Herniater disc L5@S1

    
      Re: Herniater disc L5@S1
    


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Posted by ccf neuro M.D. on April 28, 1997 at 21:57:50:

In Reply to: Herniater disc L5@S1 posted by William P Kelly on April 20, 1997 at 08:35:38:

: I have followed conservative therapy for 4 yrs ie apuncture stretching meditation&exercise. I am now experiencing pain and tingling down both legs some loss of muscle tone in the left leg. A visit to 2 diffrent neurologist  has produced two diffrent opinions, one to operate to correct it one for continued cons, measures and small doses of ellivil 25mg at night any comments appreciated .Injury occured 4yr6mos ago lifting.
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Generally, the only indications for emergency/immediate surgical repair of a herniated disk are loss of bowel or bladder function, weakness in the muscles that the pinched nerve supplies nerve fibers to, or a large fragment of migrated, extruded (broken off) disc fragment. Otherwise a trial of conservative therapy, including physical therapy in particular but not necessarily excluding alternative treatment measures such as those you described, is indicated. Most doctors will give this trial up to 12 weeks to help. Once past that point (you are certainly well past that point), whether or not to operate depends on two major things. The first is, are the current symptoms that the patient complains about directly and clearly attributable to the herniated disc seen on the MRI (or CT-myelogram) study of the lumbrosacral spine, and secondly, are those symptoms disabling to the patient and/or do they significantly impact on the patient's lifestyle. Any good neurologist or neurosurgeon can answer the first question,
but only you, the patient, can answer the second. If the numbness and tingling and pain in your legs is driving you crazy and your neurologist(s) confirm for you that it is in a part of your legs that conforms to the area of skin that is supplied by branches of the nerve(s) being pinched, then you should have surgery. If one or neither is the case, you should not. Be aware, surgery NEVER EVER helps BACK pain. It only helps LEG pain and symptoms directly attributable to the nerves and disc in question. I hope these comments help YOU decide the right answer to your question.