NWR: Herniated Discs? Very Late Update!

Have you tried low back decompression? I worked for a chiropractor who used Lordex and I saw it work magic for some people.

I haven't heard of it but I will certainly look into it! I was told by my doctor once that massages and chiropractic work generally aren't good for herniated discs, but it's still worth researching! Thank you!

I hope you get some relief. Back pain is the worst.

@Cheslie- No, I'm kind of terrified of that like I am of surgery. I should have mentioned. I know that it would probably help, but I know people (including my dad) who have had them and it either hasn't worked well, or they inject it in the wrong spot which hurts even more. If it comes down to it I'll do it though. Thanks for the suggestion!

@NewFutureMrs- Thank you!

I'm a huge advocate of chiropractic care. I think you would benefit greatly from it.

@Natalie- I'm definitely going to look into it! Thank you!

Unfortunately, I know it all too well - L4/L5 and L5/S1 are both torn, L5/S1 1/23/14, the other a year later. The injections (yes, multiple, two steroids, one numbing) didn't work. Just took time. It sucks, big time it sucks. Do whatever stretches you can (I found some that work awesomely in a chair since I was sitting down all day for two years - google "hamstring chair stretches), and honestly, those helped more than the PT or the injections.

ETA Unfortunately for me, chiropractic wasn't covered under worker's comp, so that wasn't even an option, as seeing *anyone* not approved would nullify my claim and require me to pay back everything, which after 32 weeks of PT, countless appts and three injections, that just wasn't possible. :/

I also have L3-5 herniated and C5/6. Sciatica down the left leg and symptoms (numbness/tingling) down the right arm sort of balance me out (the outside of my left foot and pinky toe have basically been numb since 2009 - I probably should have gone to get a cortisone shot instead of laying in bed crying in pain for three days, but I was contracting at the time and didn't know how good of a job I'd done picking my health insurance - turns out the MRI wiped out almost all of the year's deductible then I was covered 100%. Never have gotten a shot.)

I notice a difference if I don't do my Pilates mat exercises (for core strength) a few to several times a week. I've been through six courses of PT, and let my chiro do soft tissue work (and only one adjstument) on me. They haven't quite perfected back surgery yet, so it's the absolute, can't even move, last resort.

I still ski and dance - I sometimes notice the C5/6 thing in warrior 2 during yoga, the sciatica when turning out in ballet class...but mostly manage these days. I also try to remember to stretch my psoas whenever I can (spend a lot of time sitting commuting in car, at work), and just got my transitional (to standing) desk at work installed today.

Good luck with everything futuremrsjennings. I'm so sorry you are having to go through this. I cracked my L4 when I was in hs, and used to pull my back out at least twice a year really bad. I've been seeing a chiropractor (and now marketing for them) for a year, and haven't pulled it out since!

L5-S1 here!

I have an AMAZING chiropractor who can adjust just slightly and stop the pinching/numbness. He's a magician.

I highly recommend finding a chiro who is familiar with your diagnosis and going in for a consult.

Other things that have helped me:

Wearing a lumbar support brace when I start to feel achy. If I wait until it's all-out pain, it's too late. But having that extra support before it gets that far can generally stop it from getting out of control.

Sleeping flat on my back, instead of on my sides or on an incline. No pillows or anything.

The "Butt Stretch" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkiWj3jC6ms

I lost track of everyone but thank you so much! Although I wouldn't wish this garbage on anyone, I am so glad to know I am not alone. I definitely have some things to look into and will certainly do so! Thank you again! <3

I had good luck with steroids and chiropractor adjustments for my L5-S1! I second those suggestions.

@Chelsie, it's in Wyoming, where they would rather me drive 5 hours to another doc in Casper, WY than drive less than 2 hours and see a doc in Denver! The whole system here is jacked...I was told I *had* to be faking it because I "knew too much about my condition". Ummmm even if there wasn't a thing called Google, they never took into account that I went through EMT school. Besides, shouldn't I, as the person who is hurt, do everything I can to educate myself on my condition and treatments??? Nope, not in Wyoming. Love this place, but the willful ignorance drives me batshit sometimes!

I herniated L5-S1 and had a discectomy/laminectomy after injections and PT did nothing. 8 years later I had them fused. I know it's not what you want to hear, and not what will work for everyone, but after the fusion was the first time in 10 years that I didn't have sciatic pain.

One thing I've done for residual tension and a hip issue (caused by walking funny for so many years from the back pain) is dry needling. It's like acupuncture and uses the same tiny needles, but it goes into the muscle and sort of "forces" it to relax. I won't say it's painless, but when you can fully relax the knots and muscles around an injury, you are more effective when you do strengthening exercises to stabilize your core. My PT is who did the dry needling and it's covered under insurance as part of a PT treatment.

Best of luck, I hope you can keep it under control without surgery. It's certainly no fun.

I work for a pain management doctor who specializes in the spine. There are several types of injections that can be tried including burning the nerve that is causing the leg to go numb. My suggestion is to try to find a physician who specializes in the spine. We see so many patients on a daily basis with the same thing, myself included. When you look for a doctor, if you're interested in the injections I highly recommend you find one that performs injections under a fluoroscope. I hope you feel better

I have L5-S1. I've been doing better since second injection. I also do PT. I'm hoping with PT it will help me. I did do chiropractor but after my second shot I stopped, read too much on how it wasn't good

This is a super duper, extremely late update but I was just going through my old posts (I'm a little bored...) and realized I never updated this! Not like anyone really cares- but if anyone else is out there suffering as I was, I thought sharing my experience would be good.

So, this original post was in July and in the beginning of September my back went out completely. I could hardly walk, sit, stand, lie down, drive...basically any activity of any kind. It had not been that bad since October of 2012. I didn't have insurance in September so I didn't want to go to my doctor. I talked to a lot of people at work (since I saw them more frequently than friends and family, haha) and people kept suggestion chiropractic help, as many of you did above. My FH finally talked me into going to see a chiropractor. He knew one in the area, and many people he knew that sought help from him had great success. So we went together to have a conversation with him, since I was really scared and didn't want to jump right into adjustments. I had my first exam at the end of September. The x-rays concluded that not only are my L4 and L5 discs herniated, but there is a very prominent curvature in my lower-mid back, and my neck is curved in the opposite direction it is supposed to be. That explained a lot. The exam also revealed that certain discs were on their way out, and under a lot of stress like C3 and T10 (I think, definitely C3 though). Many of you that suffer with similar issues probably know this, but I also learned that each disc affects multiple different organs of the body as well. Which also explained a lot about how I had been feeling lately, especially during this latest episode of back pain.

The first few adjustments were interesting. I was definitely achy and my body was a bit confused, but now getting an adjustment is my favorite part of my week. My body is still going through changes and my pain shifts around and some days it is worse than others, but I'm learning how to manage it and feel like I'm on a good path to recovery. The chiropractor has provided me with tools to help me avoid and manage pain, like a really good back pillow/ seat cushion to help me at work since I sit for almost my entire shift, stretches I can do, and energetic work I can do at home.

Part of the reason I am writing about this is because I was told by my doctor not to see a chiropractor. I know that chiropractic care is not always supported by doctors, but I feel like I've been cheated out of having a normal life for the last 4 years. I always follow doctors' orders (my dad is a bad patient, don't want to be like him) so I was adamant about NOT trying anything my doctor said not to. But because I was told the only treatment there was for me was surgery, PT, or steroid shots (all of which I previously mentioned I was terrified of, or it didn't work for me), I felt like my options were exhausted so I just kept living with the way things were. While I was in college (before I found out I had this issue), I was determined to graduate and then move to Quantico to begin training to be in the FBI. I spent years studying and although I wasn't super fit at the time, I began the process of becoming healthy and working on my fitness so I could pass a physical exam. I had prospects for grad school down there and I was busting my butt to make it. Then I found out about this back problem and was basically told there was no treatment (given that I didn't want surgery or shots), and not to do certain exercises- one of which was traditional crunches. Not like I was any good at those before this happened- but it was one of the parts of the physical exam for the FBI and I knew I would never pass after being told not to do them. So I continued school, graduated, but never moved away, never got into grad school, never got in shape. I have a degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice but instead I work the Front Desk at a hotel. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, I love where I live, and if I had moved I would have never met my FH. And although chiropractic care may not have SOLVED all of my problems if I started soon, and I may not have been able to accomplish my goals either way, at least I would have felt like I was healing this whole time. My body is too far gone now to heal to where it should be. I get adjustments 2 times a week now (it started at 3) and I will need to be on this regimen for up to 18 months. I'm still in pain every day, but I feel SO much better now than I did back in July and September.

If you've made it this far- thanks so much for reading. I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone, and I hope that if anyone is suffering that you get a little something from this. <3