herniated disc
 

Anybody ever have a herniated disc in their back? I've got one at my L5 disc (i think it is) and i just cant get rid of the pain.

I've already gone to physical therapy, a chiropractor, and now im in alternative rehab physical therapy. Im seriously considering getting surgery on it, but ive heard surgery doesnt really get rid of the pain.

So any opinions on what I should do? I'm open to trying almost antyhing.

Have you had a cortizone epidural yet?

not yet. the neurosurgeon mentioned something about it when i saw him, but i didnt want to try it.

is it effective?

L5-S1 when I was 16. 3 back surgeries - 1) lamanectomy, 2) scare tissue removal and third was a fusion.

Most definitely. I have the same injury and I've been fine for 5 years now with no surgery. I also took plenty of Relafen for about 6-9 months to further reduce the inflammation (Celebrex and Vioxx did not work for me).

they tried an epidural morphine injection after my second surgery but they couldnt get the needle through the scar tissue. It took them 2 hours of twisting the syringe like a cork screw before they gave up.

i guess i'll plan for the injections instead and see how those work for me.

I'm not sure if this is still the case, but doctors in the past would do injections through the back - I highy advise against this. Make sure you get a proper epidural through the base of the spine. To put your mind at ease, it sounds worse than it actually is. They numb the insertion area up quite a bit and you don't feel a thing.

that's good to hear because i hate needles.

are you free of all pain now or does it still come back?

I sometimes get sore from over-exertion, maybe once or twice a year for a few days, but overall I'm fine.

I forgot to mention that my biggest problem seemed to be from muscle spasms caused by the herniation. Once I was able to relive the pressure (inflammation) from the nerve(s) that were affected by the injury, the pain went away.

I wish you luck, I know how shitty this can make you feel, day in and day out.

I did it two weeks ago. it was great for 3 days. just stay out of your chair. I am upright now but I herniated six weeks ago. Just got sitting yesterday.

yeah, it seems like the longer i sit in front of the computer, the more it hurts when i stand up

ever tried accupuncture already.?

Man that must hurt