prolapsed disc - advice needed

hi hopeisgone

so sorry to hear your pain in my opinion surgery is your last resort your disc will not shrink or go back in place on it's own it sounds too far gone for that, my lastest scan reveals i too have sort of central prolapse on l5/s1 i seem to hunch over forward to get any relief from my back i look like a 90 year old that's stentosis sorry for spelling the letter said i have contralateral/lateral that explains my left sided pain aswell as my right but my right ls a lot worse but i seemed to lean forward rather than to the side.

i think you should consider going for surgery it does work for the majority of people they told me 5% of it fails you must take it easy post-op and do everything you get told to do
my buddy emlou is the best person to talk to she's had up's and down's but she seems to be doing rather well now.

are you on meds at the moment i guess if you are then there not helping not a lot of them do, i really hope that ive not been putting people off having surgery that's not my intention i will get sorted out soon like i said before im just unlucky.

good luck and keep us posted xx

Morning Fella!

I too am under the guidance of Whipps Cross Hospital and if you look back over my posts you will see i have made great progress over the past couple of months. My consultant is Dr Ben Okafor, and im guessing he may well be yours. I was dead set against surgery as its so invassive so i wanted to exhaust every other means of treatment possible. As a result i went to visit Robert Shanks who is a renowned osteopath in the local area who also works with the famed Dr Martin Knight specialist spinal surgeon at Harley Street. At his Chigwell clinic they offer a treatment called IDD therapy which has done wonders for me. I too was hunched and unable to walk for 3 weeks where i remained in bed apart from visiting the toilet. Now having had 15 treatments i am back to work and although i still have some aches i would not describe any of it as pain. Its certainly worth making him a visit and make sure you take your MRI scan report and disc with you assuming you have had one. Any questions feel free to ask and i wish you well!!

Regards

Rob

hi

like rob said there are other options, feel like ive offended some people sorry 🙁

it's down to you and what you think is the right way forward you said it's a large prolapse ask your surgeon what other treatments there is.

good luck clare x

hey Claire,

Dont be silly.....i'd be very surprised if not amazed if you could possibly offend anyone hun! You certainly have not offended me anyway! And feeling the way you do and what you have gone through i'd be surprised if you were not cheesed off! Keep fighting girlie!! xxx

aww thanks rob

im in a weird place at the moment im scared of fusion and all the tabs are making me so tired all the time. i went out to asda with my hubby the other day i was hunched over the trolley i felt like everyone was looking at me i ended up gettin car keys of hubby and waited in car because i couldn't walk im sick and tired of moaning it's getting to the point where i feel like giving up it's so frustrating that after two operations im like this and the fact that it's gone to my left side aswell.

anyway rob you've got enough to worry about but im so glad your feeling so much better

take care clare xxx

Hi,

Thanks everyone. I am considering surgery because I don't believe the prolapse will get smaller. Some people here talk about doing pilates, and all sorts of exercises but I can barely move. Also, I was wondering if anyone who had an s shaped body and did surgery resolve this? I cannot afford seeing osteopaths. I did see a chiropractor but his treatment made little or no difference. The main problem is when I try to straighten out I almost feel as if there is some kind of wedge there. If I straighten more pressure is placed on my right leg. I was never into fitness and my body has always been very stiff so doing exercises is both scary and has often aggravated my condition. I am getting extremely anxious, and I want to resolve this issue. Dr Arif Khan at Whipps Cross said surgery is my only option and I am not sure if this prolapse will shrink. my main problem is the list, and I think it is due to the prolapse having created a wedge, and whenever I move it gets crushed between the vertebrae, putting more pressure on the surrounding tissues. I don't really want to have surgery but I am so depressed. I cry everytime someone comes to see me. I am scared it may all go wrong too. Can anyone give me more advice? Most people with prolapsed disc always talk about the pain, but they stay upright. What happens if you have a list

Dear Rob,

I have had a lot of problems with being twisted. I have had this for six months and I feel it is not getting any better. I have been off work for a long time and I am getting more and more depressed. I have also beem hunched but that comes and goes. The main problem is leaning left because the disc is irritating my right side. The muscles are tight around that region. This therapy with the Osteopath, what does it do, and how is it performed. Do you also have a large central prolapsed disc?

hi i understand your problem i cant straighten up im also hunched over it gets worst in afternoon/evening and also i know what you mean about putting pressure on leg pain when you try to either pull back or lean forward for relief of back pain.

hopefully you won't be waiting too long for surgery have they said when it's likely to be i do hope it's not too long

good luck clare x

Hi, for me I can stand upright but not straight. when I try to straighten up, I feel a pressure on my right side, as if something is being crushed. It is a horrible feeling. Me and my wife are expecting our first child this July, and I am so worried I will be of no use. As for surgery, I saw Dr Khan on 3 April but I refused the operation on that day. He said surgery or physio will do no good. My body is badly twisted and he said only surgical intervention will provide relief. I was against it at the consultation. He said I ought to seek a second opinion, so I said I might. When I left the surgery, I felt I made a mistake. I went back and asked the hospital to put me down for the operation, but I was told the Dr will see me again at the end of May. He will probably say I could have the surgery, but days following this, I have become more depressed since I am quite debilitated now. I am also off work and since my wife does not work, I am not sure how we will take care of the baby.
I have worries about the operation because I think I am very clumsy and I may make a wrong move. My pain threshold is low so recovering from surgery will be very hard for me. I also fear I will get up and still have a wonky scoliosis. My scoliosis is not structural. It has been caused by the prolapse but I am worried it may not go. Does this go away? Also, the people who had ops, how hard was it to have your first bowel motion? Can you prolapse a disc again by straining for a stool?

Hi I meant the Dr said that Physio or injections will not do me any good at all.

hi after my first surgery i re-herniated almost right away can't put my finger on when i had a scan less then a week post-op and i was brought into hospital that same day because the prolapse was very large and had another op a week later so all in all i had two discectomies within two weeks, my surgeon said this was very uncommon and he thinks i have spinal instability the disc just isn't holding as you know ive re-herniated the same disc again it's not as big as last prolapse but it wouldn't be as ive had it cut away twice second being very large hence why i was admitted but it's still on my nerves with left side components.

i did everything i was told to do my hubby was at home looking after the kids ive got a two year old so you can imagine how hard it is not to be able to pick him up,
im 1 in 5% of cases where this happens i think giving your going to be a dad soon you should go ahead with surgery it's your only option given your size of prolapse some people recover straight away and others it can take weeks to get back to normal but your intense pain should go more or less straight away you may get twinges but that's your body telling you to slow down you must not sit for too long after and walk slowly around your house and do the stretches that physio tell you to do. about toilet just make sure you take something to soften your stools don't be afraid to go because you will end up more constipated.

take care clare xxx

Hi Clare,

Obviously my greatest fear would be reherniation. I think my op won't be until at least a few months from now. I don't see the Orthopaedist until the end of Kay, and after that, I think there is an 8-12 week wait. Of course, surgery terrifies me and I am sure after I have had it I will have paranoid moments. I just think out of fear I may not want to do anything. These past six months have been a total nightmare, and I am at the point of complete despair. Yesterday my wife was going through old photos and she picked one one from last summer, showing me and her sitting outside in the sunshine. I spontaneously burst into tears. I feel so helpless. I cannot work anymore, and neither can I study. I have had to defer from college, and I just feel everything is a major effort. My body reminds me of this problem everytime I get up. If I were just able to walk more and do things I need to, it would not be as bad. I mainly get pain around the hip muscles on my right side and due to my body having been shifted to the left, walking puts a lot of stress on the right side hips. This causes fatigue, spasm and stiffness. I worry if the surgery fails, not only will I have the existing pain, it may take me weeks to recover from the operation, and that in itself may cause another worse reherniation. My disc irritating the nerve, it is not touching it, so.my fear is that surgery may leave me quite vulnerable. I wake up every morning with horrible anxiety and spend all day worrying.
Clare, you mention stool softeners. Isn't straining dor a stool.going to increase the risk of reherniation. What did the hospital or the doctors say about that. Do the hospital provide these? Also during your stay at the hospital, do you have care available at all times? When you slept the first night after the operation, did you find it very hard to move around? If anyone can answer these questions, I would be much obliged if you can answer.

hi yes care is there afterwards and yes it is quite painful the first time getting out of bed, but soon once you get mobile it eases i can't comment too much on aftercare because of my re-herniations i was in more pain then before but i don't want you to be fearful of doing simple things afterwards, i understand exactly what your going through in regards to not being your normal self and how much life changes when we are in this pain we are not the people as we once was it is heartbreaking that we can't do simple things i can't even bring my little boy to park.

you've not mentioned what meds your on i suppose it doesn't matter as nothing is working for my back pain apart from amitriptline is helping me to sleep,

i think you need to think positive about the surgery it may be the best thing you have ever done. as for stool softeners i got them from hospital after second prolapse only because i was in over a week and i had not been, if your concerned about that issue then im sure they will give you them if you ask, that way you strain too much.

im gonna be off work probably for another six months ive already been off since
november once i know when fusion is likely i will then be able to plan ahead.

good luck keep positive clare x

Hi Clare,

I will post through the highs and lows and how things go.
in answer to your question regarding meds, I occasionally take Ibuprofen, but to be honest since my pain really only occurs when I stand or walk, it is not really helpful. Firstly since my gait puts strain on my right hip. Movement creates the pain because I lean left (involuntarily - this is called Antalgic scoliosis). I think moving in this position just creates a lot of pain, stiffness and pulling in the right hip. There is a tightness near the right sacroiliac joint. It is as if something is crushing it. I don't really have nerve pain, since the disc is not touching the nerve. My pain is biomechanical because my body has contorted to prevent the disc pushing on the nerve so the meds don't do much because the movement creates the fatigue and stiffness in my lower back because the muscles tighten up and go into spasm because tissues around the right side of the disc are tight and moving actually is what causes discomfort. I hope you continue posting Clare.
I have another question. When they do the discectomy, do they also do a laminectomy? I want to have the surgery but I do worry about what I may or may not be able to do afterwards and though my Orthopaedist told me surgical outcomes result in a 90% success rate, I sometimes wonder if that is true. What if I wake up from surgery and this problem is still there? Not only would I have to recover from surgery, the problem will still be there too. I can't imagine how all this will just go away. It sounds too good to be true. However, I may have no choice. My orthopaedist said that though I may recover naturally in 2 years time, it can also get worse, and since the prolapse is so large, it won't take much to make it worse. He also said a prolapse of this size is going to cause me a great deal of problems and he asked the critical question as to how long I can live with my current symptoms. Looking at the level of debility, and depression, I think it won't be very long so when I have my next appointment with the Orthopaedist on the 29th of May, I think I will go with surgery. They told me it takes 8-12 weeks to have the procedure done so it is likely it will be in late summer, which sounds like an eternity now. I should have agreed to it when I saw him early this month. It would have been 8-12 weeks before they would have called me in anyway, so I would have had time to see if I make any progress naturally. I have had this for six months and I don't think progress is being made. My wife is sick everyday because of the pregnancy and I cannot be very helpful. If I recover from this through a discectomy, at the very least I would be mobile enough to do some stuff around the house, go back to work, and also help as much as my body permits, with our baby. Of course, I won't be able to carry weights, but I would be able to go to the shops and buy clothes for the baby etc. At present, I can't do anything. Anyway, sorry for the long post. I am getting ahead of myself and a little misty eyed. Thanks everyone for your replies and would love to hear from anyone else with similar problems/experiences.

Regards

I A

Hi,
I am now 7 weeks post op following a discectomy and like Claire I have been off work since November. As my prolapse was l5/s1 I did have sciatic pain which seriously effected my quality of life/sleep. However I can empathise with you about the feeling of something being stuck and preventing free movement, this is how I described it to physio who said that's because there is! I was advised that surgery was my only real option and although I have had my ups and downs I do not regret surgery for a minute, I will be honest and say the first few days I wondered what I'd done as not only did I still have nerve pain but also back pain, but my movement in my toes had returned!! The pain is now manageable and becoming more of a discomfort,unless I do too much, I have more movement and I no longer limp ( in fact my mother in law drove past me the other day as she didn't recognise me without the limp).
I know you are only taking ibuprofen now and then as you do not feel it is helping the pain, but if you take this regularly it will help the inflammation around the prolapse, I told everyone that Naproxen was useless as a pain killer and didn't realise how much it helped until I had to stop taking it pre op and could move even less!!!
If you have any questions about the op feel free to ask as I'm more than happy to share my experiences as are others, like you I was very apprehensive about surgery but felt that by reading others experiences I went into it with my eyes wide open being very aware of both the positives and negatives. Surgery is not a quick fix its a long path to recovery and the realisation that you need to change your outlook and look after your back.

Take care and remember you're not alone even though it can feel that way.
Em

Hi Em,

I read your story with great interest. I have some mild numbness occasionally in my right leg but I never had that feeling of being unable to move my toes. I just have this feeling of tightness on the right side of my back. I cannot stand straight. My nerve is irritated and not trapped. I am scared of the surgical route for a fww reasons.
First, if I wake up and my current problem is still there, I think I will lose the will to continue because I really want to be rid of this antalgic scoliosis. If I have it after the op, my walking problems will remain because the twisted body is what makes me so uncomfortable walking. If my current problem does not go, not only will I have to deal with that, I will have to get over the operation too. That will be a double whammy to hard to take.

My question to you Em is how much pain were you in after surgery? When you stood up for the first time, did you feel apprehension? Was the pain from the operation really bad?
did you worry about reherniating the same disc. I am terrified that if I have the op, a) my current problem will not go, and b) I may prolapse the disc even further.
After your surgery, how many days before you could get out of bed without surgery pain?
HOw long before you can move around without fear of damaging something? I am just worried about the incision pain because at present my pain really only affects me a while after I stand and walk. Also, the pain has never been that bad. I get stiffness and a feeling of fatigue. This is possibly due to the fact that when I move around the nerve gets irritated and since I have antalgic socliosis as a result of the prolapsed disc, I am leaning to the left and my right hip takes a lot of strain. The pain from the op may be too unbearable for me. Most people here have had really intense back pain, so the operation pain is probably something they can handle. My pain threshold is low. Do they give you painkillers before you wake up? If so, wouldn't that make it hard to judge if the surgery was a success?
Anyway, I am probably very anxious and I do not have a lot of willpower. I am inherently weak and I am so worried what will become of me. I think an op may be a quick fix but I am afraid the op may not rid me of my symptoms. The Orthopaedist said it was my only option. He said the prolapse is massive and the list I have is disabling me.
Em, what did they tell you about your chances of reherniation. What is the most strenuous thing you did post op, and how did that feel? When did you start sitting after the op? Were you afraid of simple movements? I would be most grateful if you could answer these questions.

hi

you do get painkillers after surgery usually it's the next morning when you can get out of bed the pain from incision is really not that bad in comparison to pre-op pain but you do have option of pain relief and they send you home with strong painkillers to see you through, during my first op they put steroid in my l4/5 area because the nerves were very red and inflamed it was l5/s1 that was on my nerves i think most of my back pain is from l4/5 and l5/s1 i too am getting squeezing pain in that area as we speak like you the more i move around the more pain im in but im also in pain when i sit and lie down.

going back to post-op they will not let you home if your in the same amount of pain as you were pre-op and don't worry if you go home and you start to feel that youv'e re-herniated all you need to do is phone your surgeons secretary that's what i did and i got scanned two days later.

also your not to lift anything heavier than a kettle but you get all the do's and don'ts after your op from physio they give you a leaflet on how long you can sit for which is no more than 15 mins you need to get up and move around and not to just lie down or stay in bed.

the surgery will help you when they cut away the disc that will mean no more pressure so your balance will should get back to normal,

please don't be scared of re-herniation they won't just leave you, you will also have follow up appts .
the way i see it you can't go on the way you are so surgery is worth a go they give you pain relief while your still in theatre so you don't wake up in too much pain and in recovery they will ask you how much pain your in and give you morphine and when your on a ward you will have pain relief every three to four hours even in the middle of the night

i really hope ive not put you off surgery in one way i should not have mentioned my re-herniations but remember its uncommon.

clare xxxxx

Hi Clare,

Thanks for all the information. If the operation appears to have gone well, do they let you go home the next day? I can't bear the thought of being without my wife for even a day. I mean, either she will be near late pregnancy or the baby would already be born. I mean, the hospital is a but far from where we live so it would be very heartbreaking if they cannot come and see me for the days I am at the hospital.
I do wonder if you have to take extra care when you are in bed. I wonder why the doctors say chances of reherniation are low. I mean, after all, they cut the disc out and what remains is presumably very loose? I don't have a lot of pain so I hope they do not create more problems for me.
Also, I would like to ask Em, did you really limp? Was that due to the op, or was that because of the sciatica before you had the operation?

Also, Clare, when I said if you re-herniate the disc, it would be terrible for that to happen. The whole reason I would opt for this surgery is to get rid of the problem. To have more issues following the surgery would devastate me.

hi

yes i have re-herniated twice im now waiting to see surgeon for fusion surgery .when they cut away the disc that's herniated they don't go in to your vertebra so the disc that's left should stay put, like i said i am very unlucky and yes i am worse now after having the surgery twice but that does not mean you will be the same but if by chance you do re-herniate they won't just leave you they will sort you out.

the question you need to ask yourself is can you carry on the way you are? if you can then i would not have surgery, now even though im in more pain going back to before i had my first surgery i would still have had it because i could not carry on the way i was i had a lot of numbness pins and needles leg going from under me and back pain due to inflamation i was and still am limping and leaning forward and hunched over i am in a lot of pain,

em was limping because of sciatica she had a lot of numbness aswell she may answer differently but i think that was the case.

as for position in bed there's no rules whatever position you feel comfortable,

take care clare xx

Hi Clare,

I will probably have surgery. I mean, I can't go on like this. I am also very upset because I accompanied my wife to her antenatal appointment today, and as we were waiting, a gentleman was rocking a baby. He was sitting next to us. Mu wife has pregnancy related back pain so she told me to ask the gentleman to stop rocking. I promptly did so, and he stopped. Following this, I got up for some reason to pour some water for myself. Anyway, when we were leaving my wife said the gentleman was laughing at me. I felt so embarrassed and had to apologise to my wife for looking so bad. My wife was very sweet and said the gentleman was a jerk, and she should have said something to him. I came home and wept for hours because I can't believe that someone can be so cruel. I spent my youth helping disabled people and the elderly. I know people must be making fun of me. I am an embarrassment to my wife. I feel so bad. I hope surgery can correct my list because I want to stand and walk straight like I used to.

I am afraid of the aftermath of surgery and how I will.mobilise. I have had so much trouble turning in bed. Can Em also tell me if turning in bed was hard before the op. Was it worse right after the op? Please comment on this Clare?

Hi,
I will try my best to answer some of your questions in relation to surgery/recovery but remember we all recover at different rates.
I think the point that Clare made about deciding whether you can continue to live as you are forever is the most important consideration to make prior to surgery (obviously only if advised surgery is the best option for recovery). This was the question which I asked myself and even though I was scared that there was a possibility that there may not be a positive outcome from surgery the fear of continuing to live in pain was greater.

The immediate pain from surgery is bad but it is localised wound pain and pain relief is given to ensure you are in as little pain as possible, standing for the first time is frightening but it was no where near as difficult/painful as I had imagined it would be. I was first on the list for surgery so was in theatre by 9am, by mid afternoon I was trying the stairs with the aid of 2 physios again the fear was greater than the actual reality. The consultant said he was happy for me to be discharged at 8pm but I had the option to stay in overnight which I declined. I was instructed to only sit when absolutely necessary (toilet) for the first 2 weeks, to sleep on my back for first two days and not to lift anything heavier than a cup of coffee for first two weeks and no bending.The journey home was really painful with my back going into spasm, but once in bed with ice pack ( my best friend for first couple of weeks)the relief was immense.
Getting in and out of bed is difficult for first couple of weeks but you are shown how to do this without twisting (you realise your improving when you forget and feel a warning pain). For the first two weeks I alternated between walking and laying with regular ice.
I was advised that the surgery had a 85% success rate but that even successful surgery can take a year to be symptom free due to the length of time that the nerve has been crushed and the time the nerve takes to repair.
You will find that you are very tired after surgery ( I'm still tiring easily) and that your body will guide you as to what you can and can't do and when you have done too much. You are given guideline of dos and don'ts which I have followed to the letter.
I am still scared that I will reherniate but that fear ensures I do my physio religiously and walk no matter what the weather. I believe that by thinking of surgery as a new start (not a quick fix) and a chance to strengthen your back helps, I never want to experience that pain and lack of mobility again. My 12 year old daughter told me that it was like going out with a Granny before i had surgery, not what I want to hear at 42!! My limp was due to the sciatica and the nerve compression not the surgery.
Turning prior to the op was extremely painful and woke me several times per night, I am now turning freely in bed and sleeping so much better ( have even had a couple of full nights sleep !).
I really do think that you need to discuss medication which may help your pain/ sleep with your GP and also be very open with your GP as to how low you are feeling as it is all linked and does impact upon recovery. Make sure you do see family and friends and try not to see yourself as burdon or embarrassment, those who care and know you well will understand that you only want a recovery.

Sorry if I've rambled on, hope I've answered the questions you wanted from my point of view/experience if there's anything I've missed let me know.

Take care
Em

Hi Em,

Thanks for the information. Just one question. If they operate on you, and leave a hole in the disc, does that not leave you more vulnerable. My disc has no hole at present, so wouldn't surgery potentially leave you more vulnerable? Did you ask the surgeon about this? Did they tell you why reherniations are rare. I find that a little hard to believe because it probably didn't take much to herniate it in the first place so how can you be sure one wrong move won't get that jelly out of the doughnut. I was never very active, apart from walking. I have a very stiff body. I cannot sit cross legged, and can't really even crouch due to stiffness and I doubt I would be able to do most of the physio. I will try but I sometimes find that stretching exercises are the hardest for me, and I am terrified of exercises that make you twist and turn in weird ways because I think maybe that is what caused the original prolapse.

Anyway, as you have had the surgery, what is your confidence like now?
Of course, I am also worried about further nerve damage. I don't really have that much sciatic pain, nor do I get numbness, and I have never experienced that extreme, so I fear if they damage my nerve, I may be worse off. However, I cannot stand straight, I leane to the left and my walking crushes the right pelvic area and I don't think this will be resolved without surgery. Actual sciatic pain is not that bad. I don't take any painkiller's and never felt any need for them, even on my worst days. I just feel disabled because my muscles tighten up and get stiff making walking more and more laborious so I cannot walk for more than a minute and even that is laboured movement.
Did they tell you about the possibility of nerve damage, and why it is a rarity in happening. My old physio scared me once when he said some people recover from surgery and there problem goes away, some people have continuing pain and worse, and many have to use crutches for the rest of their lives. I guess until you wake up from the surgery you never know what they did and how bad the situation is. I have brought my appointment at Whipps Cross forward and I think since I have had my problem for roughly six months, and it shows no real sign of abating, I will go ahead with the operation, and try and convince them to do it soon because my anxiety is killing me. I canot talk about anything, nothing takes this subject off my mind and I want to have my life back. My new appointment is on the 24th of April and I hope they operate soon afterwards. My wife expects our first child in July so if surgery goes well, I hope to have recovered by then, providing they can do the surgery quickly, though I doubt they will because the standard wait is 8-12 weeks.

Regards

I A

Hi,
The surgeon will explain the procedure to you in detail before you consent to the surgery. Yes in the first three months you are more vulnerable to reherniation which is why you are given a list of do's and dont's.
My mindset prior to surgery was that I was going to do everything possible to ensure that it was successful and I was very aware that recovery would be an ongoing process with life changes needed. As others have said it is definitely a marathon and not a sprint. I found reading positives as well as negatives helped, I was very aware of potential problems ( such as those Clare has experienced) which may be out of my control, but tried to focus on those who had experienced a positive outcome. I would urge you to read microsuccess thread as that helped me concentrate on the positives and remind me that I did need to make some lifestyle changes permanently.
The physio exercises are aimed at individuals they do not expect you to be flexible following surgery and the majority are based on small movements and strenghtening your core to help protect your back. I have religiously done these even when my wound was oozing and swollen ( I had an infection) and cannot believe how quickly they have helped improve my movements and strength ( even though there is a long way to go) , and I have walked daily outside from day 4 , I have recently started swimming and this has appeared to have made the most difference.
I am still very cautious of some movements and have to remind myself to try and relax ( physio will remind you of this) but my pain and movements are significantly improved. Driving and sitting are still uncomfortable but its early days.
Discuss any concerns with your surgeon and try and go in with a positive mindset if you decide on surgery.
Take care
Em.

Hi Em

Was the amount of walking you did after the op more than what you were able to do before surgery?
I just want to walk straight, for longer and without the current feeling of something being crushed in my right hip. Also, my athleticism is not great. All I want is to be able to walk for at least 10-15 minutes without the problems I have now? were you able to walk much prior to the op?

I A

Hi,
Within two weeks of my op my walking was significantly improved, first two weeks wound pain makes you cautious but the more you keep moving the better.
We all heal at different rates and some of us have more setbacks that others but I personally know more people who have had successful outcomes from having a discectomy than unsuccessful. Those of us that have gone down the surgery route have done so as advised by surgeons , physios ,GP's ( or in my case all three independently) due to the lack of improvement following conservative treatments and the impact the pain and mobility (or lack of) is having on our lives. Unfortunately surgery doesn't work for everyone and surgeons now have to be very clear in advising that , but if surgery is indicated then the odds of it being successful are far greater than it not being.
You don't have to be a great athlete to recovery well, you need commitment to the exercise plan and to remember to move is the best thing for you, I am presuming that you are not elderly and that if it weren't for you back problems your mobility would be good? Seriously I know that if I walk or swim daily it has a significant impact on how well I feel and if I don't I pay the price, I will always now think twice about hopping in the car for journeys short enough to walk, it's the small changes that are achievable and make a difference. I know someone who had a discectomy 10 years ago and as long as she walks and swims regularly she is fine!
Remember most of us who have contributed on this forum have done because we've experienced significant pain or continue to, those who have successful surgery/ conservative treatment don't normally need the support therefore don't contribute as much. Make sure you discuss your concerns with your surgeon and possibly your GP ( if you have a good relationship). Remember that you're not alone, but most importantly if you do decide on surgery go in with a positive attitude that it will be successful and be prepared to make some lifestyle changes ( they really do pay off).

Take care

Hi Em,

I don't swim. I don't know how. I used to walk a lot, but I never used to exercise. I had an extremely stiff body, so even when I was well it would have been difficult to loosen up. After an op, it would be much harder. I am not overweight and my general health is good.The proplapse was mainly due to a physio who asked me to do exercises to prevent back pain, so I am very cautious. I will be happy to walk but doing stretches lying on the floor etc can really do me in. My body is very stiff and I am very clumsy as well. IN fact over the last few ears most accidents occurred after I did exercises, so I am not sure how to take what you say because most people are fairly good with exercises etc. I am not. I am, therefore, not sure, how I will fare in that regard. I mean, walking is fine, lifting legs etc, but anything involving getting on the floor, like that classic exercise where they ask you to lie on your stomach and lift your chest up using your arms always leads me to further problems, and actually getting up from that position is very risky as I tend to make the wrong movements at times like that. Hope you can understand. If this is the only way I will get better, I don't think I ever will.

I A

Hi,
Yes another thing. My GP said no to surgery, but the orthopaedic surgeon said this was the only option. I am not enjoying life at the moment. I am prepared to make lifestyle changes. I do not have a lifestyle that involves a lot of physically strenuous activity, and neither have I ever participated in anything like that. I do tons of walking though. That is the extent of my fitness regime, but before the disc prolapse my general health was pretty robust. Even now, I do not have much pain but since my muscles spasm around the prolapsed disc, my body moves differently and the more I stand or walk there is a sensation of crushing, and some mild associated pain. I think this causes swelling and stiffness around the area the nerve.
This does restrict my movements and how much I can do because those muscles do get fatigued, and my pelvis is raised from the right because it has tightened up near the site of the prolapse. I saw a chiropractor between January and March, and he made a lor of false promises. His treatment did not help at all, and I wasted all my money that may have been useful in trying other treatments. I am not sure what else to do. I will be a Dad soon and I just want to be able to stand up straight and walk. That's all I want. I don't want o go mountain biking or do Tae Kwondo or pilates or anything. I never did those things before, and I never had any real problems. It was only when the physio forced me to moe my body in ways it couldn't the problems started. I don't know whether surgery is right for me now. I mean, everyone keeps saying exercise but I just want to move naturally and do more waking. Isn't that enough? I mean simple movements are OK, but I don't feel confident in my body's ability to take on physical challenges I never took when I was healthy. If I try those things in a weakened state, I may do more harm than good.

Hi,
Like you I believe the first physio I saw regarding my sciatica made things worse, I started the exercises he gave me in pain and ended them in agony!!!
The physio I saw after that gave me very gentle stretches to do and then stopped me doing these and just gave me acupuncture pre op to help my sleep. The physio I'm seeing now has given me gentle exercises with NO back extensions and is very clear that anything that causes pain should not be attempted!!
It seems that you are putting a lot of pressure on yourself regarding exercise, try to stop thinking of walking as just walking and think of it as exercise, it's one of the best exercises to strengthen your core and protect your back. It may also be worth looking at relaxation methods, as the more stressed we are the more our backs tense/spasm.
Walking without pain/problems isn't too much to ask and hopefully is something achievable. I would urge you to search the forum for positive outcomes of surgery and try to focus on these, that worked for me.

Take care and try to enjoy your wife's pregnancy.

Hi Em,

Thanks for the advice.
I really liked your last post. I think once your core muscles regain strength, disc reherniation probably becomes less likely, especially if we know our limits.
I just don't know if surgery will help me to stand straight again. If that happens, and the associated sciatic pain goes away, it would mean I could do things again and I just want to go back visiting museums, galleries and enjoying my social life. I have other people who can do the heavy lifting etc. Even now, my wife is so protective of me. My family is around me and I have the luxury of not doing the heavy stuff.
Em, did you find doing leg raises very hard? It puts a lot of pressure on my lower back, and I hate it when doctors ask me to twist and turn. Usually the doctors don't help much, but doing all these things sometimes aggravated my problems.

One other thing. When you got up and found the original problem you had before surgery had pretty much disappeared, did you yell hallelujah? I mean, I know you must have had pain from surgery, but at the same time you must have felt so relieved!

Do you more or less feel normal now?

I A