I have been suffering from back pain and nerve pain when back pain flared up after a bike ride last July 4th. I have tried all the conservative treatments, physical therapy, chiropractor and 2 epidurals, I do the exercises almost daily and use my tens unit with ice and heat nightly but nothing has helped the pain. So today I saw the third Neurosurgeon who suggested I have a micro discectomy, the first doctor just told me to do physical therapy didn’t care for him so I saw another doc who said he didn’t think surgery was needed for a 4 to 6 mm herniation but the pain has gotten a lot worse since I saw him plus he no longer takes my insurance, hence seeing this new doctor. He has a lot of positive write ups and said he has done thousand of these types of surgeries but of course this will be my first!
I have had two MRI’s one back in August and the latest one in mid December and both show the disk herniation of 4 mm to 6 mm pressing on the nerve root, apparently mine happens to come out of the side of the disk a little more unusual, he said he may have to use a brace as well to give the area more support due to having to take more disk material away being on the side.
I don’t have a lot of pain down my leg it is just low back with some nerve pain in the groin so that has me worried as I have read that this surgery doesn’t usually help the back pain. The joint affected is the L3 – L4
I guess I am still in some disbelief having to face surgery but if it will help with the back pain I will be glad but on the other hand I don’t mind admitting it scares the hell out of me, the doctor said he didn’t see why I couldn’t be back running and cycling pain free after a couple of months, but I guess that is yet to be seen.
So no doubt there must be some people on here that have gone through this sort of surgery, what was your thoughts and outcome? any feedback back would be good as I am at a total loss about all of this, after going through all those blood clots and PE's back in 2012 I really thought I was on the mend and now this.. wow Cheers LA Rob