DW's Herniated Disk

[Donald Duck]

My wife has been in pain for 2 weeks straight. It started in her back but now it's only in her right knee and leg.

She had MRI and it show a herniated disk (l3-L4). Her doctor who she only went to once before this tells her you should have surgery. We asked him about getting epidoral shots and he said it might help.
We asked him if it could get better on it's own and he said possibly. BTW, the surgeon he recommended happened to be in his group.

Surgery is usually the last option not the first. Her best friend is the nursing suprvisor at a nearby hospital. She called her friend who is an Anesthiolgoist at that hospital. He suggested trying epidoral injections first. He did the 1st one yesterday morning. He said it went very well and expects it to help. She has to go back in 2 weeks for another one and possibly a 3rd. He said it takes 24 - 48 hours for the shot to start working.
She said she felt slightly better this moring.

Please send pixe dust that the shots will work and she will not need back surgery !

Thank you.

Donald Duck

[retiredfigment]

Been there!! Before surgery get another opinion somewhere else!!! I had a disc removed at 16 and had problems off and on. At around 50 started having a lot of trouble. They wanted to do the shots, which I resisted. Decided to try physical therapy. WOW it really helped. Been okay for 5 years!

[EeyoresBestFriend]

Am there and sending Dust for you!

Like the other poster, use the surgery as a last resort. I have been living with two herniated discs (L5-6) for the last 7 years( and the rest of my life). It requires a change in lifestyle and knowing what you can do and when to stop. Anti inflammatories are great for flares up, but the biggest thing is giving it time to calm down. I was immobile for 3 months and barely able to move for another 3 when I learned this lesson. Several back specialists here recommended surgery ONLY if you get darn near bedridden ~ that way you have nothing to lose.

Good luck with it! :pixie:

[Donald Duck]

Been there!! Before surgery get another opinion somewhere else!!! I had a disc removed at 16 and had problems off and on. At around 50 started having a lot of trouble. They wanted to do the shots, which I resisted. Decided to try physical therapy. WOW it really helped. Been okay for 5 years!

Thanks retiredfigment.
She is going to get another opinion.

[Donald Duck]

Am there and sending Dust for you!

Like the other poster, use the surgery as a last resort. I have been living with two herniated discs (L5-6) for the last 7 years( and the rest of my life). It requires a change in lifestyle and knowing what you can do and when to stop. Anti inflammatories are great for flares up, but the biggest thing is giving it time to calm down. I was immobile for 3 months and barely able to move for another 3 when I learned this lesson. Several back specialists here recommended surgery ONLY if you get darn near bedridden ~ that way you have nothing to lose.

Good luck with it! :pixie:

Thanks EeyoresBestFriend.
Right back at ya :pixie:

[princessgirls]

Surgeons want to operate. ALWAYS!!!

An orthopedic doctor might try PT, and some medications to reduce the inflammation and help with the acute pain.

Several good friends have gone through this, my husband works for a good orthopedic doctor and backs are hard. I would try non-invasive first ALWAYS before surgery and see what happens. Give yourself a time frame and if you don't get results or feel better, than maybe you have to consider the surgical option.
Good Luck...hope your wife feels better soon.
Julie:mickey:

[Donald Duck]

Surgeons want to operate. ALWAYS!!!

An orthopedic doctor might try PT, and some medications to reduce the inflammation and help with the acute pain.

Several good friends have gone through this, my husband works for a good orthopedic doctor and backs are hard. I would try non-invasive first ALWAYS before surgery and see what happens. Give yourself a time frame and if you don't get results or feel better, than maybe you have to consider the surgical option.
Good Luck...hope your wife feels better soon.
Julie:mickey:

Thanks princessgirls.
Hopefully the shots will help.

[caryrae]

I had the same thing about 6 years ago. I tried everything shots, medication, Physical Therapy but nothing helped and had the surgery to remove the part of the discs that was herniated. It definitely helped a lot but if you can avoid surgery do it of course.

[PirateLover]

I had the same thing about 6 years ago. I tried everything shots, medication, Physical Therapy but nothing helped and had the surgery to remove the part of the discs that was herniated. It definitely helped a lot but if you can avoid surgery do it of course.

My DH had a similar experience 3 years ago. He could barely walk. He had 3 epidural shots. The first one gave some relief, enough to let him walk a bit, but the other 2 had no improvement. He ended up having surgery where they sliced off the pieces of the disks that were bulging. It was an outpatient surgery and he was back to work a few weeks later. He still has a scar but NO back pain. The only side affect was some mild numbness in his left leg/foot which never went away, but he's gotten used to it. For him the surgery was worth it, but you don't want it to be your first choice.

[Disney4us2]

My wife has been in pain for 2 weeks straight. It started in her back but now it's only in her right knee and leg.

She had MRI and it show a herniated disk (l3-L4). Her doctor who she only went to once before this tells her you should have surgery. We asked him about getting epidoral shots and he said it might help.
We asked him if it could get better on it's own and he said possibly. BTW, the surgeon he recommended happened to be in his group.

Surgery is usually the last option not the first. Her best friend is the nursing suprvisor at a nearby hospital. She called her friend who is an Anesthiolgoist at that hospital. He suggested trying epidoral injections first. He did the 1st one yesterday morning. He said it went very well and expects it to help. She has to go back in 2 weeks for another one and possibly a 3rd. He said it takes 24 - 48 hours for the shot to start working.
She said she felt slightly better this moring.

Please send pixe dust that the shots will work and she will not need back surgery !

Thank you.

Donald Duck

Good luck to DW. Hope the epidurals work, and that surgery can be avoided. Everyone responds so differently. Hope it all works out well for your DW.

I too have a back problem, but not with the disc's. I had a cyst in the spinal column at L4L5. Surgery was the only option as the cyst was pressing on all the nerves and giving a taser gun effect to my backside:blush:

After surgery that pain went away but left me with degenerative disc disease which will never go away. Now I can only walk short distances with out my rollator. I fought to get SS disability and got it:thumbsup: I can get a spinal fusion, but not really a candidate and don't want another back surgery. At least I can walk now. Who knows what will happen after another surgery.

My brother had a disc problem, tried the epidurals, pt etc. He fought (Kaiser) to get the back surgery and he has had no problems since the surgery. Lucky him.

[lettripp]

Sending major pixie dust from here. I've been through all that before, but lucky for me the epidural cortizone injectiions and physical therapy were enough. I know that back pain is one of the most awful, as every bit of you really does hurt, and that includes emotionally. I'm confiident you will each be able to get through this. Let me know if you need tips on alleviating pain... ii have lots of ideas.

Good luck!

[Donald Duck]

Sending major pixie dust from here. I've been through all that before, but lucky for me the epidural cortizone injectiions and physical therapy were enough. I know that back pain is one of the most awful, as every bit of you really does hurt, and that includes emotionally. I'm confiident you will each be able to get through this. Let me know if you need tips on alleviating pain... ii have lots of ideas.

Good luck!

Thanks lettripp.
What are your tips on alleviating pain ?

[lettripp]

Meds wise:
Muscle relaxers
Lots of ibprophen
Apply ice and or heat depending

I also used to find a way to be "prone" as my pt said, whenever I was resting. Just laying my my stomach, propped up on my elbows did wonders for correcting the bulge and taking pressure off the bulge.

Sitting is the most painful thing one can do. I avoided it but if I ever had to, I was told to put a rolled towel on my lower back for support.

Just be careful not to aggvrevate it. Again, mine was non surgial so it wasn't as bad as your dw but I hope this stuff helps!

[Donald Duck]

Meds wise:
Muscle relaxers
Lots of ibprophen
Apply ice and or heat depending

I also used to find a way to be "prone" as my pt said, whenever I was resting. Just laying my my stomach, propped up on my elbows did wonders for correcting the bulge and taking pressure off the bulge.

Sitting is the most painful thing one can do. I avoided it but if I ever had to, I was told to put a rolled towel on my lower back for support.

Just be careful not to aggvrevate it. Again, mine was non surgial so it wasn't as bad as your dw but I hope this stuff helps!

Thanks.

:mickey:

[Donald Duck]

Everyone's pixie dust appears to be working.

My wife's pain is pain is getting better after her 1st shot. She's going for the 2nd one in a week or so.

Hopefully it will work and she will not need back surgery.

:mickey: