has anyone else had a herniated disk?

[dinahmoe]

i have a herniated disk and was just wandering if any one esle has gone thru this.

is it possible to reverse one?

mine is L4-L5.shows up very nice on the MRI.i have medical coverage thru the VA so i have my physicals and whatever else needed on a regular basis.i am a little over weight and trying to shed some pounds because i know that doesn't help.i wear a back brace and have not lifted anything heavy for a while now.this has been going on for almost 2 years.i recently had a steriod injection on my left side which helped about 3 weeks.i am due another one in january.not sure if it is worth it or not.i have pain and inflammation medication i take when needed but it is not everyday.

i also have degenerative joint disease that is not helping.i asked my primary care doc that i was willing to try everything instead of surgery and she pretty much said it wasn't going to get better.she said not to pick up my kids or feed sacks or basically anything.i am 40yo with 2 very small children and a farm to look after.i am not one to sit around and do nothing so this insn't going to work.

i am looking at everything from inverson tables to exercise and diet.i can manage the pain right now with the meds and my little shocker devise(i like that).i also use a heating pad and ice packs when needed.
i am healthy except for this-my doc said ,other than this,i am in great health.

i am not willing to give up my life as i know and it angered me that my doc said there was nothing i could do.

thank guys

 

[StupidBird]

I'm there with you. I'll be following this as well, because I'm not settling for the answers I'm getting (more meds! More Injections! stop living! ie, picking things up and omg, you want to work?)

 

[featherfinder]

My uncle has them. He had 3 in his neck and still has 2 in his back. He went threw the VA as well. He had sergery on his neck and they fussed them together and he said it is much better no except he cant turn his neck as much as he use to. The VA told him the ones in his back were not out of place enough for them to cover the sergery and he has no way to pay for it so he has lived with it for 10 years now and he is on bed rest daily. Use to be a auto machanic and very active craftsman but not since. It hurts him to much to do anything and the pain meds do not help at all any more. He is only a 1/4 cm short of having the sergery covered but cant. I would go ahead and get it done while you can and before it causes you real damage.

 

[Lothiriel]

My great aunt has had a few, and my best friend's mom just found out she has one.

 

[dinahmoe]

Quote:
maybe we can do this together.

 

[dinahmoe]

Quote:
the only problem with this is its the VA.not bashing the VA by any means ,its just that they will not do it until the last resort.i mention that ,since i am younger,why not have it done now before any more damage is done.my doc said they won't touch you yet. she recentley sent a patient to the nuerosurgeon and they sent him back and told her to send him back to them when he can no longer use his arm.she thought he needed surgery as well as the MRI Docs but the nueros said no.
i don't have much say in the VA system.

 

[featherfinder]

Quote:
the only problem with this is its the VA.not bashing the VA by any means ,its just that they will not do it until the last resort.i mention that ,since i am younger,why not have it done now before any more damage is done.my doc said they won't touch you yet. she recentley sent a patient to the nuerosurgeon and they sent him back and told her to send him back to them when he can no longer use his arm.i don't have much say in the VA system.

I completely understand. The only reason they did his neck after multiple shots like you was because he was developing nerve damage from it. He got a little better after that and told him he had to wait on his back. Now he has permanet nerve damage in his legs and arms from the ones in his back not being fixed. You could cut him with a knife on the hand and he would not feel it. He did drop a piece of wood on his foot and didnt feel it till he noticed a huge bruise and had it xrayed and found out it was broken. Its serious things and the VA is always giving us the run around. I really hope they dont do the same to you and you can get it taken care of and get back to working on your farm. Trying telling them it is worse than it is and keep at it and maybe then they will do it.