prolapsed disc/discectomy

hi there

had the op a year ago and for the first 6 months i had loads of small events that made me feel i had prolapsed again.

they all passed just be carefull with your back,and like you i find that getting moving releves the pain.keep up with your stretching excercises and general mobility and it will pass.

even now first thing in the morning im still very stiff and have back pain but just get up and get moving gently and you will soon be fine.

like most people here who had the op i thought the surgeon was a god ,no pain at all after the op mowing the lawn after the first week!

just remember your back has been weakened and you have to look after it.

getting your spine moving seems to be the answer for me,and starting pilates now to see if that helps.

dont panic im sure your nerves have a pain memory and like to remind

you every now and again that you need to be careful.

keep your chin upx

Hi...Bob Thanks for your reply and letting me know of your experience. Hope you are still doing as well! I'ts great just to hear that someone else has gone through the same as me . The doctor has put me on the 30/500 cocodamol (8 in a day) together with (6 gabapentin) pain killers per day.I try to contoll the pain by keeping active but on my feet all day and thats without a word of a lie. Painkillers have taken effect and help take the sharpness of pain away. I have pins and needles in my left foot but no pain down the left side however still have pain in my right hip and down leg. Seeing the Consultant 22 September 09. May get another MRi. Doctor thinks it may be scar tissue but I am keeping my chin up. Thanks for your kind reply.

Hey there,

Im experiencing something similar as you. Ive had a discetomy in July, a year and 2 months ago at age 17. I had a slipped disc and pinching a nerve giving me pain down my right foot to my ankle/foot. After my surgery I had the pain still for many months and was very worried It didnt heal it completely. But I was advised I will have the pain for a while and theres nothing much they could do except more painkillers of course. But I refused and continued of my daily life and here today I still suffer some pain, I would get my nerve pain down my leg usually when I stand for a long time. Like for ex. the grocery store line ups. It wouldnt last very long but its still very fusterating. Its quite uncommon for myself to be experiencing this at a young age. I was unable to touch my knees! But now its much better from that. I do run alot on my free time and I think it helps alot. Help building the muscle in my back. I would recommend doing exercises and Im sure you are and keep up the good work! It will progress better and better and soon you will no longer feel it. Its about to come to that for myself eventually aswell. But I hope I helped and re assure that your not alone experiencing problems after surgery. I dont know why its still like that, giving us pain. But sopose its just noramal after all. good luck! !!!

Brittany

Hi Brittany, Thankyou for your kind reply and for letting me know of your experience. It does help to talk to other people who know what your going through. I try to tell my family who are very supportive of me but they don't exactlly know what the pain feels like. All they hear is me moaning and groaning or making statements such us when bending over for the slightest thing and a pain occurs \"Oh! my back!\" It can go straight over there heads and they ignore me. I try not to make a fuss any more and just get on with it. I do a lot of heavy lifting at work but at the moment am on light duty's, but still requires me to do some lifting,bending , kneeling etc. I am of athletic build and exercise quite a bit. I cycle and do a lot of walking together with gardening and every day living eg (housework and trying to look after my teenage daughters) so my life is very busy and continually on my feet.However when I try to relax I am in a lot of pain even in bed I find it difficult to turn over. I should not grumble as I am getting on with life the best I can but trying to relax is unbareable. \"Anyway!\" its only a few days till my hospital appointment I've put up with it for this long, I can bair a few more days. Once again thanks for your reply it has helped me. bye

Hi everybody, and firstly would like to thankyou all for your replies but would like you to know that there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel.Was at the hospital today to see my consultant which was good but at the same time well!!!!! I appear to have mechanical back pain (mmm good in a way) keep up with my exercises and continue on the way I am by (keeping active) take my pain killers (cocodamal30/500) these help with the pain and given time will ease. And!!!! you may ask!!!! the more serious part is Ive to remember whilst during the operaiotn when the disc was being removed they worked through the nerve ends trying not to damage any. These nerve ends have been through a lot having been compressed by a bulging disc for so long together with the op that it can take up to a year to heal. If something is to go seriousley wrong in the next 6 months then Ive to be refered back to the hospital immediatley by my GP. I have to keep takeing the Gabapentin which is not a pain killer usually used for people with epelepsy as this stops the brain from sending a signal back down to say that I am receiving pain. So!!!! I need to tolearate any future bouts of pain. They say its to soon to investegate (due to the nerves) still healing. For the female reader(You can get lots of pain when premenstral).My bladder is now ok but when the disc was bulging I lost control, so as you can see there is lots going on down there. If I am still in pain after another 6 months then they will consider investingating again. They do not like to do any more ops so soon. I need to give myself time to heal and take care. There are other things that can cause it to fail such as degenerative bone or to much scar tissue having grown back. Again these are things that or could go wrong but at the moment its all mechanical together with my nerve ends healing. Just remember how important it is to look after your back . I feel a bit better after talking to the consultant and hope that I will continue to heal well.I think I have got it just about right but the consultant is the best person to lisiten to. Good luck every body.

Hi,

I am 15 and in October 2012 i had a serious horse-riding accident which caused a L4/5 disc prolapse.I have had chronic back pain ever since.I have been having osteopathy .Last year i had an attack of sciatica so bad that i had to be admitted to A&E .I couldn't walk for a day.In 2013 i went to see my GP about my pain to see about having an MRI scan.She told me that she couldn't book me one as NHS rules state that GPs ca't book MRI scans without sending a letter to a consultant ,who on deciding whether i needed on or not ,marked it down as routine even though my GP had requested an urgent scan.In the end my parents had to pay out £200 for a private scan.

After a referral letter , from my GP ,i was referred to a pediatric consultant who examined me and then organised a blood test and a MRI scan.The results of the blood test were normal and the scan showed the same as the private one .[L4/5 prolapse] She then referred me[in 2014] to a specialist at the Royal London Hospital who would asses e further and decide on treatment.

When I went to this appointment, the consultant examined my movement and then told me that the i would need to be referred to a specialist pediatric spinal surgeon who would decide treatment options with me.Later on that month, i received a letter which had an appointment for physio and stated that my 'condition' was lifelong .A s the appointment is for May ,i haven't been to see the surgeon yet, but recently , i have started to have urinary incontinence and this weekend i had a severe sciatic attack again ,but this time i was sofa bound for the weekend and needed a cane to help me walk the next week.

Pain killers have no effect on me and the only ting which gives me temporary relief[3 days at most!!!] is acupuncture for which i am seeing a osteopath 2 twice a month for treatment.

Do i need surgery? i am becoming tired of waiting and having to live with this as i cannot participate in the sports that previous to the accident i enjoyed.I cant run and i have limited movement in my back.