Or fml?

Any other cripples out there?

L4-L5 is herniated and L5-S1 is extruded.

8/30/2011 6:01:15 PM

Why? what the fuck did you do?




Also I have upper back pain from slouching.


I'm now sleeping on a hard, flat surface to realign my spine.

[Edited on August 30, 2011 at 6:05 PM. Reason : .]

8/30/2011 6:05:04 PM

Nothing in particular.

Initially hurt it in '97. Back surgery in '99 to remove a cyst on L4-L5. Since then, it comes and goes.

In July, I had a "relapse" that had me literally on the floor.

Now we are in the market for a tempurpedic.

[Edited on August 30, 2011 at 6:15 PM. Reason : Bed]

8/30/2011 6:14:36 PM

leave the marines alone, adam

8/30/2011 6:30:30 PM

I thought that shit was supposed to practically paralyze you from the waste down

8/30/2011 6:34:40 PM

^ No, I think an epidrual (if placed correctly) only numbs the area. Skeletal muscle control is retained, or how else would she push the baby out?

8/30/2011 10:06:14 PM

Damn, son, that sounds terrible. And I thought having sciatica sucked

8/30/2011 10:12:54 PM

An epidural numbs the nerve where the steroid is released.

Last time I had one I almost passed out from having A FREAKING NEEDLE SHOVED INTO MY SPINAL COLUMN.

8/30/2011 10:57:50 PM

^ Try having 4 done in a year, with the first one being something I didn't expect...AT ALL. I literally felt the steroid burning going down from my spine to my toes where it then shorted out and burned even worse. Shit sucks. And I had a nerve EMG (or whatever it's called) done which was like having multiple needles all in your back to test the nerve damage. I had my L4 & L5 ruptured which were pinching my entire L4/L5 nerve roots. Not to mention, I had a horrible case of sciatica too. I was fucked up for about a good 8 months.

kdogg(c), PM me if you need to.





[Edited on August 30, 2011 at 11:06 PM. Reason : .]

8/30/2011 11:05:49 PM

I had my epidural (and surgery) done by Dr. Leonard Nelson. He did Archie Miller's.

Anyway, they gave me a local anasthetic so I wouldn't feel any of the big honking needle or the steroids.

The Navy says I can have three in a year.

I don't remember how long it lasted, and I won't have it done until 28 Sep.

8/30/2011 11:25:59 PM

I've had chronic lower back pain for a while and am seeing a chiropractor about it. She hasn't had a lot of success with me yet though and ordered some X rays that showed nothing wrong (except for some very minor scoliosis). What perplexes me the most is that the lower back pain is more noticeable first thing in the morning and not at the end of the day, when you would think it would be.

Thankfully I have nothing seriously physically wrong with my back like some of you poor souls in here!

8/31/2011 8:39:38 AM

Maybe your bed sucks?

8/31/2011 8:44:44 AM

Maybe go to a real doctor?

8/31/2011 9:11:09 AM

good computer posture FTW

8/31/2011 9:32:02 AM

^^^it's not the bed

^^ZING

8/31/2011 10:04:34 AM

Quote :

"What perplexes me the most is that the lower back pain is more noticeable first thing in the morning and not at the end of the day"

Could be some arthritis, that would be better as the day went along.

8/31/2011 12:27:49 PM

My lower back is constantly hurting

But it's from being pathetically out of shape

8/31/2011 12:34:27 PM

I wasn't kidding, though. A doctor would be better able to diagnose things like this:

Quote :

"Could be some arthritis, that would be better as the day went along."

8/31/2011 1:34:28 PM

^^^oh FML that would suck

^well I suppose i might see a doctor if this doesn't work. In the meantime my insurance copay for a chiropractor is $0.00

[Edited on August 31, 2011 at 1:43 PM. Reason : k]

8/31/2011 1:42:30 PM

^Yeah usually you would see arthritis present more in the knees, feet/ankle, and/or hands but it can affect pretty much any joint.

Main thing is if it is joint related to check and make sure its not rheumatoid or something serious, otherwise you just kinda live with it.

I've got some caused by an autoimmune issue and you kinda learn to live with it though it can drive me crazy if I don't keep moving a little bit sometimes. Aspirin is your friend.

8/31/2011 2:07:41 PM

In before BlackDog.

8/31/2011 2:26:23 PM

Epidural scheduled for next Wednesday.

I was sitting at the dining room table tonight helping my son with his homework. After we were finished, I got up and felt a tingling in my left shin and on the top and bottom of my left foot. Given my current diagnosis (bulged disc at L4-L5 impinging on its right-sided L5 nerve root, and ruptured disc at L5-S1), I decided to check some things out online to see any connection...

As it turns out, the S1 nerve root is felt on the top of the foot, and the L5 nerve root is felt on the shin.

Will be talking with the Doc tomorrow, as now I am having tingling on my right side AND my left.

9/21/2011 10:28:23 PM

^^YOU MOTHERFUCK, I came in here to post that!

9/21/2011 10:31:14 PM

According to the Doc, the epidural procedure couldn't have gone better.

According to Adam (me), it was something I never wish to experience EVAR. I had an epidural in 1999 and it didn't give me any pain. The pain I had this time started in my ischium (butt bone) as the steroid was injected. It was as if a vice grip had the bone and was squeezing it. The steroid was injected in steps, and each time the pain was worse, and for longer duration. The pain "grew" down the femur.

After the pain, the vagal syncope set it (I almost passed out).

Then, after all of that was finished, they said they wanted me to schedule another session in 6-8 weeks.

Next time I WANNA BE SEDATED!

9/29/2011 9:19:18 AM

just got an MRI on my back... lots of bulging discs, some osteoarthritis (old decrepit man), an annular tear, etc.

going to specialist a week from now.

but I agree with ^. I wanna be sedated.

9/29/2011 9:34:12 AM

i've had 11 ESIs in the past 3 years and while the pain is acute when you get the injection, it is far better than the pain of the pinched nerve. I've had a pinched L5-S1 nerve for 13 years now and it is getting progressively worse, i think i have little to no disc left and can't feel my left two toes, they feel permanently asleep

i go to the Carolina Back Institute for the injections and have been to a chiro...chiro was whack, drugs are real, although they won't restore nerve damage, just pain management IME

9/29/2011 9:45:28 AM

When I went to the Physical Therapist for my follow-up, he gave me a book, "Treat Your Own Back," by Robin McKenzie, a guy who has been doing lower back pain therapy for 60 years.

http://www.mckenziemdt.org/index_us.cfm

9/29/2011 9:51:10 AM

The doc prescribed me physical therapy and pain pills... I have a couple of questions for you people who have experience with back pain.

1. Physical Therapy... Seems pretty expensive... is it? My insurance card says the copay for physical therapy is ~50 bucks a pop... do I have to pay 50 bucks each time I go? (I'm assuming so) Problem is she wants me to go 3 times a week for 6 weeks, and that seems like it will add up QUICK.

2. Drugs... I was prescribed Flexeril and Percocet. The instructions say for each of the take 2 pills as needed, and was recommended 3 times per day. This seems like a whole lot of painkillers, and as I have never been one to take a lot of painkillers, I don't want to become dependent on them (as I have seen people close to me deal with painkiller addictions in the past)... I took 2 percs and 2 flexerils this morning and I'm feeling pretty good right now at work. Will this euphoria-like feeling become less apparent once I've taken the meds for a while?

10/13/2011 8:12:31 AM

Do you have Aflac? I had to pay a copayment every time I went to PT, but mine was only $15... Then Aflac sent me money for every time I went - so it all balanced out in the end.

And I'm not 100% sure, but I do think those are two drugs that lose their effect the more you take them, thus you have to keep taking more.. And I know they're easy to get hooked on..

[Edited on October 13, 2011 at 8:50 AM. Reason : Seems like a lot of meds :/]

10/13/2011 8:49:34 AM

PT is typically worth it. If you're worried about the copays adding up, you can get the PT to teach you the exercises/stretches to do on your own and see the PT less often. Most PTs are very willing to work with you as long as you do the work and you're respectful of their time.

I don't know about Flexeril, but Percocet does lose its effectiveness if you take it regularly. You then require more to get the same feeling/relief and your body starts to expect its next dose. It's a really yucky antsy feeling. When I take Percocet for pain (which I did last night), I never take the higher dose and try to space it out even more than prescribed. I'm prescribed 2 pills at the time. I usually start with 1 pill and if I don't get enough relief in an hour or two, I'll take a 1/2 pill. That usually works for me. There are non-narcotic options that do a great job controlling pain and you can always ask for one instead. I've had good results with Tramadol.

Good luck!

10/13/2011 9:04:53 AM

Also in before BlackDog.

10/13/2011 5:41:12 PM

I need to see a doctor for back pain if anybody has a good recommendation. Never had any problems until some dumbass 16 year old creamed my girlfriend's car at the beginning of the year. I didn't go snowboading last winter because of it and this year isn't looking good either. My back has been killing me lately. I need to get back into treatment, but my (previous) doctor is a worthless pill pusher IMO.



[Edited on October 13, 2011 at 8:14 PM. Reason : l]

10/13/2011 8:13:25 PM

Quote :

"1. Physical Therapy... Seems pretty expensive... is it? My insurance card says the copay for physical therapy is ~50 bucks a pop... do I have to pay 50 bucks each time I go? (I'm assuming so) Problem is she wants me to go 3 times a week for 6 weeks, and that seems like it will add up QUICK. 2. Drugs... I was prescribed Flexeril and Percocet. The instructions say for each of the take 2 pills as needed, and was recommended 3 times per day. This seems like a whole lot of painkillers, and as I have never been one to take a lot of painkillers, I don't want to become dependent on them (as I have seen people close to me deal with painkiller addictions in the past)... I took 2 percs and 2 flexerils this morning and I'm feeling pretty good right now at work. Will this euphoria-like feeling become less apparent once I've taken the meds for a while?"

1. Dang. I would say go and let them diagnose what the best PT is for you, do a few sessions to learn the exercises, and then do them at home.

2. As far as the pain killers go, I would recommend taking them only when you ABSOLUTELY need them. Try Aleve instead. The Flexeril is a muscle relaxer, so what's probably happening is that your discs bulging into your nerves causing your muscles to tighten and spasm. The Flexeril will help those muscles. BE WARNED: The last time I took Flexeril, I slept for 15 hours...STRAIGHT. Wouldn't work with my being on a submarine. There are other MR's you could ask for if that is an issue (Skelaxin or Robaxin are the two they gave me).

And, again, I would recommend taking a look at the TREAT YOUR OWN BACK book (mentioned above).

Skack, if you live in the Raleigh/Cary area, I would recommend going to Outten Chiropractor (gasp...not a CHIRO!!!) ( ). I went to him while in college (and after my first back surgery) and he was great.

An orthopedic surgeon is just that...they do surgery on something that may be able to be resolved with chiropractic care or physical therapy. The McKenzie link above will show you which PT's in your area are certified McKenzie methodology (again...the guy has been doing PT for LBP since before my folks could walk).

Update: Getting another EPI on Nov. 7th. Still having pain. Frustrated.

10/14/2011 12:40:30 AM

A chiropractor made my neck worse.

I went to a physical therapist and it was immensely better. Chiro tried saying it was an actual bone issue, but SURPRISE it was just crazy muscle spasms..

10/14/2011 12:45:43 AM

Quote :

"2. As far as the pain killers go, I would recommend taking them only when you ABSOLUTELY need them. Try Aleve instead. The Flexeril is a muscle relaxer, so what's probably happening is that your discs bulging into your nerves causing your muscles to tighten and spasm. The Flexeril will help those muscles. BE WARNED: The last time I took Flexeril, I slept for 15 hours...STRAIGHT. Wouldn't work with my being on a submarine. There are other MR's you could ask for if that is an issue (Skelaxin or Robaxin are the two they gave me)."

yeah that's how the doctor described it. I have a prescription for 800mg ibuprofin as well that I take in place of the percocet. (I've started taking the percs only in the morning as that's when my back pain is the worst, and it helps me get through the morning at work)

Before I was prescribed Flexeril and Percocet, I had a different muscle relaxer that didn't really help at all. She went ahead and gave me something stronger one so that's how i got my current drug cocktail.

10/14/2011 10:24:51 AM

In the morning, right when you get out of bed, try doing 5 or 6 10-second back bends, or half pushups (like you are trying to stretch out your abs).

Actually, you should do those anytime you are immobilized for a long period.

10/14/2011 8:32:48 PM

Tempurpedic King Foundation will be coming in the next few weeks.

King Contour Select hopefully at the same time.

10/22/2011 4:22:39 PM

i gotta replace mine, hope the new-gen one is a lot better, i'm tired of this upper back pain lol

10/22/2011 4:31:35 PM

Bed is coming tomorrow, and it could not come sooner.

I've felt tingling on my shin and feet for a while now, and yesterday I had to stand up in military formation for 10 minutes (no big for a normal person). All of a sudden, it felt as if the area around my right knee felt numb. Now my right leg is VERY weak, and partly numb.

Seeing the ortho surgeon today. I'm supposed to have an epidural next week.

11/3/2011 12:39:51 PM

Update: Ortho wants me to get another set of MRIs/X-Rays. Says something is obviously different ("worse") than it was, not that I'm losing the feeling in my right leg (happening as I type this).

Says I'm still good-to-go for the epi-freaking-dural tomorrow ( ). Can't having anything 12 hours prior to it...it's at 1:30 pm. No breakfast or lunch.

Hoping they sedate me.

Tempurpedic bed is here and my back still hurts like 43|_|_ in the morning.

anyone know if they sell backs on craigslist?

11/6/2011 9:34:40 PM

Had MRIs and XRays last week. Trying to see the ortho ASAP. Went to urgent care yesterday and they gave me Vicodin and Robaxin because I can't keep doing this.

was on the way to PT today and had to come back home and take some drugs

please God make it stop

and the bed may not be helping

11/14/2011 9:26:07 AM

Welp...there it is.

Went to an out-in-town (non-military) Ortho today for my eval. Took five seconds to look at my MRI (above and other pictures) and told me I had two options:

1) Surgery to remove the herniation (about 50%) of the disc, which would get rid of the butt/leg pain, but it may require another surgery down the road to remove the rest of the disc and fuse L4 and L5, or

2) Surgery to remove the disc and fuse the vertebrae.

Option #2

December 1, 2011 (almost 12 years to the day of my last surgery on L4-L5)

Short-term recovery: 6 weeks

Long-term recovery: 6 months (time for L4 & L5 to fuse and, thus, become L45)

It's about a 3 hour surgery and a two day stay in the hospital.

A little scary to think that they are going to remove something that has been a part of me since I was in my mother's womb.

And a little scary that I'll be "down" for 3 hours.

And that it's happening in 11 days.

11/19/2011 12:01:28 AM

Wow Im sorry. I hope that I don't ever have to go thru this. I am stubborn. And I still lifting weights.

11/19/2011 12:04:00 AM

i'm still yet to hear of a "successful" back surgery

as a side note, the Dr. prescribed me lyrica and while i was hesistant to take medication it has decreased my numbness feelings(although my toes are still numb) so it has basically masked my numbness/tingling rather than address the real problem. Also haven't done any spine compressing movements in weeks

11/26/2011 6:40:10 AM

I would consider it a success if it got rid of the constant pain in my back, knee, and leg.

5 days

11/26/2011 9:57:19 AM

i had a herniated disc at l4-l5 also. I did epidurals and pt and all is good now. i did a ton of core work and it made a huge difference. epidurals worked for me.

11/26/2011 1:59:02 PM

no sarcasm, I think that is awesome. I wish it had worked with me. I've tried physical therapy for my core, epidurals, a chiropractor, traction, and NONE of it worked. not even the smallest bit. all of that since July. my disc has been herniated for probably about 10 years now. had I been consistent about my physical therapy a decade ago (when I was on a submarine and unable to have a schedule to support), I'm sure my outcome would have been way different.

What I am thankful for is that the doctor that is performing the surgery does these surgeries on a weekly basis (non-military), so I know he's very familiar with the surgery and will not (God willing) screw it up. I would have been very nervous if a military doctor ended up doing it. And, unlike last time, I'll have plenty of time to recover and re-train my core muscles.

And and and and....I just got back from the E.R. and they confirmed that I can be on my Norco up until the day of the surgery. I was confused into believing I had to be off all meds except tylenol 7 days before the surgery. I didn't get any sleep last night, and called my doctor's answering service today and the lady wouldn't let me 1) speak to the on-call Ortho or, 2) even have his number. So I went to the ER and they told me I could continue to take Norco (it's 5mg of Oxy and 325mg of Tylenol) until surgery time. So they gave me a script for 20, which will last me until Thursday.

11/26/2011 7:08:32 PM

yeah I had/have a herniated disc which was causing sciatica down my leg, went through the physical therapy and all that jazz. Back specialist told me that sometimes the herniation can "work itself out" and the herniated fluid can break off and be absorbed by the body. I dont know if thats what happened to me, but I feel pretty good now after just watching the kind of physical activities I take part in. I was hurting so bad at one point that I was limping around and felt like I was dragging my right leg around.

I'm hoping the pain doesnt come back, but I'm so glad I didnt make any moves towards actually getting some sort of surgery done like my doctor was suggesting.

11/27/2011 4:04:38 PM

Had some clients with same issues

Foam rolling, stretching, physical therapy...eventually followed by deadlifts, reverse hypersensitive, etc.


I would avoid chiropractors

11/27/2011 4:12:56 PM

Got freaking pink eye yesterday.

Had to go to the eye doctor today.

Called the Surgeon and he said, "Can't do it with any infection. See you next Thursday. Here's 30 more Norco pills."

FML

11/30/2011 11:41:19 PM