough for spines, so if you can hold off getting anything done, I would wait.
After I was fused, artificial disk replacement popped up, I'm talking 2 months later. I kick myself for doing what I did but I knew someone who had surgery by the same doctor and from what he said he was fine, turns out he wasn't. I don't know what his motives were for not telling me the truth. My pain management doctor knows someone that used the same doctor yet they are fine. I think that for someone that doesn't have any other issues besides a bad disk, surgery might be ok but for some people it is not.
Fusion verses ADR (artificial disk replacement) - if you qualify, do it. I've seen someone that had a few levels done, she was fine.
Next week for me on L5 disc bulge. It's been 6 months and I'm done with the pain and drugs as I am a triathlete and it's killing me not to be running and cycling. I want to get it shaved and by next year back into the game. Good luck, pain sucks.
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