Back, want surgery

[farrier!]

I have been dealing with 2 slightly protruding disks for over a year. Before this happened i could throw a 50 pound bag over each shoulder and walk off with them. Now i can barely move anything with the help of a wheelbarrow. I did something to irritate my back the other day. Right now I can't change from sitting to standing without wanting to scream and feel so weak my legs won't hold me. Everyone says not to have surgery, I can't live like this anymore..... I made an appointment with a Dr but I still have a month to go on the 4 month wait to get in to just see him. I would go to the ER today but don't see where that would help any. As bad as the pain is it is the muscle spasms that feel as if my back is tearing apart I can't deal with.
Anyone have success stories? I am afraid I am just really depressed right now.

 

[cassie]

For what it is worth, my husband used to be a heavy equipment mechanic. He injured his back while fixing a large crane and had to have surgery. Over the years several of his co workers injured their backs and had to have surgery too. My husband came through the surgery just fine and never had any more trouble with his back for the rest of his life. His surgery was performed by a neurosurgeon. Of the men that worked with him that had back surgery, those that had their surgery done by a neurosurgeon did very well but those that were operated on by an orthopedic surgeon continued to have problems. Now this wasn't a large controlled scientific study, but it did involve at least ten men.

 

[lularat]

I have dealt with back problems for a number of years. I have protruding discs in my cervical spine and faceted joint syndrome in my lower back. I have injections for my lower back and my upper back hasn't bothered me too much lately. I do suggest that you get a referral to a neurosurgeon if you haven't already. They would do the surgery if you need it. Lower back pain is really the pits, affects everything you do. Are you on a muscle relaxer for the spasms? Can you call the doctor you have an appt. with to see if there is any way they can see you earlier or maybe call you if someone cancels their appt.? Sounds as though your slightly protruding discs may have gotten worse. Can you go to your primary doctor to prescribe you some medication for the pain and spasms? I feel for you and hope you get to feeling better soon. Keep us updated.

 

[vehve]

Apart from the obvious pain meds, some people I know have felt that heat treatment can temporarily lessen the pain a bit. Fill a tennis sock with rice, tie it, moisten it a bit (Wash your hands and dry them on the sock) and throw it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. It should give out heat nicely and might help you a bit while you wait for the operation (in case you decide to get it).

 

[delder2009]

I have been dealing with 2 slightly protruding disks for over a year. Before this happened i could throw a 50 pound bag over each shoulder and walk off with them. Now i can barely move anything with the help of a wheelbarrow. I did something to irritate my back the other day. Right now I can't change from sitting to standing without wanting to scream and feel so weak my legs won't hold me. Everyone says not to have surgery, I can't live like this anymore..... I made an appointment with a Dr but I still have a month to go on the 4 month wait to get in to just see him. I would go to the ER today but don't see where that would help any. As bad as the pain is it is the muscle spasms that feel as if my back is tearing apart I can't deal with.
Anyone have success stories? I am afraid I am just really depressed right now.

I'm sorry to hear about your back. I was a CNA for many years and have seen back surgery's go badly for many. Back in 09 I was in a car accident. All my Dr.s told me I had to have surgery on my cervical and lumbar. I refused. It got to the point that I couldn't use my hands. I couldn't feel them at all. They told me if I let it go much longer I would lose both hands. So I gave in. I figured I don't have them now so they couldn't mess me up anymore. I found a top rated surgeon and he had me in surgery in a week. I did everything they told me. As soon as i woke up from surgery i could feel my hands again. It took about 2 years after the surgery to recover (the pain to stop). There are still thing's I love to do but can't as far as my shoulders, arms and hand. But my lumbar spine is another story. I'm now looking at losing my left leg if I don't get my lumbar spine fixed. All I can say is find a good surgeon and do as they say.

 

[delder2009]

I wish you the best. I truly know how it feels. For so long you can do thing and never think about it and then you can hardly do anything. Keep your head up! It can be very hard at time. But you are strong and very much cared about. Best wishes

 

[bigmrg74]

I have been dealing with 2 slightly protruding disks for over a year. Before this happened i could throw a 50 pound bag over each shoulder and walk off with them. Now i can barely move anything with the help of a wheelbarrow. I did something to irritate my back the other day. Right now I can't change from sitting to standing without wanting to scream and feel so weak my legs won't hold me. Everyone says not to have surgery, I can't live like this anymore.....

I made an appointment with a Dr but I still have a month to go on the 4 month wait to get in to just see him. I would go to the ER today but don't see where that would help any. As bad as the pain is it is the muscle spasms that feel as if my back is tearing apart I can't deal with.
Anyone have success stories? I am afraid I am just really depressed right now.

I would strongly suggest you go visit a good chiropractor, somebody who can take in office x-rays and see if they can give you any relieve. after that, I would strongly suggest a good massage from somebody who knows what they are doing and who eyes light up and they smile when you ask them if they know how to release the psoas. Its a hip flexor muscle located in front of the lumbar spine and attached down on the front of your femor(top leg bone).

To access it, the Massage Therapist would find the outer part of your rectus abdominus(the six pack), and go in towards the spine. Needless to say, this isn't exactly comfortable under the best of conditions, and well, you don't really want to do it after a big lunch either. However, a therapist who knows how to tackle that sucker would likely know what they're doing, and would work towards loosing you up enough that you could relax through that therapist digging into your psoas.

Neither one of them can really help you with the discs much, especially if you have really messed them up, thus the Chiropractor visit with an x-ray to get things started. However, they should help to bring you back into alignment if something has shifted on you and is pressing on a nerve and causing your muscles to tighten up and guarding the area, trying to keep you from hurting more.

 

[vehve]

Here, chiropractors aren't recognized as an official treatment, but while my father was in queue for his surgery (A vertebra in his lower back had started growing inwards, squeezing the spinal cord), the surgeon recommended one. He felt that it really helped ease the pain a bit. I later took my grandmother to the same place, and while sitting in the waiting room, I saw a guy come limping in and going to his treatment. 20 minutes later, he was practically dancing on the way out, looked 20 years younger. So for some people, it seems to help, at least temporarily.

 

[delder2009]

Here, chiropractors aren't recognized as an official treatment, but while my father was in queue for his surgery (A vertebra in his lower back had started growing inwards, squeezing the spinal cord), the surgeon recommended one. He felt that it really helped ease the pain a bit. I later took my grandmother to the same place, and while sitting in the waiting room, I saw a guy come limping in and going to his treatment. 20 minutes later, he was practically dancing on the way out, looked 20 years younger. So for some people, it seems to help, at least temporarily.

it depends on the person and how bad the damage is. I went to on right after the accident for a little over a year 3x a week. They were one of the Dr.s telling me I had to have surgery. After the surgery and rehab I went back for another year 2x a week. It help my neck but caused my lumbar spine to get worse. So it really depends on the ingery. But a good chiropractor will tell you if it can help. Like with any doctor there are good one and some that are not so good. Wish you the best

 

[jlynnp]

Have you tried or considered pain management? I have severe back problems including facet joint probs, bulging discs, significant scoliosis and a lot of degenerative arthritis. I have been seeing a pain management Dr for quite some time and I swear by him!! They use several different methods for helping pain including meds, injections, radio waves and so forth. As for the chiropractor - now way I will ever consider that route. Some 40 years ago I had a son who was very slow to develop motor skills and I let myself be talked into taking this baby to a chiropractor. After hundreds of dollars, countless appointments I finally said enough is enough and took him to a new pediatrician who took one look at him and referred us to a pediatric neurologist where my son was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Years later another chiropractor came to my second sons school and told all the kids she could 'cure' ADD.