My spouse has been diagnosed with sciatica due to a potentially slipped disk (L5) and had shooting pains and numbness/tingling down her left leg all the way down to her toes. Next week she’ll get an MRI to further isolate and diagnose the affected area, and see a neurology surgeon in Jan. because her physical therapy has not been successful.
Before the injury she was all excited about next year, and was going to attempt her first 1/2 in May (White Lake), now she is trying to reset those goals to be realistic. Does anyone have any experience (positive or negative) with therapy/surgery; and how long did it take to get back into a training routine.
Well, I am not sure if there is a difference between a slipped disk and a bulging or herniated disc, but about three years ago I herniated my L5/S1 skiing and I have gone through a ton of different therapies to find the one that works for me. First off, there is no cure for a bulging disk. Yes, theoretically you can make the bulge smaller perhaps (doctors have differing opinions on that however) but back problems are typically lifelong problems that you learn to control, not solve. If she does indeed have a bad L5 like I do the MRI will be very telling. The doctor will most likely recommend PT for core strengthening and if the pain is severe enough might put her on prednisone for a week or perhaps recommend an epidural cortisone injection.
There are millions of ways you can treat back pain. Your wife is going to have to find what works for her. I race (tris and run) a lot and am always in low to moderate pain, but I can live with it. Before the injury skiing was my passion. Skiing is no longer in my vocabulary because one slip on the ice and I am back to square one with the injury. I do a lot of core stuff, a lot of stretching and a lot of changing positions on the bike. I don’t do flip turns in the pool anymore.
As I think about it there is way too much to write here so if you want to contact me feel free-my email is reking@ix.netcom.com All I can say is hopefully she can find something that works for her but don’t be thinking there is a quick answer because most likely there isn’t. There are some out there that can get the pain out of their lives forever, and others who struggle with is for so long they get addicted to pain killers. Just be smart and stick to whatever regiment works for her.
“Well, I am not sure if there is a difference between a slipped disk and a bulging or herniated disc…
There are millions of ways you can treat back pain.”
There is no such thing as a slipped disc. Discs just don’t “slip”. You’re likely talking about a bulging or herniated disc at L5-S1 or L4-5. Could also be sacro-iliac jt/piriformis syndrome that will also cause sciatica type symptomes.
If it is a herniated disc you wan’t know until the MRI is done. Herniated discs can be problematic. Being a chiiropractor I’ve treated hundreds of these in my twenty plus years in practice usually with lumbar traction and/or spinal manipulation. Sometimes they respond quickly and other times they don’t. Surgery is generally only recommended in few cases and then as a last result if other treatments aren’t working.
Last year I had two episodes of severe back pain. The second was so bad I was in bed for a week before I could even go to the doctor. It was the worst pain I ever felt. I couldn’t even poop. I finally went to the emergency room and they were totally unhelpful. They gave me muscle relaxers and sent me home. It was very frustrating. After about a week, I felt good enough to go to the doctor. He took an extra and saw that I had fractured my back. He said it looked like and old injury. I did have a bad snowboarding crash about 5 years ago that was probably the culprit. Anyways, he said the fracture had healed and looked fine and was not causing the problem, so he ordered an MRI.
The MRI showed two buldging discs, each one moving in the opposite direction that were rubbing against a nerve. He said it was not severe and the best thing to do is to keep it under control. I’ve since learned how to stretch and strengthen my bike. The most important thing I found is that riding on an indoor trainer is what aggrevated my back and I’m pretty sure its what caused the two episodes I had last year. I can still ride on the trainer, but for short periods of times and only a couple of times a week. I’ve actually since given up the trainer altogether and just ride in the rain
After my last episode last Thanksgiving last year, I actually recovered pretty quickly. Once the pain went away, I actually felt pretty good, pretty quick. I had to be very careful about how I bent over and stuff, but with the PT I was doing, I came back quick and did my first 1/2 in April at Ralphs in Oceanside, CA. It took me a while to straighten out. I’ve been thinking of seeing a chiropractor because the PT said that it looks like my hips were un-even. I’ve also been told by a pro cyclist that my left leg looks longer than the right leg.
I’m sure all cases of back pain are very individual, but she should hold out hope and learn how to manage it. She should try to understand what aggrevates it, and then stay away from that type of activity.
After 17 years of dealing with L5/S1, I finally had surgery. MY life has completely changed for the positive. For my one year anniversary I did my first half ironman, in January I will be doing my first marathon and in March will be doing my first 50k trail run. ALL MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF A GREAT DOCTOR AND SURGERY. For years, I did the whole chiropractic thing, and still go about once a month, it feels good, but truly believe it is a bandage once things are broken. Yoga is GREAT as is PILATES, but they are prevention tools.
I am not saying you need surgery, but it is a very viable option. I have a good friend whose girlfriend will swear under oath that her chiropractor made her back worse. I have no reflexes in my right ankle and limited in my right knee because some of the nerves that make up your sciatic bundle have died off. This is from the impingement I lived with for so long.
Look at all your options equally. A good surgeon will not try to convince of your need for surgery. Knowing what I know now, it would be foolish of anyone to not consider sugery if it was recommended by a doctor you trust.
As I left my chiropractors office after my first massage post 1/2 Ironman, I looked at my chiropractor and asked, “who said surgery wouldn’t work?”. He and I both know chiropractic wasn’t ever going to fully do it. What 4 years of faithful chiropractic care didn’t fix, surgery did in 45 minutes. I was walking three hours after my surgery. Was allowed to start swimming at 4 weeks, riding at six weeks( aero wasn’t happenin however) and I started back running at 12 weeks.
You are more than welcome to call me at 760/415-3329. I had people that I called and used as a resource throughout the whole thing and will pass that on.
Disc replacement is a no-no unless you are in way bad shape. It is still experimental and they select patients most likely to succeed. The hospital where I had my procedure done was the first hospital to do it and it wasn’t even mentioned to me. Fusion is generally not used that low, because there isn’t generally to much movement down there.
Basically they snipped away the disc material that had penetrated the wall. Your disc wall is very much like a carbon fiber wall minus the resin, so then they cleaned any debris out of the fiber layers that make up the wall so that there wouldn’t be any weak spots.
It really made all the difference in the world for me. Committ to taking care of it aggressively after the surgery. I started yoga at 4 weeks and stretch EVERYDAY and do my core exercises 4-5x a week.
I am not a doctor and am only relaying what I learned through all my questioning on physicians, PTs and Chiropractors. I researched the hell out of the procedure and the doctor before I committed. Do the same. It will help with your peace of mind, which will help before, during and after the surgery should you go that way.
Any more questions, just email me. I will respond that way.
