Bulged disk at L5 & S1

[Basketlover]

Please let me know any info on this Bulged disk at L5 & S1, my brother has it.. Thanks

[pofdog]

You need to provide more info.  Otherwise google it. Most "buldging" disks do not cause much problems, allthough they could herniate. Doctors seem to regard them as harmless and think they don't cause pain..However...all people are different.  ALL my Buldging disks have eventually ruptured or "herniated".  To me, its a disaster waiting to happen. There are many that don't though.I would gladly trade the place of having herniated disks for buldgeing ones, but my buldgeing ones have allways hurt too, regardless of what the docs. text book says. Just that mine have allways ruptured and pinched nerves and the thecal sac, and that is REAL pain.

[anjel75]

I am getting ready for surgery to shave down that exact bulge. ALL bulges are different. The important thing is to know where it is bulging. If it is a small bulge, the smallest it could be, if it is the right position, we are talking major pain. If the whole thing bulges but is in the oppisite direction, you may live out your years never knowing it was even there. I have some very classic symptoms. How do you know? MRI?

[Basketlover]

thanks so much....like I mentioned this is my brother, he has a follow up appt for Tuesday...he has had a MRI..

[cachargirl07]

I have just been diagnosed from MRI with desiccating discs L4 and L5-S1, slight bulging, and slight spurring, no root compression. I was in excrusiating pain for a few days and then constant mild pain since then. I am not sure what to do. Right now I am seeing a chiropractor I know form chuech and he wants me to do a decomprssion therapy to elongate my spine and allow the dics to breathe and be sucked back in. He has many successful patients on this, but it is painful at first. I am lost, No Dr will tell me to go to a chiro, I know that. But I know so many people that LOVE them. Actually, I don't know anyone that didn't have a good experience wth him. He is very kind and honest. I am jsut lost on what all this means and what to do.

[Smcgee]

Don't do it, i went thru treatment with a chiro and never got relief the pain got worse in three months!! I ended up having to have surgery of the L5 and L4 discs. The Chiro will always tell you that he can get you better, but my god the months you lose under there care form the quality of life that you could have already had if you had had surgery and been thru with it. I don't trust them, and once youstart the treatments you will have to continue for the rest of your life.

[misrylee]

do not go to a ciropractor! i had the same problem he made it worse, ive been going to a pain clinic

[parsonsfive]

I have had problems with my back and neck for more than 6 years.  My doctor sent me to a new doctor and he sent her back a letter stating that bulging and heriated disks don't hurt.  Now when I'm in a lot of pain she won't do anything.  What should I do?

[jrram]

i just found out i have bulging disks at L 3, 4, and 5 with a slight tear at
L5 and all the drs want to do is send me to physacil therpy.  i have so far went for 6 weeks  and now there sending me for another 6.  i have done traction (which was the most painful thing i think i have ever done) i have also had injections...  is their any releaf out their?  i dont want sergery and the dr dosent want to becouse of my age..

[giveitback]

Hi,

Keep going to physical therapy...six weeks may seem like a long time for you, you may need to go for months. I went for 6 months, It worked on some areas, but did not relieve my nerve pain. Also, if they are hurting you by traction, don't let them put you in traction anymore. If it hurts, it is not helping, it is making you worse.

May I ask how old you are? Also, how did this injury come about? Have you gotten any relief at all from physical therapy? What are your symptoms/complaints as far as pain and activity go and are you taking any medication?  Sorry for all the questions, just curious and want to help if I can.

I am surprised you had injections BEFORE you had PT.

Cheers!

[jrram]

thanks for the responce.  i am 30 and i refused traction after the first time,  but they inseted one more time and after that no way i will never do that again.  i tripped on a rug and came down wrong  and twisted is how i hurt my back.  i have a goood physical therpest and it is giving me some relief but not what i was hopping for.  i have never had back problems before and it stinks... and as far as pain goes i pritty much hurt from my shorlders down and into my right leg.  as far as activitys go it takes me twice as long to cook dinner as it use to becouse i set down alot,  pritty much standing/walking for mabe 30 min to an hour is all im good for,  but sitting is tricky too i can only sit for about 30 min or so,  i cant sleep laying  down if i want to get up the next day.  and meds well thats a joke the dr told me to take advil and see if that helps... this is the 2nt dr i have seen and the first one that treeted me and told me what was wrong gave me a mussle relaxer and thats about it..and they were gong ho on the injections and they said they would make it all better but i did feel better for a day or two but i mostly felt sick to my stomic and with in the week it was back to the same.

[giveitback]

Hi,

I have been down for the last few days, not been able to respond to you.

Did you have an EMG? I wonder if you have a pinched nerve like I do? We have all the same injured discs and you seem to be in the early stages of what I went through. Now, I am much worse, can't sit longer than 5 minutes, laying down is extremely painful, too weak to stand or walk. My pain has been at a steady level 8.5 for the last several days with not much relief. I see the neurosurgeon on the 5th.
I think it is possible that physical therapy has made me worse. I thought it was the way to go, and at first it seemed right. But my problems are greater now. If you get relief from the PT I would say to keep doing it as your problems may be primarily muscular. But don't keep going if it is painful (my doctor insisted on me to continue going and I would be fine) but I found out I had a pinched nerve from one of my ruptured discs and no amount of PT was helping. Just because my MRI did not show nerve compression does not mean it does not exist. I knew I was having serious nerve pain, but didn't know my nerve was pinched until I had the EMG. That was a red flag for me to stop PT and think about surgery.
Hope you feel better soon!

[gotnerve]

i was reading your conversation with jrram and was hoping you might have some insight on my situation.

i am 19. my t12, L1, and L4 are moderately bulging all in which are deforming my thecal sac.(i dont know what that implies) you can visibly see my T12 and L1 stick out of my spine when in upright position compared to everything else.  i have an annular posterior tear in my L4, though my doctor didn't tell me what type of tear this is. i am being refered to a neaurosurgeon but told because my age they wont do anything about it. i have already been through 6 months of physical therapy and was just put into PT. the pain started two years ago after my fourth lumbar puncture to test to menigitis (meningitis). after i did the six months of PT i moved so i couldn't continue seeking help. since my move i started over. my x-rays were normal. my MRi reveal the above problems. my symptoms are leg back and leg pain, numbness, pins and needle pinching, my hips feel like there broken and times, pain unbearable. recently have had uncontrolable bowel movements, but not bladder just bowel. cant sit for long, cant stand, and at least 4-7 days a month cannot at all walk due to pain. any bending or adjusting of my body is painful it just depends on the type of pain per the type of movement. any imput. i am lost and reading your comments you sound somewhat informed.

[MKappelmann]

I know this post was to giveitback, but just curious. Are those discs bulging or herniated?? The terminology is tricky & there is a difference.

[giveitback]

HI,

Sorry to hear about your pain and you are so young. I am not a pro, I have just done a lot of homework after suffering and have learned a few things I am happy to share with you. I can totally relate to your situation as far as the pain goes.

First of all, you need to get back to your doctor and tell him/her that you are having uncontrollable bowel movements. That is a big red flag that should not go without being said. If you let something like that go, you could be in for permanent nerve damage and end up wearing a diaper (I am SURE you do not want to go there!)

Second, I would suggest you get an EMG to tell you exactly where your nerve pain is coming from? If you have a pinched nerve, it can pinpoint its location and you have options to fix it.

Even though your MRI may only show bulging discs, it does not mean that you do not have nerve root compression. Your complaints of numbness, pins and needles pinching, broken hips and especially the loss of bowel control ALL POINT TO NERVE COMPRESSION in some way. If you find out WHERE your nerve(s) are troubled thru an EMG the doctors can tell you how you can best be treated.

That being said, I don't know how much of this has to do with your lumbar puncture for meningitis.  

I would not let anyone do surgery on me unless I have had all the diagnostic tests done to find out exactly what is going on. A simple MRI is not enough. Hang in there but get your butt back to the doctor!  No one knows how you feel more than you, be your own advocate! : )

Cheers!

[gotnerve]

mri said moderately bulging.

[gotnerve]

thank you for your advise. what all beside x-rays mri and EMG are there?

[LaurenK]

Go with your gut.  Everyone has mixed emotions from a chiro.  depending on how back the herniation is depends on how much they can help.  I had a herniaton of L5 6mm and it was fixed by a chiro.  Let me know what you do.  I didn't want surgery b/c soooo many ppl are out and then perm. disabled. Lauren

[LaurenK]

How did the surgery go for your back are you doing better how long was the recovery? For the L4 L5?

[jenn3214]

On June 1st I was rear-ended. I was at a complete stop and was hit by someone going around 45mph. I immediately went to the ER..just to get checked. They said, of course, that I had whiplash and simply needed to take a few days off work. Well this was on a Friday, and the following Monday and I had a follow up with my PCP. She said it was all muscular and told me to take 2 weeks off work (cuz I do EXTREMELY HEAVY LIFTING). In the meantime she had me going to physical therapy 3 x / week (very painful) and I always feel worse when I get home. I have still been unable to return to work (over 6 wks later) and my symptoms continually get worse (even with continued PT). My symptoms include sharp shooting pains down my left arm, pins and needle tingling in my left hand, numbness, fatigue, nasuea, severe headaches in the back of my head, sever neck, mid and lower back pain. each day I feel like I have another symptom to add to this list. Yesterday I had an MRI (cervical only) and my doc called today with the results. She said the MRI of my neck turned out normal. Although this is good news, I am desperate to find a solution for my relentless pain, sleepless nights and unable to form normal tasks of daily life. Even though surgery would suck, I want ANY kind of a solution.I am only 19 yrs old. Is there any chance that there is still a disc problem even though it did not show up on the MRI? I also have severe lower back pain so I would like to get another MRI of my lumbar area. She says that all I can do now is continue to take my pain pills (which I HATE) and see a chiropractor and that injections are NOT for me. PLEASE HELP.

[Salsa98]

I was injured in Feb. of this year and I went to the ER and they sent me to this Sports Medicine Doctor.  I would tell him that I was in pain and he would not listen.  He put me through 3 month of PT and 1 month of OT.  It did not help it just mad my pain worse.  I have been going to see the Chiroprator for about 2 months and I have been able to move areound more but I am still in pain.  I went back to the Sports Med Doc and said I was still and pain he sent me for a MRI.  A week after I went to the ER because I was in so much pain I had a hard time walking.  I ended up having a bulged disk L5-S1.  I had an appointment with the sports med Doc and he acted like he didn't even look at my MRI and he was brushing it off.  So I asked him to refer me to a back specialist so I can actually get some real answers.  I am one pissed off guy thats in some pain.