Bulged/Herniated Disc advice?

[sethschmautz]

I'll bite. Did you do this Splat? What were the effects? How is this different from PT?

[GBB]

www.ortho-bionomy.org

Best thing I've found.
I'll just throw it in here until someone bites and gets a session and reports back.

Splat, I'm really considering doing this. Your adamant recommendations have me intrigued.

[splat]

I did two discs chucking myself off cliffs, I can't remember the numbers S5/5/3/2, whatever, two discs, both S. I had really really bad sciatic pain, it was driving me mad. Doctors told me I'd never really get to ski again. I was having some physio but it wasn't really helping, I got more help from this book: Treat Your Own Back by Robin A. McKenzie.

Then a friend of mine persuaded me to go and see her hippy quack. I will never call hippy quacks, hippy quacks again. This guy was a naturopath, osteopath & acupuncturist. He pretty much got me skiing again, pain free, in 5 weeks.

My injury was my lower back and therefore gut area, and my guts and blood weren't doing so good, even though I thought I ate healthily - wholemeal bread / pasta / rice etc. I kept a diet book for two weeks, while seeing him once per week for 40 mins. He only did a little physical manipulation and acupuncture sessions. He then made me stop eating wheat, meat & dairy for two weeks. After one week I felt better, after two I was pain free, gone.

Started training to get fit again, took up telemark skiing to reduce the impact on my back and now I telemark for the first couple of months of the season to get fit (especially my core) and then alpine. So by mid winter I'm charging and mini hucking again.

The meat, wheat & dairy thing has worked for others I know since, it really lets your whole body heal so the body can start healing your back. Sounds a little gay but it works. If I've been over doing it I detox now every once in a while just to let my body & blood be at it's optimum.

PM me if you want, I understand what happened a little better than my brief explanation here but stories of oscillating nerve endings written in a hurry will sound shit...

There ain't a gay fuckin thing about giving up wheat, meat and dairy. Considering the amount of pollutants in the food we eat, combined with the fact the whole pyramid guide to eating the US guberment was feeding everyone was upside down (and revised recently), it's no surprise that we get the cancers and digestive issues we get. I developed diverticulosis because of my gluten intolerance. The recs from the docs - eat wheat and meat, not veggies - the exact opposite of what I found cured me, which is to not eat wheat and eat waaaay more veggies. But I try to eat almost all organic foods. I can tell when I don't. Don't even get me started on cow milk, which I refer to as cow puss.

edit: GBB - tell everyone about your orthobionomy session.

[ski_faster]

My MRI is supposed to be scheduled tomorrow. Not to stoked but at this point I just want to feel better.

[splat]

Get St. John's Wort oil, the purest you can find, and rub it topically on that place on your back every day for a year.
An MRI is nice but, what's next?

[Orphic Seth]

Bump for a great thread with lots of good info.

Just found out I have two bulging discs, one impinging the sciatic nerve. Probably a skiing accident from 2003 that I always passed off as muscle related until this May when I got the nerve pain. Off to the Doc today, see where it goes. Trying to avoid surgery, it's not so bad compared to some other horror stories, I guess I got off lucky.

No work though, can't sit.

[drifli]

Well ive been lurking for some time but feel i can share my first post here.

I blew out my lower back in 2006 ,was diagnosed with bolging disc in L5 S1 .I went to physical therapy to know avail then i went and started getting courtizone shots , this helped after my third one in three months ,Long story short i hurt it again earlier this year and had the surgery where they remove part of my disc and shave part of the bones around it.
Leg pain was instantly better and back pain was almost gone ,but as time has gone bye i have been noticing where my bones rub in my back and it hurts in a different way but definitely way better than i have felt in many years.

I wish i would have done the surgery right ween i hurt it i would have saved myself lots of miserable days and nights in pain.

[BoatBound]

I had an extruded disk at L5 S1, I had SEVERE Sciatica, long story short, I had a minimally invasive microdistecotomy (Different than a regular microdistectomy) by dr, Mark McLaughlin - you may want to check out his site and see if there are any Dr's who can perform this procedure near you.

http://www.princetonbrainandspine.co...y-invasive-044

Bottom line was I was skiing 4 months later, I didn't even stay overnight in the hospital.

[skideeppow]

I had an extruded disk at L5 S1, I had SEVERE Sciatica, long story short, I had a minimally invasive microdistecotomy (Different than a regular microdistectomy) by dr, Mark McLaughlin - you may want to check out his site and see if there are any Dr's who can perform this procedure near you.

http://www.princetonbrainandspine.co...y-invasive-044

Bottom line was I was skiing 4 months later, I didn't even stay overnight in the hospital.

I had "Minimullay invasive surgery" at steadman hawkins, dr donald cornman. It was emergency surgery for Quada Equina Syndrome. Skied 6 weeks later. 4 months does not sound minimially invasive to me. I would look around. I have had two microdiscectomy's and skied 6 weeks after and both times was in AK heliskiing hard after 8 weeks. I laugh at the words "minimally invasive" because everyone claims they do that, but i have yet to see a real definition of what it it.
it really comes down to how hard you rehab and how good your dr and pt are.

[BoatBound]

dr. McLaughlin's technique is explained on the site however, The technique he uses does not cut any back muscles, there is a very small (less than an inch) incision through the skin, then using telescoping tools, they move the underlying back muscles and dialate them exposing the anulus for repair. the result is much less time for healing and much less scar tissue. Of course the best thing to happen is that it heals on its own.

[skideeppow]

dr. McLaughlin's technique is explained on the site however, The technique he uses does not cut any back muscles, there is a very small (less than an inch) incision through the skin, then using telescoping tools, they move the underlying back muscles and dialate them exposing the anulus for repair. the result is much less time for healing and much less scar tissue. Of course the best thing to happen is that it heals on its own.

Yes, that what everone claims, I had two of the small incisions on my back. There are different degrees of minimally invasive. The laser spine institute claims to be the only true minimally invasive surgery around. Yet, i would not waste my money going there. From the research i have done, results are variable and it usually takes a couple trips to the center to have 75-80% success. Plus most insurance does not cover it so you are looking at spending 45-60k getting a procedure done that has no clinincal success.
I dont know if you did not ski for 4 months becuase you just did not make it to the hill, or that is what the DR told you, but i would not call that fast.
Both of my micro discetomryl's have kept me off the hill for 6 weeks. I stayed over night at the hospital and was walking around within an hour of the surgery.
Three weeks post opp i was hitting rehab super hard.
Anyway food for thought.

[Orphic Seth]

OK, an update from above

Two extruded discs, S1/L5 (large) and L5/L4 (minor).

My neurologist said I was right at a fork in the road on either to go down the path of surgery or not, and 8 weeks of PT has definitely helped and I've had a regression of symptoms. I still have some minor discomfort, and I can't sit down in a bucket seat for longer than a couple of hours at a time and cumulatively only a few hours a day (4 or so) before I aggravate symptoms that last a few days. Every once in a while I take some Ibu. and that alleviates nagging discomfort very well.

So, Exercises anybody?

Obviously, planks of all sorts, stretching the hammies, etc. but I want to start broadening my strengthening regime. Anyone have some good exercises that won't be murder on the discs? PT is finished, insurance won't cover any more so I'm not sure where to go from here.

Thanks!

[Staircase]

I have been having good luck with pilates. The reformer can really help you isolate the specific core muscles used to protect the lower back. You can typically find some intro deals to pilates studios that make it not to expensive.

[ill-advised strategy]

I think it's worth noting that since each injury is a little different, there is no one approach that works for everyone. [XXX intervention/exercise, etc] might push/pull one person's herniated disc away from nerve impingement but push/pull another person's into further impingement.


I suggest cautiously trying a variety of approaches and going with what works for you. I'd strongly caution against the kind of thinking that says: "XXX worked for that guy, why isn't it working for me, I must just need to do it more/better."

[dominici]

Been studying this thread hard for a few days. I'm on my fourth week off work with a herniated L5/S1 and it sucks. Massively.

Anyway, apart from regular physio, swimming a few times a week, daily stretching and core exercises, I have to stretch out my spine from the cervicals to pelvis which gives me the dubious pleasure of some of the most uncomfortable positions known to man. I have the posture of an old granny these days after various sporting accidents including L3 blow out skiing and a half ironman on painkillers which was not my greatest decision ever.

I'll be trying all the advice her including St John's Wort, Pilates, acupuncture and the diet. I have PM'd someone on this thread for diet advice but if anyone has any ideas for recipes I would be grateful as no wheat, dairy and meat basically rules out everything I eat. Just simple stuff I won't need to shop around for because I live on the Canary Islands and having a meal without those things is about as looked down on as being a foreigner...and I'm already that!

The best bit is that I now have 'gluteal amnesia' and my ass is like a bag of bones. The exercises and swimming I do don't really seem to be taking much effect apart from leaving me destroyed the day after and waking up needing a full on stretch before I get out of bed. Any advice on bulking up without doing more damage?

[salx]

Been studying this thread hard for a few days. I'm on my fourth week off work with a herniated L5/S1 and it sucks. Massively.

Anyway, apart from regular physio, swimming a few times a week, daily stretching and core exercises, I have to stretch out my spine from the cervicals to pelvis which gives me the dubious pleasure of some of the most uncomfortable positions known to man. I have the posture of an old granny these days after various sporting accidents including L3 blow out skiing and a half ironman on painkillers which was not my greatest decision ever.

I'll be trying all the advice her including St John's Wort, Pilates, acupuncture and the diet. I have PM'd someone on this thread for diet advice but if anyone has any ideas for recipes I would be grateful as no wheat, dairy and meat basically rules out everything I eat. Just simple stuff I won't need to shop around for because I live on the Canary Islands and having a meal without those things is about as looked down on as being a foreigner...and I'm already that!

The best bit is that I now have 'gluteal amnesia' and my ass is like a bag of bones. The exercises and swimming I do don't really seem to be taking much effect apart from leaving me destroyed the day after and waking up needing a full on stretch before I get out of bed. Any advice on bulking up without doing more damage?

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[old goat]

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Huh?

[XXX-er]

I think it's worth noting that since each injury is a little different, there is no one approach that works for everyone. [XXX intervention/exercise, etc] might push/pull one person's herniated disc away from nerve impingement but push/pull another person's into further impingement.


I suggest cautiously trying a variety of approaches and going with what works for you. I'd strongly caution against the kind of thinking that says: "XXX worked for that guy, why isn't it working for me, I must just need to do it more/better."

yeah so being the skier known as XXX

what worked for me with disc issues was to take 8 weeks off on advice or my PT, do a lot of Cobra pose, lay on an ice pack, imbibe analgesics at the craft brew

the PT who IS a BC skier did the laying on of hands, fixed me up 100%

In the fall I ran saw for 9 days cutting ski run and I'm on track for a 70 day season

[Jacques Strap]

Highly recommended. Helped me:

https://www.backfitpro.com/books/bac...fix-back-pain/

Followed by:

https://www.backfitpro.com/books/ult...-edition-2017/

Take the long road.

[nyskirat]

Threads for later.

Definitely need to work my core to help negate the potential for this happening again.

I managed to miss the last month of my season.

[ill-advised strategy]

It sucks how many of us have had to go through this.

that is all.

[Jacques Strap]

It sucks how many of us have had to go through this.

Yeah, it's a huge bummer. The wages of a sedentary life punctuated with moments of intense exercise I reckon? Or the cost of evolving into upright, two-legged creatures...

[old goat]

Saw the neurosurgeon yesterday in follow up for my broken back, T3 spinal fusion and I talked to him about my chronic lumbar stenosis. He told me he could go in with a drinking straw and little instruments and enlarge things, without cutting bone or doing a fusion. Probably should have talked to him years ago. Better hurry up since they're banning plastic straws.

[4matic]

Saw the neurosurgeon yesterday in follow up for my broken back, T3 spinal fusion and I talked to him about my chronic lumbar stenosis. He told me he could go in with a drinking straw and little instruments and enlarge things, without cutting bone or doing a fusion. Probably should have talked to him years ago. Better hurry up since they're banning plastic straws.

I’m scheduled for Coflex for stenosis next week. Pretty gnarly. What do you think?



My sciatica has been getting steadily worse for three years and my left lower leg is numb. Getting hard to walk; not because of pain but the numbness doesn’t let my foot work right.

Went to the Neurosurgeon after 2+ years pain mgt., shots, therapy etc. I brought a three year timeline and told my story. He looked at the MRI and maybe said ten words. “Coflex or fusion”. Got another X-ray to determine spinal stability so we go with the Coflex device because my spine is stable.

Still need insurance to sign off but I’m scheduled for next Tuesday.

[old goat]

I’m scheduled for Coflex for stenosis next week. Pretty gnarly. What do you think?

http://<a href="https://youtu.be/91k...1krOjmv8pY</a>

My sciatica has been getting steadily worse for three years and my left lower leg is numb. Getting hard to walk; not because of pain but the numbness doesn’t let my foot work right.

Went to the Neurosurgeon after 2+ years pain mgt., shots, therapy etc. I brought a three year timeline and told my story. He looked at the MRI and maybe said ten words. “Coflex or fusion”. Got another X-ray to determine spinal stability so we go with the Coflex device because my spine is stable.

Still need insurance to sign off but I’m scheduled for next Tuesday.

I'm afraid I don't know anything about it. Sorry. Anyone?