Herniated Disc Experience? L5?

[Maddison]

Any advice? I've been working out pretty heavily over the past six months thinking this pain is an old hamstring injury.
Finally the leg crumbled during a jog last Sunday. I now have a broken elbow and a very painful herniated disk (feels like I got shot in the a$$).
What in the heck am I gonna do to rehab from all this and get working out again?
I can't believe this, I really can't.
I am so helpless right now and I can't stand it!!

[nuisance]

Re: Herniated Disc Experience? L5?

Get in to see a physical therapist, they can help the best and even show you what you can do at home. IMHO..... STAY AWAY FROM CHIROPRACTORS.


Good luck

[MudderBear]

Re: Herniated Disc Experience? L5?

Get in to see a physical therapist, they can help the best and even show you what you can do at home. IMHO..... STAY AWAY FROM CHIROPRACTORS.


Good luck

I totally agree,,,,I have probs still from a herniated disc, and will not go to a chiroprator.

[roset]

Re: Herniated Disc Experience? L5?

Oh Maddison, I feel so bad for you. Here you are jogging trying to exercise and now this. I never had that but heard from friends that it is painful. Take it easy and hope you can get some help.

[Maddison]

Re: Herniated Disc Experience? L5?

Thank you, all. All suggestions/advice appreciated.

[AllieK]

Re: Herniated Disc Experience? L5?

I have a herniated, fragmented disk in L5. You have to get the swelling down somehow. I had to have a ESI (epidural steriod injection) to get mine where I could start exercising to make my pelvic region strong enough to hold my spine in line.
Have you had a MRI yet? What side the bulge is on will determine how you exercise. With mine, it is in the back of the disc, so I have to keep the back of the spine closed, so the disc doesn't slip out.

Here's some of the things I do to keep the pain down.

sleep with a small roll under the small of my back...not high enough to make it uncomfortable, but high enough to keep the curve in my spine and not let it flatten out.
use back support when you are sitting or driving. You have to keep the curve in your back to take pressure off of the nerve.
Ibuprophen is a anti-inflamatory drug and it works better than anything else that I tried.
Alternate ice and heat until you feel the muscles jumping. I always figured that when the muscles started jumping, it was coming out of the "pinched" state.

Never bend over to pick anything up. Squat down, get what you want and then stand back up.

[Bean]

Re: Herniated Disc Experience? L5?

Maddison, I know all about the leg and butt pain, I have 2 bad discs and got shot therapy last summer. I had to take some time off from working out but got right back into it. The shots beat surgery but I recently went back for another MRI and they think it is coming down to that. I’m holding off and will do the shots again before surgery. I hope you get some relief, I know how bad it is. Check into the shot therapy (it’s a series of 3).

[shumway]

Re: Herniated Disc Experience? L5?

I have blown out my L5 and L6 3 times. My Chiropractor was the only thing that saved me. I did also double it up with cortizone injections. Very, very painful.(not the shots) The Last time I was bed ridden for almost 2 weeks. I would definetly recommend a Chiro and if you see a good one, he'll tell you if you need to see a surgeon.

[TexAnn]

Re: Herniated Disc Experience? L5?

I had surgery on L3 in 1989. I held off as long as I could. The surgery was successful and I am fine now. Do what the Doctor tells you and you will be fine. Get better soon!

[luvs2eat]

Re: Herniated Disc Experience? L5?

Babe just had shot # 1 of 3... he said he felt different things over the next few days but after about 4, his back felt like it always did. He'll schedule another shot... and another... but I don't hold out lots of hope that they'll do much.

[beatlebette]

Re: Herniated Disc Experience? L5?

I'm so sorry about your fall Maddison! (((((hugstoyou)))))

I have 4 deteriorating discs in my spine. Not the same thing, but very painful at times. I had physical therapy for awhile, and find that the stretching exercises help a lot. I hope your elbow heels quickly.

[AllieK]

Re: Herniated Disc Experience? L5?

Do not go to a chiropractor unless you have had the MRI and know exactly what you are dealing with. Take the MRI report to your chiropractor so he knows what is going on too. It's not always a simple herniated disc.

My SIL started having neck problems and went to a chiropractor. The treatments weren't helping her, so she had the MRI. They found it was 3 collapsing discs in her neck, and one of the discs was pointing into her spinal cord. The doctor almost had a heart attack when she told him that she had been going to a chiro. He told her that if that disc has pressed any more into her spinal cord, she may have been paralyzed. She had surgery immediately and is now doing fine.