Back Pain

[Leewah]

I've just gone through a huge problem with back pain.

First felt it in Nov after playing golf and just thought I strained a muscle. 3 weeks later, the pain was still there so I saw my GP who said it would just go away with time. Bugger that, another 2 weeks later I spoke to a family friend who is an orthopaedic surgeon and sent me for a MRI. Turned out I had a herniated disc between my L5/S1 which pinched on my sciatic nerve causing a numbing pain down my left leg. He put me on Mobic (anti inflammatory), Valium and Endone. Also sent me to a physio who I did about 6 sessions with but that didn't work so I then got sent to a neurosurgeon to find out what I could do. He said to continue on the Mobic/Valium for another few weeks and see if the disc would slip back in. To no avail, I took the advice of MattLowth and visited a osteopath in Prahran who managed to manoeuvre the pain but couldn't make it go away.

I finally bit the bullet on Friday though and had an epidural nerve end blocking injection made up of cortisone. Was told it'll take up to 48 hours for me to feel a real difference so I'm still kind of waiting. I do feel better so I hope in the end this works. According to stats, 75% of people get better, 25% feel no difference and <1% get worse. Apparently the epidural will last various periods of time depending on the person. Some last a couple months but others go 5 years without a problem. It was a hell of a lot less painful than I expected but I also expected the "high" to be better which I was a bit disappointed with.

If you've tried nearly everything for a herniated disc, do the epidural. It should help and if that fails, unfortunately, the microdiscectomy will be the last resort which I hope I get to avoid.

[Roy]

Just get soem titanium thrown in there and a few vertebrae fused...you will be right for anothe r20 years !

[SS8_Gohan]

has anyone who has been advised to "strengthen" their back, actually done any proper lifting?

a friend of mine has a "bulging" disc... not sure if that's the same as what's been mentioned already... going to get her to try and strengthen it properly

anyways, if you've been told to "strengthen" your back then i suggest just doing it properly and cease the donations to your physio.

Markos @ PTC Frankston – 0404 453 542

[email protected]

for the ns.com people, i'm sure they know him - m&m username. Use to post a bit on SAU as well.

[acsplit]

Yep speak to markos he will tell you what is required!

[d_33vl_1]

thanks for all the reply's guys.

yesd i've taken a first big step. getting private health care! haha

spending mega bucks lately so im gonna have to.

with all your help i got plenty more pplz to talk to so thank you's all

[SS8_Gohan]

you actually write "you's"?

[Roy]

Im telling ya, the only way to strengthen ya back is to get out the big guns! Some high tensile bolts, somthing to fuse bone...and a bottle of Johnny before i throw you on the kitchen table for the op. Never have to worry about back pain again

You can hit me with a car man and i am good Just dont believe anyone that tells you chicks dig scars

[SS8_Gohan]

hahaha, "forged internals"

that sh*t is hardcore...

[Roy]

Its a basic upgrade for your std issue pisshead that falls off things

[BeEnAr]

Go and see your GP and ask for a CT scan to be done, it will show you if there is a problem. Then get a referrel to one of the Surgeons mentioned near the top of the thread. A disc prolapse or Bulge is the same thing.

Leewah - I had the same probs, but L4-L5 and L5-S1, pushing on the sciatic nerve, pins and needles in my toes from it and numbness, the micro discectomy worked for me but I had also been through an 8 week rehab program before, i.e strengthening and learning how to manage pain and lift properly.

I have since done more work on strengthening but still get occasional back pain. I have also had the supplements, Vitamin C is one of the best for disc regeneration, also had glucosamine. Tramadol will F you up if you take it for too long, Valium doesn't work after a while, Voltaren is good but can give you ulcers. I am now on no pain killers but do take the occasional Voltaren. My injury was in 2004 and I was 24 when I did it.

[BIGGERDave]

Funny this thread should pop up, im currently studying in an undergraduate degree in Chiropractic Science at Uni........ what are the odds

Just My 2c

[some_cs_student]

Im telling ya, the only way to strengthen ya back is to get out the big guns! Some high tensile bolts, somthing to fuse bone...and a bottle of Johnny before i throw you on the kitchen table for the op. Never have to worry about back pain again

Lol, or you could start deadlifting, once you reach 200kg you should be right for lower back strength

Good luck with it, I've had to go through something chronic as well over the past 14months and the medical bills kill you, most of it is medicare covered but out of pocket is adding up, make sure your level of private health cover is appropriate, and be warned that different health insurance companies pay very different amounts on the same claims.

[BeEnAr]

for me I was lucky in that sense. Workcover's working

[Leewah]

Quick update for everyone. I just came out of the Epworth today after having a L5/S1 microdiscectomy. I tried the epidural back in Feb but it didn't fix the problem so I bit the bullet yesterday and was discharged today. All done within 24 hours and I feel 100% better. I'm currently on Endone to control the pain and have been told it will be a 4-6 week recovery time if I do the correct exercises and look after myself so I hope this is the last time I have to worry about my back. Biggest problem for me now is that I'm not allowed to sit down for more than 20 mins at any time. I'm allowed to be lying flat or standing/walking but sitting really isn't an option for long periods of time because of the spinal compression which occurs when you sit.

My suggestion to everyone though would be to exhaust all your resources before taking surgery though as even though surgery has a 80% success rate, I still really think it is a last resort.

[_Ryan_]

Quick update for everyone. I just came out of the Epworth today after having a L5/S1 microdiscectomy. I tried the epidural back in Feb but it didn't fix the problem so I bit the bullet yesterday and was discharged today. All done within 24 hours and I feel 100% better. I'm currently on Endone to control the pain and have been told it will be a 4-6 week recovery time if I do the correct exercises and look after myself so I hope this is the last time I have to worry about my back. Biggest problem for me now is that I'm not allowed to sit down for more than 20 mins at any time. I'm allowed to be lying flat or standing/walking but sitting really isn't an option for long periods of time because of the spinal compression which occurs when you sit.

My suggestion to everyone though would be to exhaust all your resources before taking surgery though as even though surgery has a 80% success rate, I still really think it is a last resort.

Hope you have a speedy recovery!

markos knows his shit, might be worth lookking at furthur down the recover path... he posts on here as pepe-lopez or something...

Bit OT: how fkn good is endone with valium some how made the combination after accidentally taking a few extra endone(fractured wrist, was so bad i had forgotten i had had any), ended up quite trashed hehe

[iamhe77]

has anyone who has been advised to "strengthen" their back, actually done any proper lifting?

Yes.

I used to move piano's and damaged 2 discs on one particular lift.

Saw my Physio (Clinton @ Langwarrin Sports Medicine)

Rehabbed (my routine) & got a different job.

Last year I blew a disc on preacher curl

Saw physio again, had a lot of manipulation & some dry needling.

Again rehabbed with my own weight routine.

All good... as long as I keep lifting weights.

I find that if I do not lift a weight for 2weeks, my back starts "tweaking" every now and then.