1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Disc Prolapse

Suffering from L5/S1 disc bulge

Posted , 4 users are following.

swathibojja
swathibojja

Hi, I have been suffering from L5/S1 disc bulge since 2 years. I am 25 now. I was in Canada when this happend and relied only on PT. After 6 months I got an MRI and under doctor's guidance, I felt lot better for about 6 months. 

I noticed that I feel better when going for PT and get back the pain during maintenance period. I have to sit for 8 long hours at my work and now I am not even able to sit for 30 min at a stretch. Could you please suggest if i should continue going for PT very often or try Accupuncture, or hit the gym and focus on core strength and flexibility under guidance?

MRI report stated: Posterocentral bulge of L5-S1 disc is seen, mildly indenting the thecal sac.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • aur448
    aur448 swathibojja

    Posted

    Hi there sorry about your injury.

    When was your last mri done the word indenting g would be maybe like putting pressure I think.i have annular tear at l4 and l5 which says disc protrusion which is painful and I can't sit for more than a hour my neurosurgeon has advised me on surgery as disc is damaged.have you been to a neurosurgeon about your symptoms because the pain gets worse the longer it's left which out medical assistance..

    • swathibojja
      swathibojja aur448

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply aur448.

      I got my MRI done in January 2015. This injury happemed to me in july 2014. The symptoms are my lower left back is soar and pain goes all through left leg to the calf and the foot, due to which it goes numb sometimes.

      No, i havent seen a neurosurgeon yet. Few people are suggesting to go for acupuncture or continue doing exercises, but to be frank all of these are making me scared and develop a fear that the pain gonna last life time.

    • aur448
      aur448 swathibojja

      Posted

      Gosh I got injured in July 2016 and I have all the symptoms you experience but so severe that I start crying about it often everyday is like that. Please try to see a neurosurgeon as I was also advised wrongly at first and after GPS and orthos before I sought help from a neurosurgeon which was the best decision as I would of been suffering in silence.
    • anglosaxon1
      anglosaxon1 swathibojja

      Posted

      I feel for you as I had the same problem, you may find the disc is now iritating your sciatic nerve which is causing all the pain in your leg. I strongly suggest you see a back surgeon and have another MRI. Dont waste your money like I did on chiropractors,  physios etc. 

      I had a microdisectomy in Jan 2015 as I didn't see the point of faffing with injections etc. So glad I did, I use to almost be in tears because of the pain. 

    • swathibojja
      swathibojja anglosaxon1

      Posted

      Thank you for the reply.

      Even I feel the same as i don't see any change even after seeing many PT's.

      I will consider your suggestion. 

    • swathibojja
      swathibojja anglosaxon1

      Posted

      Good to hear that you have found a better solution. I have heard that it is associated with few risks. Could you tell a littele about your experience? I am scared about surgeries. 
    • anglosaxon1
      anglosaxon1 swathibojja

      Posted

      There are loads of clips on utube that can give you a great overview. Dan Dobi has compiled a few entertaining videos on his experience.

      It is a half an hour op, but you will be under general anesthetic for about 3 hours. When you wake up the pain in your leg will be gone, however,  it will take about 5-8 weeks before you can go back to work and you will need to undertake light daily physio for about 3 months. There is a 10% chance of reherniating the disc, but it is rare and is partly to do with your ability to rest and follow physios orders. Andy Murray (Tennis) has had one and he won wimbledon the following year,so it didnt do him any harm. 

      Although 18 months on, I have developed a slight phobia to sitting down. I work standing up (laptop) leaning against a stool and same when I go to the pub. When at home I watch TV laying down. I excercise regulalry, but do need to keep on top on exercising my back as it grumbles from time to time.  The sciatic nerve takes several months to mend (a mm a day) so sometimes you get phantom numbness, but that is normal.    

  • dave090662
    dave090662 swathibojja

    Posted

    Hi..Its been an interesting read on everyones take on your smtoms ! At the moment I'm waiting for a microdiscetomy on my L5/S1. I was seeing a chiropractor a few months ago which ended up a waste of money...However I've been seeing an orthopedic physio while waiting for surgery....I wish i'd seen him a year ago !!..I've had accupuncture but once your disc is bulging it doesn't really help...You might be best getting another MRI and seeing a specialist which has been mentioned....I saw my own doctor which was a waste of time...Ended up going to see a Neurosurgeon !!.....Hope you get well soon,,,,Dave

  • swathibojja
    swathibojja

    Posted

    Thank you guys for all the replies.

    I am going to see a neurosurgeon now. Hope evrything goes fine and there won't be any complications.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.