Prolapsed disk/ sciatica

[chippy1970]

I've always on and off suffered with a bad back but thought I had it under control with exercise etc until recently. Ive been unable to work for over 8 weeks now with a slipped disk in my lower back causing numbness and pain in my right leg.

When it first happened the pain was so bad I got my wife to call me an ambulance and I was taken to a&e. I came out the next day as high as a kite. Then I had to pester the local doc to get a physio which I got a few days later luckily. After a few weeks seeing the physio once every two weeks she refered me to a consultant at hospital for an MRI .

I've just had the MRI this weekend and I will have to go back to the consultant soon. When I saw him Friday he said I would need a microdisectemy to basically trim the bulge . I could however just leave it longer and it might heal itself. In his own words he said he wouldn't have the op but at the same time its quicker to get back to normal.

I'm not really in agonizing pain like I was but if I stand for too long my leg goes hot and cold it also goes numb and I get calf cramps. General advice is to exercise but if I do symptoms get worse. I've been using McKenzie method basically bending the spine backwards , this was good for awhile but now seems to be making me worse.

Has anyone here had this op or suffered from sciatica I'm looking for a bit of advice please.

PS I'm only 41

Chris

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[Elapid]

My back isn't as bad as yours but since I got back support thing everything has been much easier. I did a fence the other day and without my back would have been in agony by the end of the day but with it I just had a slight twinge.

Hope your recovery goes well.

 

[chippy1970]

Yeah I've had a back support belt for years and I've learnt to lift correctly over the years.

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[heatherw]

I've had sciatica on and off for years, walking seems to alleviate the pain but standing still, using a machine, for instance aggravates it quite quickly. The best exercise I've found is yoga, taking care not to do too many of the exercises where you have to bend over backwards (forwards is fine). The Back Sufferers Bible and The Body in Action, both books by Sarah Key who is physiotherapist to the royal family not only give a lot of yoga based exercises but also explain exactly why you're in pain. There are a lot of reviews of these books on Amazon and they are mostly positive. Certainly my experience has been good, when I remember to do the exercises........

 

[Max Power]

Hi Chippy, I had that operation done about 15 yrs ago. I had horrendous sciatica for about 6 months prior to that. I couldn't stand, couldnt sit and couldn't lay down without being in agony. Painkillers had absolutely no effect.
I was very lucky to get a cancelled slot for an operation about two weeks after getting the results from the scan . I had a few days of discomfort afterwards but the result was nothing short of miraculous and other than a couple of twinges I've had no problems since

 

[James C]

My wife is suffering from sciatica caused by a prolapsed disk at the moment and she is only 22!

Your doctors sound a lot more helpful than our experience so far, she has just been given chronic pain management, with physiotherapy that isn't really helping.

We are considering Chiropractic treatment on recommendation from a friend who has had a similar issue. I will let you know if it helps.

EDIT - My wife has had a bout from January to May and this is now the second time, so I wouldn't be so trusting of a healing itself method.

 

[doctor Bob]

I prolapsed a disc about 4 years ago, terrible sciatica. I feel for you. Took about 2 years to go back to normal, since then I have "slipped" the same disc twice (no where near as originally), however I am now aware of my limitations.
I exercise very regularly now and also stretch a lot.
I avoid anyone who fiddles with backs, a chiropractor did more harm than good.
I self manage my medications if its not too bad, a lot of the drugs are available over the counter.

I think sciatica is the worst pain I have ever experienced, it's relentless and very draining on energy and made me extremely depressed. Good luck.

 

[chippy1970]

With exercise it can heal most things I've read say 9 out of 10 people do. Good luck with chiro it doesn't suit everyone I tried it years ago and it was ok but I think I just got better anyway .

Oh and you have to stand up to these doctors. I was told by mine when I went in with first signs of this that its life and I would have to put up with it (great help). Anyway a few days later bang it went big time and I'm rushed into hospital. Then I was told it would take a month to get refered for physio so I looked around myself and got somewhere 2 days later and still on the NHS. Same with the MRI I found out the referal letter had sat in the surgery for a week before anyone did anything about it.
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[Dusty]

Funny topic !! well timing anyway ! is as much that I do suffer with bad sciatica , and only today I have had to visit my osteopath , I set my back off on friday and has been getting to the point I can not sit or stand or eve get comfortable . I set it all off 4 years ago picking up a wacker plate and turned whilst bent over . I trigger it off maybe once or twice a year . I personally find my Osteopath is great at getting me back to normal-ish quickly , even now I am no longer wincing at every movement . I know it is there and it will be a couple of weeks to settle down . But with my work , there is never an easy way to do things , better known as "taking one for the team" !! and unfortunately my back is not as strong as it once was !!

I swear by my Osteopath and he is NOT NHS , costs me about £40 per hour but I would pay him a hundred for what he does for me . No beating me up or high heels , he spends his time manipulating my spine and working my discs . no rush , no quick fix , just proffesional service

Kind regards Sam

 

[henton49er]

I had bad sciatica about 18 months ago, and was taking about 30 minutes to get from my bed to the ensuite. My GP could offer little comfort, and, as others have said, the painkillers did nothing. I was referred to NHS physiotherapy, which did nothing to help, but McTimony chiropractic treatment did help over a six month period. My spine was basically moved into the right position to allow the body to start healing itself.

After 8 months my right leg was still weak and prone to cramps and muscle shakes, and my GP referred me for an MRI scan and to see a back specialist.

The MRI scan was in March this year and the visit to the specialist only three weeks ago. The specialist could see the damage to the right side of my spine in the lumbar region (and also a 10 year old left-sided problem of disc prolapse and degeneration in the sacral region, about four vertebrae lower than the current problem, which caused me to give up golf). The current damage was still imposing pressure on the sciatic and femoral nerves, a year after the sciatica arose. I still feel pain from the 10 year old bout from time to time even now.

I have been told they will not operate for my current condition and I will have to live with the ongoing pain, muscle weakness and cramping up of the right thigh. It is not helped by the fact that my right knee (which as also recently had an MRI scan) is basically falling apart and has "bits" floating round in it and some osteo-arthritis as well. The two problems together are causing a gradual weakening of the whole muscle structure of my right thigh.

I am careful not to do too much heavy lifting (anything over 20kg is now treated with great respect) and I regulalry do a series of back flexing exercises. I expect to remain like this for as long as I have left - and if it gets no worse I can live with it.

Sciatica is an excruciatingly painful and very debilitating condition, that I would not wish on anyone. It appears that time and the body's own mechanisms are the only healing alternatives to surgery, and I'm sorry to hear that you have a particularly serios case by the sound of it, Chris. I would definitely recommend some chiropractic treatment.

PS sent from my four year old Samsung laptop using 2 finger typing.

 

[SammyQ]

Chris, commiserations and empathy. My prolapse is lumbar 4/5 and has been since I was 25 - I'm 56 now. I can't walk when I have it and sneezing is exquisite agony. Several physioterrorists and a sports injury specialist doctor since, no-one has successfully diagnosed the EXACT cause and not one of them has provided a lasting cure. Algipan cream provides relief and takes the edge off syptoms, co-coprodamol (spelling?) quietens the referred pain to bearable after the second day.

I mountaineer a lot and have taken two month long expeditions to the Andes and Zanskars in India, by sensible exercise and EVEN MORE SENSIBLE lifting preparation - a 20-25 Kg rucsac has considerable inertia and presses on the wrong places!

Moral of story? Manage your affliction, learn to say NO to some lifting - get others to do it or employ a lever/wotsit/lift in pieces. There is no magic cure or op out there.

Sam

 

[dickm]

Obviously a lot less severe than the OP's case, but SWMBO had bad back problems some 20 years ago, to which the GPs basically said "nothing we can do, put up with it". Coincidentally, she decided to learn to play the oboe (!) and as her breathing for this improved, so did her back pain. It seems that one key thing in controlling back pain is keeping stomach muscles well exercised, which is also essential for proper breathing when playing the oboe. She's now given up the oboe, but if either of us gets any back twinges (in my case, inevitably from lifting and twisting simultaneously - *****) then obsessive stomach muscle exercise seems to sort it out in a few days.
The other cause of sciatic pain seems to be shortening of the hamstring; I occasionally notice pain if driving far, and stopping to do appropriate stretches seems to clear it up.

 

[chippy1970]

Just got back from the consultant. My disc bulge isn't that bad and should heal on its own. I could have an op but think I will let it heal naturally. He advised only to have the op if my leg really hurt but to be honest its not too bad at the moment .

 

[DTR]

I've had sciatica since I was 18 (now 28). When it first happened I could barely stand up. The NHS were not much use and could not agree on a diagnosis, despite sending me for x-rays, MRI scans etc etc. I drew the line at having a lumbar puncture. I ended up seeing a private chiropractor who fixed me up in short order. I still get the occasional problems when it's damp or I do something silly.

 

[Lons]

I've been there and I sympathise 'cos it's very debilitating and extremely painful.

I suffered for several years before going to the docs when the sciatica got so bad, my leg would colapse under me. was refered to a consultant which resulted in a myelogram and then a laminectomy operation in a Nuffield hospital to fuse a three discs which were badly damaged.

That was 25 years ago and whilst I have always still suffered at times from back pain, I can honestly say that it's manageable, only rarely needing painkillers and usually caused by overdoing heavy work. ( I've been a builder for the past 15 years). I have pretty much full extension and can still easily touch my toes, play golf regularly (not good for the back ) and am very active. If I could manage to lose a couple of stones I'd be even better. :roll:

So...As far as I'm concerned without the op I doubt if I would have recovered and in those days there was no oportunity for microsurgery which must be much less invasive.

Not saying that anyone should take surgery lightly and of course I was 25 years younger but my mobility is proof that it can work

Bob

 

[Toolbox]

Hi, I've been suffering from back issues for the last seven years or so, I had sciatica a couple of years back which was so so painfully but luckily only lasted about 6 weeks thank God.
In December 2011 I suffered yet another back episode which lasted a couple of weeks, but this time was determined to try and get to the bottom of the problem rather than just except the pain killers, as I normally did.
Anyway in January of 2012 I was back in the Doctors Surgery complaining of mild Sciatica and after bucket loads of pain killers, X-rays, Physiotherapy, and a MRI scan I'm now awaiting surgery on the 29th of October.
My life has been a living hell for the last year, and Pain and myself have spent so much time together, and each day can be different.
I'm dreading the thought of Surgery, but also need to see the end of this pain, for anyone suffering this condition you have my deepest sympathy.

Toolbox

 

[chippy1970]

Good luck toolbox. The guy I saw is Mr Nigel Mendoza you can look him up on Google. Really top notch luckily for me he said I will probably get back to normal on my own. I could have an op but I would rather not at this stage and I can always go back if I change my mind.

 

[henton49er]

I've been under Professor Stephen Eisenstein at the Spinal clinic at Gobowen Hospital, near Oswestry. I have been very impressed with his examinations, explanations etc. I too have been advised that an operation is not appropriate and that if my situation does not deteriorate further then I will just have to live with ongoing "discomfort" and some days with more pain. He is adamant that I cannot do myself any more long term damage by using the back - the pain would be excruciating long before the damage is irreversible, apparently!!

I plod on, doing what I can and try to keep my woodturning going, although some weeks I just dont go near the turning shed at all.

 

[Benchwayze]

Chris...

I know what you are going through!
PM sent.

J

 

[WellsWood]

Chris I sympathise, but if you've been scheduled for surgery then GREAT! You won't believe how effective it is. I've had 2 rounds of laminectomy/discectomy for prolapsed discs, the first in '82 when in my early 20's and again in 2010 following a massive prolapse which left me with Cauda Equina Syndrome (look it up if you're interested - I won't bore you with it here).

I would just say this, particularly to anyone advocating manipulation of any sort to treat slipped discs - DON'T! It doesn't work (although some relief from muscle spasm can be obtained) and can be extremely dangerous depending on the location and severity of the prolapse. Twisting and bending the spine when a disc is exerting pressure on spinal nerves is a very bad idea and can result in major and sometimes permanent damage. No amount of external manipulation will have an effect on a prolapsed disc. The best you can hope for by visiting non-medically trained chiropractors/osteopaths and the like is temporary relief from muscle stiffness accompanied by a noticeable lightness of the wallet. Gentle exercise to correct poor posture and improve core muscle stability are the way to go, as this helps put less pressure on the discs, along with avoiding activities like long periods driving and heavy lifting etc.

I could tell you my whole story but you'd be bored before I got halfway. Suffice to say I ignored the symptoms (as did my GP :roll: ) on the last one until it was too late and it properly exploded, taking with it all the nerves controlling my legs. The result was six hours in surgery followed by 4 months in hospital - half of it in a wheelchair, the other learning to walk again. 2 years on I still have a numb left leg from the knee down, fallen arches, foot-drop, rubbish balance and lifetime of drug and walking stick use to look forward to. Still, could be worse, at least I don't have to wear adult nappies - some of the nerves that exit the spine around L4/L5 control bowel and bladder function - so I dodged the bullet there.

Don't muck about with spinal problems, get them properly fixed where at all possible. And remember, there is the world of difference between nerve aggravation, which causes pain like Sciatica, and nerve damage which causes numbness/ lack of sensation or motor power. The latter is extremely dangerous if left untreated - once a nerve has stopped working it is extremely slow to recover and may never do so if the cause is not removed in short order. If you have back problems causing symptoms like this go and stamp your foot at you doctor until something is done!

"Alternative medicine" has, without exception, either:
a/ not been proven to work, or
b/ been proven to not work
"Alternative medicine" which has been proven to work is called something else: Medicine