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Need advice for L5-S1 herniation - please read
I have a large herniation in the L5 and the one above that is visibly pinched and could go here at any time. When I wake up in the morning I feel like I have been hit by a bus. I didn't have health insurance for the past 1.5 yrs from when this first happened so I am just getting treatment now. First doctor did an X-RAY and said nothing was wrong with me. Then I referred myself to a specialist and he found the hernia from my MRI. I am currently taking upto 3 5/325 Hydrocodene daily. Previously, had to beg for medication and mostly got Ibprofen800. Had one steriod injection 8 days ago and saw NO relief from the pain. My doctor recommends another injection, and i'm skeptical. I called for a refill on my hydrocodene and the nurse told me my doctor would not refill that script again UNTIL i scheduled my next injection. I was without any meds for the first 1.5 yrs, now I finally get some for 2 months and they all already threatening to take them away. Why do I need feel any part of this decison when I am the one who has to walk around and feel like **** all day? Have shooting, leg pain. When I bend over I have extreme pain. My lower back goes in and out of being numb/my neck throbs. My doctor believes muscle relaxers are more addicting than opiates and will not perscribe. SO, I cannot get any sort of muscle relaxant for the evenings or when I am kept awake at night from weird knee twitching. I've been on every pain medication given before Codeine like tramadol and the nsaids and they don't touch the pain. I thought I had finally found someone that believed me and was going to do something about it. I am going to see him tomorrow to get this straightend out but I am having second thoughts. Am I going to appear drug seeking to bring this issue to point? Where in the hell can I find a doctor who is going to be more concerned with my pain, than with addiction ?
I have had back pain for the last two yrs. It has recurred thrice. Incidentlally only twice for about 4-5 days each, it actually travelled in the left leg. It just stayed in the back. This time around it was for about 3 months. I got MRI. Result. Herniation of L-5 S-1. Have almost no pain in the leg. Neuro says my spine has enough space and the nerve has probably adjusted itself. But some pain in the back still stays. Any suggestions about exs, which would help.Dorn Method?
i hurt my back on 3-24-08, my doc. said it is a pulled muscle.. pain meds pt and i am still in pain. he sends me back to work with in 4 days i am back to square 1 with pain.. now they want to do injections and water arobics..he said my L5-S1 basicly had compressed with autritis around it and welcome to getting older.. i am 37!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
please tell me what to do. SHOULD i get a second op, i was told i had to be in pain another 3 months before i can get help.. i will hurt some one if i have to go that long.. it raidiates down my l leg often causeing it to go numb..and always burns i have fallen several times. my doc. and his staff treat me like i am exaggerating..please HELP
please tell me what to do. SHOULD i get a second op, i was told i had to be in pain another 3 months before i can get help.. i will hurt some one if i have to go that long.. it raidiates down my l leg often causeing it to go numb..and always burns i have fallen several times. my doc. and his staff treat me like i am exaggerating..please HELP
I read your story and I was wondering what discs were herniated on you I also hurt my self at work and I am on work comp I know the pay sucks.I had surgery on 2 discs 10-02 and to this day I am in more pain then before the surgery Dr has sent me to pt to have injections, nerve blocks and enough meds to take down a small city.The Dr is now talking about another surgery and after reading your blog it does give me hope .
OMG that is my story!!!
I hurt my back at work went to the doctor I have 2 herniated discs it took 3 months to get pain meds and another 2 for emg I finally had surgery on one of them last month and I'm doing great. I must tell you that the surgery was rough. I had epidurals I had pt I used heat I used ice I used muscle relaxers I used pain killers I used lyrica I used anti inflamitory meds my husband rubbed my back every night and I was in pain. ALOT of pain. I consider myself to have a high tolerence for pain I delivered two babies no drugs and no screaming or crying and they were big babies the older was 8 lbs 8 1/2 oz and the younger was 9 14 oz I can take pain. This was not pain this was HELL. I wanted out I got depressed and upset I had to fight for pain meds. I begged and pleaded for them to do something and my doctor said that he only prescribes these pain meds for broken bones and cancer type pain. My response was "and the hell with the rest of those who suffer? If I had cancer oh don't let me suffer but I'll live so be grateful for the f@#$ing pain?" It wasn't pretty and I have known my dr for a long long time. I cried and I was depressed I went to a pain clinic who told me that I was doing fine don't change my meds even tho I told him that on meds my pain levels were at least a 7??? I finally went back to my neuro surgeon and said look here is the deal what do I do? He said if you want the surgery it wouldn't be my 1st choice but you have to live in your body with the pain. I opted for surgery. I have 4 young children at home and workers comp is only paying me $211 a week please. It's been a long road and the surgery went well. I was discharged that day. THE SAME DAY!! In less pain than before don't get me wrong lots and lots of discomfort, I was stiff as a damn board. But it was okay. I was okay. The following days I thought I was going to die. My entire body hurt (some people have this some don't it's muscle weakness my belief is that they put me under with all these meds to relax me and my muscles relaxes for the first time in months then I woke up pulled all that tenseness back into them realized I wasn't in that pain and as I relaxed they were sore from being so tense for so long. Then again I'm no doctor just how I felt) I was sore that is the point within a week I felt great I mean great compared to before I still have my days I still cannot lift yet. But I feel good. My pain isn't out of control I get a quick sharp pain down my leg then gone. I get a quick pain in my back or I get achy. Nothing like before. My point, there is hope!! Good luck
I hurt my back at work went to the doctor I have 2 herniated discs it took 3 months to get pain meds and another 2 for emg I finally had surgery on one of them last month and I'm doing great. I must tell you that the surgery was rough. I had epidurals I had pt I used heat I used ice I used muscle relaxers I used pain killers I used lyrica I used anti inflamitory meds my husband rubbed my back every night and I was in pain. ALOT of pain. I consider myself to have a high tolerence for pain I delivered two babies no drugs and no screaming or crying and they were big babies the older was 8 lbs 8 1/2 oz and the younger was 9 14 oz I can take pain. This was not pain this was HELL. I wanted out I got depressed and upset I had to fight for pain meds. I begged and pleaded for them to do something and my doctor said that he only prescribes these pain meds for broken bones and cancer type pain. My response was "and the hell with the rest of those who suffer? If I had cancer oh don't let me suffer but I'll live so be grateful for the f@#$ing pain?" It wasn't pretty and I have known my dr for a long long time. I cried and I was depressed I went to a pain clinic who told me that I was doing fine don't change my meds even tho I told him that on meds my pain levels were at least a 7??? I finally went back to my neuro surgeon and said look here is the deal what do I do? He said if you want the surgery it wouldn't be my 1st choice but you have to live in your body with the pain. I opted for surgery. I have 4 young children at home and workers comp is only paying me $211 a week please. It's been a long road and the surgery went well. I was discharged that day. THE SAME DAY!! In less pain than before don't get me wrong lots and lots of discomfort, I was stiff as a damn board. But it was okay. I was okay. The following days I thought I was going to die. My entire body hurt (some people have this some don't it's muscle weakness my belief is that they put me under with all these meds to relax me and my muscles relaxes for the first time in months then I woke up pulled all that tenseness back into them realized I wasn't in that pain and as I relaxed they were sore from being so tense for so long. Then again I'm no doctor just how I felt) I was sore that is the point within a week I felt great I mean great compared to before I still have my days I still cannot lift yet. But I feel good. My pain isn't out of control I get a quick sharp pain down my leg then gone. I get a quick pain in my back or I get achy. Nothing like before. My point, there is hope!! Good luck
I am a 31 yr old woman. I have had low back pain as far back as i can remember. when i was 21 i started seening a chiropractor. I have had sciatica many times in the past, and he takes care of it. I have other problems because of the way my spine devoloped and if not for my chiropractor i wouldn't be able to do half of the things i do today. I belive as do many Dr's. i know that surgery should be the last card you play. In many cases herniated discs can repair themselves with adjustments (it happened with my husband). When you have injections into the joint it increases your chances of getting arthritis.
Ok, so..... I went for a 2nd opinion on my supposed muscle strain to my lower back, WELL..... this dr. was able to confirm that I do indeed have a herniated disc at L5-S1 and it IS putting pressure on the nerve exiting at this location, therefore affecting my left leg, numb toes, etc...How bout that, and only 10 months after the injury. Now just to fight it out with the workplace insurance company (WorkSafeBC), because the orthopedic surgeon states in his report that I need to be retrained for something else, we'll seee what they say about that... I have been told to hire a lawyer, any input or suggestions?
yes my situation is exactly like yours except its on my right side and after surgery it did not get any better and actually when I lay on my side either side it gets worser,but never no better,so you need to see a nuerologist I think,from p-nut
I injured my back nearly 1 yr ago now, was diagnosed as a muscle strain, but the radiologists report indicated a mild disc herniation at L5 S1 and L4 L5. I have had constant back pain since the injury and pain off and on down my left leg. AND now in recent weeks my toes on my left foot have become numb, feeling like they are always asleep (the last 3 toes, starting at my little toe). Is this from my disc herniation? Any info or comments greatly appreciated.
I'm a 36 year-old male... this is my second bout with sciatica brought on by a herniated disc at L5 S1... the first was 9 years ago, the second was 2.5 months ago.
The first time around I didn't know what it was, thought it was Pyriformis Syndrome, rested it for 3 months, then started therapy at a Napropath in Chicago (Moran Schaeffer Clinic) and eventually went to Georgia for 2 months, walked the beach every day for about 5 hours and all pain went completely away. I drove back to Chicago without a problem and began working out again, followed the "Body For Life" diet and it never bothered me again. Got back into snowboarding, wakeboarding and all the other crazy stuff I used to do.
I moved to Los Angeles 3 years ago and my lifestyle changed, I worked a lot, still in-shape, but didn't work out like I used to and after riding motorcycles and doing tricks on them, I came down really hard from a wheelie one day and felt a pop in my back.
A week later, one morning, I felt the pain stronger. While at work it got BAD, I had to leave and go home... I was subsequently in bed for 1 month and a week, BED-RIDDEN.
I went to the doc, he refused to do an MRI, wouldn't put me on SDI so I could collect money while not working, got fired from my job bec. I couldn't go in, have no insurance anymore and had tried (for the first time in 20 years) medication, which only made things worse.
Luckily in California they have legalized Marijuana medically (never been a user before), but I was so screwed up I tried it (I had to), IT WORKED! LIKE A CHARM! I slept the entire night through for the first time in a month and from that day on, gradually, it's getting better and better, yes, it's a slow process and it will happen, but I refuse to do surgery, do meds, etc... I am taking it really easy. After 1.5 months I was up and around again, I'm working again now, I still get pain in the mornings, it subsides after I get up and around for a bit, take a shower, walk, sit in my car on my way to clients, sit at work, etc... so I know that the light exercise and usage for now (eventually getting more intense) is what will make it get better.
After this last incident, I have changed my diet from an acidic to alkaline diet, stopped eating the not-so-healthy food I started eating when I moved to LA from Chicago, started taking the vitamins I used to and all my supplements, proteins, etc... and it IS getting MUCH MUCH better. I'm getting more and more active as the days go by and my attitude is MUCH STRONGER and THAT helps so much.
I refuse to settle for surgery, at any cost... the body is a REMARKABLE healing organism IF given the right tools to do so.
It's now been about 2.5 months and I'm at the point where I'm living as MOSTLY normal life, still some pain but that will go away as time goes on.
Beach therapy helps, I walk the beaches every now and again when time permits and it feels IMMENSELY better afterwards, the pain COMPLETELY goes away after that.
If anyone wants any info on supplements and what-not or just wants to share their story, let me know. We can all be inspirations to one-another.
The first time around I didn't know what it was, thought it was Pyriformis Syndrome, rested it for 3 months, then started therapy at a Napropath in Chicago (Moran Schaeffer Clinic) and eventually went to Georgia for 2 months, walked the beach every day for about 5 hours and all pain went completely away. I drove back to Chicago without a problem and began working out again, followed the "Body For Life" diet and it never bothered me again. Got back into snowboarding, wakeboarding and all the other crazy stuff I used to do.
I moved to Los Angeles 3 years ago and my lifestyle changed, I worked a lot, still in-shape, but didn't work out like I used to and after riding motorcycles and doing tricks on them, I came down really hard from a wheelie one day and felt a pop in my back.
A week later, one morning, I felt the pain stronger. While at work it got BAD, I had to leave and go home... I was subsequently in bed for 1 month and a week, BED-RIDDEN.
I went to the doc, he refused to do an MRI, wouldn't put me on SDI so I could collect money while not working, got fired from my job bec. I couldn't go in, have no insurance anymore and had tried (for the first time in 20 years) medication, which only made things worse.
Luckily in California they have legalized Marijuana medically (never been a user before), but I was so screwed up I tried it (I had to), IT WORKED! LIKE A CHARM! I slept the entire night through for the first time in a month and from that day on, gradually, it's getting better and better, yes, it's a slow process and it will happen, but I refuse to do surgery, do meds, etc... I am taking it really easy. After 1.5 months I was up and around again, I'm working again now, I still get pain in the mornings, it subsides after I get up and around for a bit, take a shower, walk, sit in my car on my way to clients, sit at work, etc... so I know that the light exercise and usage for now (eventually getting more intense) is what will make it get better.
After this last incident, I have changed my diet from an acidic to alkaline diet, stopped eating the not-so-healthy food I started eating when I moved to LA from Chicago, started taking the vitamins I used to and all my supplements, proteins, etc... and it IS getting MUCH MUCH better. I'm getting more and more active as the days go by and my attitude is MUCH STRONGER and THAT helps so much.
I refuse to settle for surgery, at any cost... the body is a REMARKABLE healing organism IF given the right tools to do so.
It's now been about 2.5 months and I'm at the point where I'm living as MOSTLY normal life, still some pain but that will go away as time goes on.
Beach therapy helps, I walk the beaches every now and again when time permits and it feels IMMENSELY better afterwards, the pain COMPLETELY goes away after that.
If anyone wants any info on supplements and what-not or just wants to share their story, let me know. We can all be inspirations to one-another.
Hi there, I am going in for microdiscectomy tomorrow and am nervous but excited that my horrendous pain might ease! I am having S1 and L5 surgery and I have been having private physio, accupuncture and two epidural injections all to no avail.
I am desperate to do this right and get back to the life I need to live with a 3 and 4 year old. Can anyone tell me their experiences as to what exercise is best - I am a good swimmer but it was actually running that prob did this to me. I can also access a cross trainer and have gym membership. I am about 1.5 stones over weight but am on ongoing diet to lose the excess weight having already lost 5.5 stones (I put on seven stones during two pregnancies!!) and cant beleive that I am now being disabled by my back!
Didyou operations work for you and have you got any good advice about any aspect of this please!
Thanks so much
I am desperate to do this right and get back to the life I need to live with a 3 and 4 year old. Can anyone tell me their experiences as to what exercise is best - I am a good swimmer but it was actually running that prob did this to me. I can also access a cross trainer and have gym membership. I am about 1.5 stones over weight but am on ongoing diet to lose the excess weight having already lost 5.5 stones (I put on seven stones during two pregnancies!!) and cant beleive that I am now being disabled by my back!
Didyou operations work for you and have you got any good advice about any aspect of this please!
Thanks so much
Hi there, I am going in for microdiscectomy tomorrow and am nervous but excited that my horrendous pain might ease! I am having S1 and L5 surgery and I have been having private physio, accupuncture and two epidural injections all to no avail.
I am desperate to do this right and get back to the life I need to live with a 3 and 4 year old. Can anyone tell me their experiences as to what exercise is best - I am a good swimmer but it was actually running that prob did this to me. I can also access a cross trainer and have gym membership. I am about 1.5 stones over weight but am on ongoing diet to lose the excess weight having already lost 5.5 stones (I put on seven stones during two pregnancies!!) and cant beleive that I am now being disabled by my back!
Didyou operations work for you and have you got any good advice about any aspect of this please!
Thanks you so much.............
I am desperate to do this right and get back to the life I need to live with a 3 and 4 year old. Can anyone tell me their experiences as to what exercise is best - I am a good swimmer but it was actually running that prob did this to me. I can also access a cross trainer and have gym membership. I am about 1.5 stones over weight but am on ongoing diet to lose the excess weight having already lost 5.5 stones (I put on seven stones during two pregnancies!!) and cant beleive that I am now being disabled by my back!
Didyou operations work for you and have you got any good advice about any aspect of this please!
Thanks you so much.............
wow. eerie postings... like a mirror to my situation... I am a healthy 33yo female, avid equestrian, horrific back pain, agitated acutely by lifting baby horses and boxes and tack not "one specific incident" but rather a few concentrated heavy lifting bouts (I was similar to an animal paramedic!) which gave me unbelievable pain upon sitting and bending forward. Nothing seemed to help it... I couldn't bear sitting for more than 10 minutes (now I am up to a whopping 30 min) I took ibuprof & tylenol-3s round the clock, but they didn't touch it, so i just bear with the pain ... I went to dr's and heard "your x-ray is fine", "you're young" and "do what you can" routine , and 9 weeks of physio with none to minimal improvement, finally did a CT scan and found L5S1 herniation with nerve pinching and bulging in the 2 joints above it with some arthritis in all 3 joints. Niiiice. I can't believe that until that the Drs kept saying "well, there is no bowel issues or numbness down the leg, so it can't be a herniation" and therefore my pain is imaginary?!?!? that was total bull****. Now that I know what it is, I just want to rehab and get back on the horses.
My question/ponderings are... is surgery the suggested option here? and what type have ppl had successfully? It seems pretty successful in this thread. Any suggestions on activities to do, not to do? What I've felt is good to this point is walking, minimal sitting and not tucking my hips under and psoas strengthening.... any other thoughts? Is riding forbidden???
My question/ponderings are... is surgery the suggested option here? and what type have ppl had successfully? It seems pretty successful in this thread. Any suggestions on activities to do, not to do? What I've felt is good to this point is walking, minimal sitting and not tucking my hips under and psoas strengthening.... any other thoughts? Is riding forbidden???
I have the same story. Herniated L5-S1 diagnosed after 3 agonizing months of undiagnosed back pain. Went to neurosurgeon, and had surgery (microdiscectomy) and had fabulous results. My neurosurgeon told me not to mess around with epidural injections and such, that they will simply cover up the problem temporarily. Once your nerves have been pinched and compressed for more than 6 months, it lessens the chance that surgery will help you AT ALL.
Get a good neurosurgeons opinion. In the meantime, your doctor might consider steroids temporarily, along with NSAIDS around the clock. Take as few narcotics as humanly possible--the potential for unintended dependence is high. Also, the more you take, the less they will seem to work as time goes by. Take Motrin or whatever NSAID your doctor recommends around the clock, use ice 4 times a day to your worst pain sites, and get in there to see a neuro ASAP.
Get a good neurosurgeons opinion. In the meantime, your doctor might consider steroids temporarily, along with NSAIDS around the clock. Take as few narcotics as humanly possible--the potential for unintended dependence is high. Also, the more you take, the less they will seem to work as time goes by. Take Motrin or whatever NSAID your doctor recommends around the clock, use ice 4 times a day to your worst pain sites, and get in there to see a neuro ASAP.
Hey, your story sounds so similar to mine. I am a 31 year old female and last year I hurt my back while working on the ambulance (I'm a Paramedic). I went to the doctor right away and they took an x-ray and said it was a pulled muscle and I was off work for a month while I rested it. Then in January my right leg started to ache. Every day it got worse until I was in excruitiating pain. I had friends in the medical field that told me it was sciatica and would go away, so I waited a month. I finally couldn't take it anymore and went to the ER thinking I had to have broken my hip to be in this much pain. The ER doc told me it was sciatica (without x-rays or an MRI) and gave me a Medrol Dose pack and 20 Vicodin. This didn't touch the pain. 3 weeks later I made an appointment and went to a neurologist and she listened to my story and ordered an MRI and EMG. I had a herniated disk at L5-S1 and bulging disks at L2-L3 and L3-L4. She told me the herniation was large an sent me to physical therapy. Four weeks I went while every day I consumed 10-15 Ibuprofin. After the 4th week they told me to go back to my doctor because physical therapy wasnt working. The neurologist told me that it had been 3 months with no improvement and the pain was breaking me (I thought about cutting my leg off alot), that it was time to consider surgery. Let me tell you...I was so glad I did. I made an appointment with a spine surgeon and when he saw my films and EMG reports he told me I needed surgery ASAP. They gave me Percocet 10/325 to get me by until the surgery. Five days later I was home recovering and pain free. My leg still has a mild ache, I'm told that the nerve is swollen and irritated (they said the took pictures my herniation was so big) and it wil take a while to heal, but the ache is nothing compared to the pain before. I wake up every day thankful that I found a doctor who listened to me and cared. Search until you find that doctor. They are out there. If you are in that much pain, something is wrong and you need to find the doctor that will listen. I never even had an epidural, we went strait to surgery. Take charge of your body and health. I wish I had done that alot sooner. Three months of horrible pain I could have spared myself while everyone just told me it would get better if I waited. I could have done serious permanent damage to that nerve. Luckily it turned out OK. :) Good luck and let us know what happens!
Also, wanted to ask for anyone's help or advice on best way to advocate for myself as far as treatment and medications. I want to play a more active role, but I am concerned about people jumping the gun on addiction. Is it time to get a second opinion already? Other than this, I am a 29 year-old healthy female!
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