Herniated Disk

[krizia829]

I've been dealing with an L5S1 disk bulge for the past year and a half almost. Severe pain comes and goes but there's always that dull pain that lingers 24/7. Makes it hard to get up in the morning, let alone turn to my side while sleeping.

I spent like 4 days in the hospital and about 3 weeks without being able to walk when it happened.

Any recommendations on how to ease the pain in the meantime other than the obvious (losing weight)? Stretching causes some bad lower back and side cramps.. Thanks!!

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

I've been dealing with an L5S1 disk bulge for the past year and a half almost. Severe pain comes and goes but there's always that dull pain that lingers 24/7. Makes it hard to get up in the morning, let alone turn to my side while sleeping.

I spent like 4 days in the hospital and about 3 weeks without being able to walk when it happened.

Any recommendations on how to ease the pain in the meantime other than the obvious (losing weight)? Stretching causes some bad lower back and side cramps.. Thanks!!

There are some stretches my chiropractor showed me that have kept me out of his office for a long time. I do them lying flat on my back in bed when I feel my disc starting to press on my sciatic nerve. Between stretches, a TENS unit, and a massage gun, I manage to keep my back in check unless I really screw up lifting and twisting with something heavy.

 

[Toliver]

My back has been a problem for years. At the worst, I've been in the ER and it took 2 shots of dilaudid (sp?) to ease the pain. The best thing I found to help with the pain at home other than pills, was to pile up some pillows and lie face down with my hips over the pillows and an ice pack on my back. My issues are about the same place as yours. L4/L5. I now see a chiropractor every 2 weeks and it has helped immensely. I haven't had a debilitating episode now for about 3 years.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

Bun an used inversion table. They are worth their weight in gold. I suffered from herniatEd L4,L5 and S1. A chiropractor will get you so far, but the traction therapy they give is the same as the relief you will get from an inversion table. I used one for several years and it kept me going and from under the knife for quiet awhile. If I felt an episode coming on, strange as it sounds, I could go for a long walk and it would help prevent it or lessen the pain. The walking tightens the supporting muscles around the spine and helps relieve the pressure on the bulge. The inversion table kinda creates a suction and pulls the disc back inward. Much like opening the joints when you pull your finger. You don’t need to hang upside down like the man on tv. A slight tilt will give you instant relief. Don’t lay on a couch or use a reclining chair. Everybodies back is a little different.

 

[Core Lokt]

Lady at work just had surgery for this and she is golden now.

 

[Deerhead]

I had a herniated disk in C6. It felt like someone was pinching my "funny bond nerve". Nothing funny about it! After a year of suffering the doctor gave me a Steroid injections in the disk. It shrunk the disk and ended my pain! That was in 2000. I am better now. But it took a while to fully heal. Glad I did not do surgery!

 

[bass4fun]

I had a herniated disk in C6. It felt like someone was pinching my "funny bond nerve". Nothing funny about it! After a year of suffering the doctor gave me a Steroid injections in the disk. It shrunk the disk and ended my pain! That was in 2000. I am better now. But it took a while to fully heal. Glad I did not do surgery!

Dealing/suffering with a C6-C7 herniated disk right now. Over a year. I've had two of the steroid epidurals and short relief. Doc says it will eventually go back in. Sucks!

 

[krizia829]

Lady at work just had surgery for this and she is golden now.

My dad has 2 herniated disks. He's had acupuncture, has done cortisone shots about 6 times and has had 3 surgeries. The last one being the biggest one. Still isn't right.. I don't wish this pain upon anyone..

 

[krizia829]

Bun an used inversion table. They are worth their weight in gold. I suffered from herniatEd L4,L5 and S1. A chiropractor will get you so far, but the traction therapy they give is the same as the relief you will get from an inversion table. I used one for several years and it kept me going and from under the knife for quiet awhile. If I felt an episode coming on, strange as it sounds, I could go for a long walk and it would help prevent it or lessen the pain. The walking tightens the supporting muscles around the spine and helps relieve the pressure on the bulge. The inversion table kinda creates a suction and pulls the disc back inward. Much like opening the joints when you pull your finger. You don’t need to hang upside down like the man on tv. A slight tilt will give you instant relief. Don’t lay on a couch or use a reclining chair. Everybodies back is a little different.

Yup, the longer I sit around or lay down, the worse it hurts! Walking is what got me back up and going, however, the relief only lasts for so long.. sucks..

 

[Core Lokt]

Back, neck and eye surgeries are a 50/50 chance of success

 

[krizia829]

My back has been a problem for years. At the worst, I've been in the ER and it took 2 shots of dilaudid (sp?) to ease the pain. The best thing I found to help with the pain at home other than pills, was to pile up some pillows and lie face down with my hips over the pillows and an ice pack on my back. My issues are about the same place as yours. L4/L5. I now see a chiropractor every 2 weeks and it has helped immensely. I haven't had a debilitating episode now for about 3 years.

I haven't been able to sleep face down in years! It's the only way I slept as a teenager. Then I had children and it hasn't been the same lol but I will try that!

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

My dad has 2 herniated disks. He's had acupuncture, has done cortisone shots about 6 times and has had 3 surgeries. The last one being the biggest one. Still isn't right.. I don't wish this pain upon anyone..

I’ve had 5 sets of injections, some help for a long time, some not so long. I ended up having L4,L5, S1 fused. 6 screws, 2 rods and 2 cages. My surgery went great, I don’t even take an aspirin. Everyone’s back is different, try the inversion table first. It kept me off the surgeons table for years.

 

[mark-7mag]

I've had on and off back issues for over 20 years. I would say what has helped me the most over the last few years has been yoga stretching and core and leg strengthening. Dont just do it when you're down in your back but do it year round every day for preventative maintenance . There are plenty of videos online on stretching and exercising for our back. The inversion table is a good tool also. If you haven't already, try some physical therapy. If your insurance doesn't cover it you can self pay and they'll cut you a deal

 

[Toliver]

I haven't been able to sleep face down in years! It's the only way I slept as a teenager. Then I had children and it hasn't been the same lol but I will try that!

Oh that's not for sleeping. That's just a pressure release position for me while I'm trying to ice down the inflammation. I have to have about 3 good pillows under my hips to arch my back up. If I tried to just sleep on my stomach on a flat mattress, I wouldn't be able to walk the next day.

 

[mguthrie]

I have deteriorated disks. Same ones your dealing with. Inversion table or traction therapy will ease the pain.

 

[tr21]

before my back surgery for stenosis the only time I wasn't in pain was driving . I would get out walk maybe 50 yds and just about lay down and cry. I wish back pain on no-one, I would take 10 heart attacks before that back pain.

 

[georgia_home]

You guys just hit in my wife’s topic here … lower back is jacked up. And hips too. All the stuff you’re saying she is seeing.

every morning she does a series of stretching exercises which help here a good bit. she still has discomfort, but the PT Folks that gave here this exercise regimen helped a bit.

she is ready to move forward though with more aggressive assistance if they can come up with a road map.

it is getting more serious in the last couple years. Gravity sucks!

 

[campboy]

@krizia829 I have no input I just wanted to say that I hope you get some relief

 

[Waddams]

L5/S1 - me too. I ended up doing 6 weeks of spinal decompression therapy. Two sessions a week, 12 total. Cost me around $1300 total. It helped me tremendously. It was heat and TENS, then various implements to stretch the spine and decompress that disc, not unlike medieval torture in some ways, and then a roller bed that helped further with reducing back muscle tightness so the vertebrae didn't get pulled back together immediately and compress the disc again. The heat treatment supposedly helped to refirm up the disc so it would keep the spinal cord from recompressing.

It isn't perfect, but it's 95% better than when I started. I maintain by doing time on a foam roller at home, and finding ways to do dead hangs with a bit of weight slung from a belt so I can get my spine into tension and relieve compression on the joint. I got into powerlifting a while back right after I hit 40, I need to be a bit careful with that and sometimes can't really load up the bar on my shoulders now but overall, the strength training combined with decompression seems to be really good for it. I just know if I overdo it, I feel it. If I go too long without lifting, I feel it.

I don't know if decompression would help you or not, your mileage may vary. But it's been a great outcome for me.

 

[krizia829]

You guys just hit in my wife’s topic here … lower back is jacked up. And hips too. All the stuff you’re saying she is seeing.

every morning she does a series of stretching exercises which help here a good bit. she still has discomfort, but the PT Folks that gave here this exercise regimen helped a bit.

she is ready to move forward though with more aggressive assistance if they can come up with a road map.

it is getting more serious in the last couple years. Gravity sucks!

It's not fun at all! When I was pregnant with my second child I had HORRIBLE hip pain towards the end! I could barely get out of bed. I'd have tears just to get out of bed.

My back pain started suddenly and little by little within like 3 days or so I was unable to walk. When I got to the ER, they took so long to get me in a bed that I had to beg for the one I saw just sitting in the middle of the hallway. I was no longer able to sit up on the wheelchair from the nerve pain.

I've had 2 children, gastritis, gall bladder stones and herniated disk. This by far has been the worst pain I've ever had. I'm hoping that it either significantly improves and/or goes away completely after my gastric sleeve surgery sometime early next year and I lose all the weight I need to lose..

I truly hope your wife can recover!