Degenerative L4 and L5 lumbar disks
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Hi everyone,
I am in desperate need of advice which I seem to be unable to get from any doctor near where I live (Thailand). I recently did an MRI of my lower back and the verdict was that I have degenerative L4 and L5 lumbar disks. I guess this is slightly different than a hernia?
I've had lower back pain on and off for 20y now, but recently things have gotten worse. I'm currently 40y old. The pain has originated from prolonged sitting due to my work plus amplified by doing heavy lifting throughout my life. Additionally I am also 193cm so I have been bending over unnecessarily a lot throughout my life when doing simple tasks like washing dishes or brushing teeth.
I have currently adjusted my work set up to mainly sitting inclined and I have been very attentive of posture however I can't really seem to find any real way to decrease my current state. I have already stopped any form of exercise since that all just made things work. These adjustments have definitely helped, but the state I am in now is far from optimal. I can walk for about 2km and that's about my limit, if I go over that my back pain will flare up and it will take almost an entire day before I am back in a slightly less painful state. So that's about all the exercise I can do.
I have tried physiotherapy for a month but with no real success. I have been taking heavy anti-inflammation medicine and resting in combination with a cortisone injection, and although this has helped somewhat I would not call it much of a success. Before I was unable to even do any action and was basically just lying down and wiggling around constantly due to massive pain, so I have moved on from that state to being able to at least do some work and a bit of walking.
It's worth noting that I am not experiencing any pain in my legs, except sometimes on the side of my hips as a referral pain.
I am a bit stuck on what I could/should do next, I am currently just trying to rest hoping that the inflammation will subside slowly over time,
Has anyone experienced something similar and have they found some solutions?
A doctor here suggested to do a surgery where he cuts away the inflammation, but that doesn't sound very appealing... I also heard about another treatment where they inject a substance to create a new gel-like lumbar?
I would appreciate any advice,
Thanks so much
1 like, 4 replies
barbara66703 yAnn1x
Edited
in order to gain relief of any kind you must alter your daily life/ routine which is to stop continuing to stress your degenerative arthritis. this is a very common health issue as we age. rest is very important and wear elastic wrap around back support and pain patch available OTC , treat with heat and ice. keeping swelling at a minimum and always sleep on your back with pillow under legs to relieve the pressure from the weight of the legs.
you can make a difference in your pain levels by what you do now daily . you probably know by now what the triggers are for increasing daily pain. Be mindful of your daily management now with movements and no lifting., do not to do anything that can compromise healing........this will get better in time. keep your core muscles strong these are the muscles that help hold your back and hip girdle muscles strong once healing allows.
remember this will definitely lead to a herniated disc if you don't take time to rest now and allow your back to heal now. it will take a couple of months to see improvement. don't become discouraged , in many cases this will help you contain and manage the pain for many years.
this is what worked for me may not help everyone. but try to avoid any back surgery at all costs....
yAnn1x barbara66703
Edited
thanks barbara for your supporting words, this is extremely helpful. Looks like I am on the right track then
yAnn1x barbara66703
Edited
I have a follow up question, what are your thoughts on doing physiotherapy treatments? I know there are some treatments that use electricity or something like that which reduces inflammation. Do these help with the healing process or do they make it worse?
barbara66703 yAnn1x
Edited
try what you need to do to help you thru this and to help you with management technique's . whatever works as long as you are improving. even acupuncture and massage have their place in healing and management.
are you asking about a TENS, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, is a back pain treatment that uses low voltage electric current to relieve pain. TENS is typically done with a TENS unit, a small battery-operated device?
it did not help me or the damaged discs at all . by simply taking the weight off the discs by using a elastic back support helped much more. it is basically learning how to determine what helps the area to recover. usually pain is telling you to stop what you are doing and rest. rest and removing the pressure off the discs is the best way to manage and eliminate pain. also avoid herniated discs. because if not managed now it will herniate. see herniated disc .....online....
PT may help build muscle around the discs and help you to move differently to treat the back area without causing more pain. they will give you exercises to do at home...each time you attend . the same exercise's are online. again i want to stress until you begin to heal its difficult to see improvement . again the best treatment now is rest and remove the pressure by following the management skills mentioned .
alter life style and removing pressure and weight off the area is what helped me the most. ..rest ... sleep on your back and in time...more time ...for discs to heal and then you can learn how all the adjustments you made now helped manage and contain pain for your 'New Normal'. this area will always be a weak point and life will include daily management until it begins to become a daily habit. mindfulness is a good practice to start now. thinking ahead and note your surroundings plan ahead before beginning a daily task.
it will all fall into place once physical and mental improvement coincide. along with life style changes, and as management skills improve. this is as much mental as physical. good luck.