PLEASE HELP FOR OVER A MONTH A HAVE BEEN IIN ALOT OF PAIN. I GOT HURT AT WORK AND HAVE A HURNIATED DISC IN THE L4 L5 AREA THAT IS HITTING THE SCIATIC NERVE. PAIN IS IN MY ASS AND MY ANKLE. MY DOCTOR TOLD ME TO LIVE WITH THE PAIN FOR 3 TO 6 MONTHS OR HAVE SURGERY. WHAT DO YOU THINK I SHOULD DO?
BACK PAIN
- Thread starter HITCH
- Start date
- Oct 30, 2004
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hitch what is your age? how did you injure your back? I would seek treatment with a chiropractor and pt in your area before I would try surgery. How do they know its a herniated disc did you have an MRI?
I totally agree with backcracker. My wife had similar problem and our chiro did a great job and no surgery.........simply amazing.
PS........find a chiro in you health insurance network for bigger bang for the buck.
PS........find a chiro in you health insurance network for bigger bang for the buck.
I AM 31 AND YES I HAD AN MRI. IM GOING TO A CHIROPRACTOR WHO WANTS TO GIVE ME A SHOT AND SEE IF THAT WORKS.
Just make sure it doesn't screw with you worker's comp. Really, it shouldn't be a problem for comp to cover the chiropractor either.
Hitch, I'm not sure what state you are in, but in Kentucky, you have the right to go to whatever doctor you want. You have the right to a second opinion. I don't know if it's time to go to a lawyer or not, but you definitely need to look into other options and know your rights and the work comp law in your state.
Pain clinics/epidural steroid injections are also another pre-surgical choice. Sometimes people with your condition get relief with VAX-D or similar traction based treatments. Neither of these 2 options helped me, but I would look into both, especially the injections ASAP. I know people with your exact condition who were pain free after the injections.
Your doctor's advice sounds weird. Giving you the choice to have surgery or to suffer for 3-6 months more doesn't sound cogent. Does something magical happen sometime during this time period??
Personally, I've had a ruptured disc that was surgically repaired, and I now have another disc herniation at that same level L4/L5. Surgery wasn't really a choice in my case because of all the nerve damage that was being done. I have a friend who is a radiologist that read my MRI and told me I HAD to get my problem surgically fixed or I'd be suffering foot drop and an impaired gait the rest of my life. The surgery corrected all of my leg and foot pain/numbness immediately, but I have never been rid of my lower back pain.
The disc herniation I have now is smaller, and I live with it. Exercise does help, and so does weight management. I hurt a lot less now at 208 than I did when I got up to 230 pounds. I work full time in a strenuous job with tons of lifting, and I manage. I'm quite positive I could have filed Comp and be on disability now, but that life is no fun, nor is it very lucrative. I have pain every day, but I think I have a VERY high tolerance for it, and I've learned to be as happy as I can living with it, and count my blessings that it isn't something worse.
Hope you get to feeling better, and let us know what is going on. It's really easy for me to empathize with you!!
Hitch, I'm not sure what state you are in, but in Kentucky, you have the right to go to whatever doctor you want. You have the right to a second opinion. I don't know if it's time to go to a lawyer or not, but you definitely need to look into other options and know your rights and the work comp law in your state.
Pain clinics/epidural steroid injections are also another pre-surgical choice. Sometimes people with your condition get relief with VAX-D or similar traction based treatments. Neither of these 2 options helped me, but I would look into both, especially the injections ASAP. I know people with your exact condition who were pain free after the injections.
Your doctor's advice sounds weird. Giving you the choice to have surgery or to suffer for 3-6 months more doesn't sound cogent. Does something magical happen sometime during this time period??
Personally, I've had a ruptured disc that was surgically repaired, and I now have another disc herniation at that same level L4/L5. Surgery wasn't really a choice in my case because of all the nerve damage that was being done. I have a friend who is a radiologist that read my MRI and told me I HAD to get my problem surgically fixed or I'd be suffering foot drop and an impaired gait the rest of my life. The surgery corrected all of my leg and foot pain/numbness immediately, but I have never been rid of my lower back pain.
The disc herniation I have now is smaller, and I live with it. Exercise does help, and so does weight management. I hurt a lot less now at 208 than I did when I got up to 230 pounds. I work full time in a strenuous job with tons of lifting, and I manage. I'm quite positive I could have filed Comp and be on disability now, but that life is no fun, nor is it very lucrative. I have pain every day, but I think I have a VERY high tolerance for it, and I've learned to be as happy as I can living with it, and count my blessings that it isn't something worse.
Hope you get to feeling better, and let us know what is going on. It's really easy for me to empathize with you!!
A chiro that gives shots????? That's news to me, doesn't sound right. back cracker what do you know about that???
MY DOCTOR DOESNT WANT TO TRY THE SHOT BUT THE CHIRO SAID HE CAN HAVE ME REFERRED TO THIS PLACE THAT CAN DO THE SHOT THIS WEEK. SOME PAIN MANAGEMENT. I ASKED MY DOCTOR WHAT WAS THE QUICKEST WAY FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO RUN AND PLAY SOFTBALL. HE SAID IF I GIVE IT TIME 90% OF THE TIME IT WILL BY ITSELF AND THAT I SHOULD QUIT MY SPORT ACTIVITIES. I WEIGH 175 LBS 5 11 IF THIS HELPS. I JUST WANT TO GET BETTER FAST!!!
The Boys said:
THe shots are at the pain clinic. Epidural steroid injections are another option. They are administered by anesthesiologists.
Last edited:
- Oct 30, 2004
- 242
- 3
- 0
I would pass on the shot. But would try traction and manipulation, e-stim, ultrasound and massage. You could also go to the gym and try back extension and stretching to take the pressure off the disc. A disc herniation can heal without surgery. A lot depends on the size of the herniation in relation to the size of the space that the herniation is occuring. A large herniation may not be significant if the canal is large whereas a small herniation can be very significant if the canal is small. Where are you located hitch?
i have had traction, massage,also adjustments. it hurts so bad i havent slept in the past 3 days.
Cracker, why no shots? I've seen those do several people lots of good. Hardly any risk to getting them, why would you discourage him from doing so? Personally, I would like to see the traditional MDs get along with and refer to the chiropractors because I think there is value and help with Chiropractic. I'm sure you would agree with that. Why then would you not recommend the shots; that sort of makes you look like a MD not recommending a treatment like chiropractic adjustments? If this guy is hurting this bad, something else needs to be done for him. Sometimes herniations don't heal on their own. I'm still waiting for mine to heal 4 years later, lol, but thankfully, I'm not in that much pain.
I don't know much about it, but HITCH, there is also accupuncture out there. Maybe some other forum members can speak about that.
I don't know much about it, but HITCH, there is also accupuncture out there. Maybe some other forum members can speak about that.
thanks for the info so fa, my neighbors were probabky ready to kill me for the way my yard looked. I mowed today probably should of had a service mow for me. why dont you think the shot is a good idea backcracker? thanks
Has anybody ever tried an inversion table? I fortunately have never had a need for one, but have heard other people speak favorably of them.
if that is when they put you on this table and the bottom turns at the legs then yes otherwise no
before you do ANYTHING else, you MUST read the book Healing Back Pain by Dr. John Sarno.
I promise you that you will be glad that you did.
I promise you that you will be glad that you did.
I Had the same injury about 2 Years ago and went to physical therapy and chiropractor and there is very little pain now if any. Sometimes wake up stiff but have to do the stretches the PT prescribed for me everyday. I would only suggest surgery as a last resort. explore all other options first.
Fortunately I don't have back pain (knock on wood), but my father-in-law insists it changed his life. Several other people I know have also raved about it. FWIW, I know Howard Stern thinks the guy is a genius. Apparently it works. Good luck man. I'm curious if it helps--let me know.HITCH said:
