herniated disc

i klnow i had a post about this but couldnt find it soi thought i would do i follow up i had my MRI scan and the doc said i had six herniated disc two that where pretty bad and he talked about wanting to do a epidural steroid injection and i didnt go in to have it done i had been doing strches and was feeling pretty good till i stopped doing them for a couple weeks and now the pain is coming back so i guess what im wondering is those who said the have been in the same boat did you try the epidural steroid injection with any luck and if you had surgery what kind did you have with what results seen there is a couple kinds you can have done thanks guys

Which vertebrae? Neck or upper or lower back?

he said there is a few in mu chest area and the bad ones are low back

I just posted a message here for you and it never showed up! I had lower dics operated on back in 1998 after a few years of remdial treatments like PT and lastly a great Chiropractor.But in the end I had to get it operated on and never looked back as did my Wife had hers operated on a year later. I am sure nowadays there are more advanced procedures but before you do anthing drastic, get a few opinions.Luckily my Wife is an RN and had some first hand reports on different Surgeons. My operation was 6.5 hours and 8 hours later he stopped by my room and said I had to get up and go for a short walk. Reluctantly I did but it was fine, alittle sore and after a few weeks was back walking fine. My back still is in good shape if I don’t abuse it and if I do, it lets me know to cool it.My Wife also had lower back surgery and it was great but she also had and still has 2 in her neck which has not been operated on but kept manageable by going to PT a few times a month.On hers they were going to operatte from the front of her neck and she decided she didnt want to chance this. Just thought I woulsd share my experience with you and good luck on whatever you decide. Pete

thanks for sharing your story with me

my wife ruptured a disc three years ago that gave her sciatic nerve trouble. she chose to have the shot.it lasted three years and felt 110% better. just last week she had go in for another one, this one is not helping as much, she is about80% but still early as they can take more than a week to kick in.she is also doing pt. i would try the the shot before having surgery.

Had a low back disc trimmed in 1994. Before surgery I was “dragging” my left leg, not much pain. After surgery, most of the feeling and control came back. Lost a little feeling in the ball of my left foot due to nerve damage from initial injury. Oldest son and brother also had lower back discs trimmed, both said pain left almost immediately. As stated by earlier post, be careful and watch what and how you lift. My advice , get it done and get on with enjoying life. Good Luck. R

Just had surgery on a lower herniated disc in the middle of March. 35 min. surgery and home by 7pm the same day. Had severe nerve pain for a week at the end of January and missed that week of work. Went to Doc. to get some pain meds and did some PT also. Everything started to feel better after about 10 days. MRI showed a herniated disc and the neurosurgeon said a quick little procedure could take care of my trouble. Well I decided to do it and have not looked back. About a 1″ incision just off center of back is all that it was. Felt 100% at about 7 days but I was up and moving about the next day. Really wanted to get fixed up for the summer fishing season and did not want to go through that pain again as I wouldn’t wish it on many people.

what did they do to you just trim it or somthing else?

Sorry to hear about your back problems, I also at age 28 had 3 herniated disc. I had the injections, For me a they were a temp. fix, I beleive i had 4 different shots and it would feel better for a week or 2 or month , but it would always come back. After a while i got tried of the pain and the missing work for weeks at a time. I thought that i was not gonna be able to do the things i loved, ever again. I thought i wasnt gonna be able to work. So I told my doctor that he had to do something, so i had surgery, and I felt better right away.
10 yrs have gone by, and i have missed a few days of work since, If i realy over do it, or if i lay around a whole day it will get sore, but a few ibuprofen and get moving again and I feel fine. I not telling you to just go get surgery done!! Thats how it worked for me. The shots just never did much,
I hope you feel better. I know how u feel.

how the pain when you hit the water on a rough windy day the impact flow the waves hurt ya or not to bad

There are many posts here that are pro-surgery. Research shows that outcomes 6 months and 1yr after the event are about the same with conservative management vs surgery. I too have extruded a disk, which is herniation with a tear in the disk where the jelly inside of the disk gets pushed out into the spinal canal. I had a foot drop on one side. I couldn’t raise my foot up towards my head. Because I didn’t have a ton of pain, I went the conservative route and after 6 wks of taking it easy, I have not had any issues 3 yrs down the road. The strength returned over time. I do have to use my head when lifting things and I too can tell when I am pushing it too far. The main benefit of doing surgery is pain relief. It is possible that I may screw up and end up having surgery at some point, but I think the longer you can avoid it the better. Surgery comes with risks as well…infection, anesthesia complications…etc. Weigh your options, risks/benefits, and get more than one opinion.

I have been dealing with back issues for 3 years now. Up until about a month ago… I knew that I had 2 torn and herniated disks and some others that were degnerated. I have been through Physical therapy numerous times, about half a dozen epidurals, and a stint at physicials neck and back. I will say that you should do whatever you can to avoid surgery. My stint at the Neck and Back Clinic was cut short due to my back going out again and another trip to the hospital. I am in about the same boat as you. I went to a surgeon about a month ago and, with his referral, got a discogram. a VERY painful procedure. Found out I have 3 torn discs… with 2 that are protruding to the nerve. Problem with me is that even though there is servere pain, it is stable. Only thing my surgeon will do is a 3 level fusion. Not my first option. So, I am back to the drawing board. I hope you find relief! I hope for the same myself… but I am about out of options. Problem I find is every doctor I go to tells me to go through some physical therapy that THEY know of… but I only usually go to a new DR because the previous PT didn’t work.

Good luck!

I’ve got two in my neck and 4 yrs. ago dr. said to meet with surgeon.Did and tried therphy ,and steroid shots with no help. Surgeon said he would fuse the discs and hopefully the problems would go away. Still didn’t feel right about this and prayed for insight.Was led to a chiropracter who has keep me with out surgery and pain ever since.

i know it sucks and is no fun wouldnt wish it on anyone

Go see Dr. Michael Sethna at the Noran Clinic in Minneapolis. A friend has 6 herniated discs between her shoulder blades. He took care of her. He’s comes with great creditials.
http://www.noranclinic.com/

In my previous life (college football), I tore up my back something fierce. I had a foot drop, no strength in my left foot, and a constant pain that felt like you just hit your funny bone. After a while I gave up and went to see a nuerosurgeon.

The MRI showed 6 slipped discs, 2 that were leaking, and a severly pinched nerve in my lower Lumbar and upper Sacral (sp) discs. They ended up going in, cutting off the protruding discs, grinding a hole in my spine to open an area for the nerve to pass, and cleaning up 2 more.

The day after surgery I was up and able to feel my toes again for the first time in about a year. I now don’t over do it, and can still tell if I pushed a little too far, but cannot be any happier with my choice.

The first thing the doctor told me before the surgery is DO NOT PUT ON WEIGHT. All the extra belly fat puts tremendous strain on your lower back.

I tried the PT and chiropracters, but they were not a solution to my problem. If I were in your shoes, I would do my due dilligence and check your options. What worked for me, may or may not have relevance to your situation.

Good luck

I had a herniated disk in my lower back with pain so bad I had to walk with a cane. Surgery fixed it up so that I now no pain and do what ever I want. By the way, the surgery was in 1978! Don’t hesitate to do surgery if that is the best option. Certainly try the others, but if they don’t work, surgery can work wonders. Nothing is without risks.

thanks to everyone that post im hoping to get somthing done soon thanks agin for sharing