Disc protrusion

[Diana121]

Hello,
I have been diagnosed with disc protrusion L4/L5 which as I understood is pressing  the spinal cord *cetral and lateral, left side*, also DD L5/S1.
I have strong pain in my hips while walking and through my left leg till the big toe.
I have been through PT, used different medication, ice packs but nothing.

I still have leg stregth but have severe pain and lost a bit the feeling of the big toe.

Thanks in advance

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Any compression of the spinal cord has to be taken seriously. Non surgical treatments do help, but to a limit.

You have to consider a surgery. Please consult an orthopedic surgeon.

Regards

[Diana121]

Thanks for your  reply , I am thinking to see a neuro surgeon and have his opinion.

Could  you explain what is the different betqeen the spinal chanal and spinal cord or is the same . As in my report it mention the pressing of the chanal.

Thanks again

[caregiver222]

You will be placed under a lot of psychological pressure for a laminectomy. That will probably be the opinion you get. I would do so only as a last resort.  If you decide, have the procedure done by a surgeon that has done a lot of them. You state you have "been through PT",  but I wonder how thorough the therapist has been. There are varieties of PT. Try a TENS device.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Spinal cord is a large bundle of nerves coming from and going to the brain. Spinal canal is the fluid filled space in the spinal cord.

The brain is not a solid mass of cells. It has fluid filled spaces called ventricles. This fluid is called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The CSF continues in the spinal cord in the spinal canal.

As your report mentions pressing of the spinal canal, there must be some obstruction to the flow of CSF in the spinal canal. All these are compression effects.

An active treatment approach is necessary.

Please keep me posted.

Regards

[Diana121]

After a CT Scan I was diagnosed with protrusion in L4/L5, with medial and medio lateral compression towards the left side. Also the radicular nerves are partly compressed bilateral (both sides).
Today I have visited a neurosurgeon and he said that the solution to this is a surgery called Discectomy.   I feel a bit of numbness on my big toe and left leg and have terible pain while walking and standing, hardly sleeping at night. But there is no damage to the nerve at this stage except that reflexes are a bit weeker in my left leg.
Doctor told me that I should continue with PT till I take the decision for the surgery.

I had PT for 15 days and still thinking to continue .

Please if anyone had these experience and passed without a surgey tell me what to do.
How succesful these surgeries are.
Surgeon told me that there are cases when there is need for more than one surgery. what are the risks.\
I did ask him all these question but these days talking to some of them is so hard. \

I would appreciate if you could help me on this

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello Diana.

It is sometimes possible to manage without a surgery also. But surgery removes the cause. And your surgeon is the best person to advise. Please have a positive outlook towards the surgery.

The severity of the injury varies individually. An individual's experience with a non-surgical approach may not work for others.

Regards