Back problems thread (Chiropractors, Osteopaths, Surgery etc)

[Groupie_]

I had a bulging disc L1-L2 and had it shaved quite a few years ago and while I still have back pain I do class it a success. Don't know what type of surgeon you are going with but I went with a neurosurgeon rather than an orthopedic one. My only suggestion is should you have the surgery that you do take the recommended time for recovery and do all the recommended exercises - it may feel great but it is very easy for it to occur again if you don't take the care.

I'm going to see David De La Harpe at the Epworth. I'll probably be on a 6-10 month waiting list :/ He's one of the best in the land if not the best for lower back surgery from what I've read.

Not sure what to do when I go to the footy this year as sitting is a problem. Last year I was pissed most gamedays and didn't feel it but I'd say it's gotten a tad worse since then. I'm thinking about taking 2 Nurofen plus and 3 panadol osteo's and having a few beers for the round 1 game.

I've been prescribed Tramadol which is very effective in getting rid of the pain but mixing alcohol with that drug is a no no.

 

[Off The Couch]

Richmond_Groupie - I actually do acupuncture and it's been quite effective for me. Expensive but worthwhile and I now go monthly for maintenance purposes. It's a long way from having to roll out of bed and practically crawl until I'm warm enough to start trying to stand up. Went through so much crap before getting diagnosed and was starting to think it was all in my head - by the time I finally got diagnosed my doctor was able to stab me in the back of the ankle and I not feel anything whatsover - could've walked through fire and not even realised I was getting burnt. You have my sympathy because unless you have experienced this type of pain, people with 'general' back pain who have a whinge about their sore back, actually have NFI. All the best with whatever path you go down.

 

[Groupie_]

^^^ thanks mate.. Maybe I can get some temporary relief with accupuncture.

Anyone know any good accupuncture places in or close to Melbourne's north ?

 

[Doss]

Richmond_Groupie

Apologies if it's already been discussed, but when did your pain first start? I've only ever experienced serious back pain once, when I was around 14. The root cause was actually my bowling action- I was a medium-fast bowler and the major technical flaw in my action was the almost complete lack of a follow-through. I was pulling up very quickly and it was putting a huge amount of strain on my lower back. I couldn't complete spells several times and was often in pain for days after a game.

I eventually had to remodel my action completely, which certainly helped. At the time though, before the re-modelling all I could do was rest.

Asking if you can trace it back to something similar, because sometimes the original cause can provide a clue as to how one goes about fixing it. From what I've read, though, it sounds like your problem is much more long term.

 

[Groupie_]

Richmond_Groupie

Apologies if it's already been discussed, but when did your pain first start? I've only ever experienced serious back pain once, when I was around 14. The root cause was actually my bowling action- I was a medium-fast bowler and the major technical flaw in my action was the almost complete lack of a follow-through. I was pulling up very quickly and it was putting a huge amount of strain on my lower back. I couldn't complete spells several times and was often in pain for days after a game.

I eventually had to remodel my action completely, which certainly helped. At the time though, before the re-modelling all I could do was rest.

Asking if you can trace it back to something similar, because sometimes the original cause can provide a clue as to how one goes about fixing it. From what I've read, though, it sounds like your problem is much more long term.

2010 gym injury mate

Has gone downhill since and even worse when I stacked it going down stairs a few months ago

 

[Doss]

2010 gym injury mate

Has gone downhill since and even worse when I stacked it going down stairs a few months ago

Gym- mind me asking what exercise were doing? I know someone who managed to pop a disk by trying to dead lift too much, was yours disk related too?

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Which discs mate?

Did you have the Microdiscectomy ?

C3/C4
C4/C5
C5/S1

and yes.

 

[Groupie_]

Gym- mind me asking what exercise were doing? I know someone who managed to pop a disk by trying to dead lift too much, was yours disk related too?

It wasn't what I was doing, it was the fact that I had a sore back all week and still stupidly went to the gym when I should've rested it.

Pretty sure I was just doing dumbell fly's when the injury happened.. I had suffered from 'pinched nerves' in the weeks leading up to the injury.

 

[Groupie_]

C3/C4
C4/C5
C5/S1

and yes.

Seems much worse than mine hope you're doing well

 

[woopedazz]

C3/C4
C4/C5
C5/S1

and yes.

I think you mean L

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

I think you mean L

lol, I did, I'd just been looking at harness racing, my brother and I own some horses and they're classed, C1, C2, C3 etc etc.

 

[woopedazz]

lol, I did, I'd just been looking at harness racing, my brother and I own some horses and they're classed, C1, C2, C3 etc etc.

My dream is to one day see a C3-S1.

 

[Drewpac]

Not sure what to do when I go to the footy this year as sitting is a problem. Last year I was pissed most gamedays and didn't feel it but I'd say it's gotten a tad worse since then. I'm thinking about taking 2 Nurofen plus and 3 panadol osteo's and having a few beers for the round 1 game.

I've been prescribed Tramadol which is very effective in getting rid of the pain but mixing alcohol with that drug is a no no.

Man get your GP to prescribe you something other than tramadol so you can at least go about your day to day life. I remember the period before i had my epiural injection when my back was cooked, i took a course of prendnisilone (cortizone) which calmed it down a heap, and then took lyrica, which calms the nerve pain. Sounds like youre in the pain management stage before it gets fixed, so try manage it as best you can! If it gets to the stage mine did, all the anti inflammatories in the land woudlnt help!

 

[Groupie_]

Man get your GP to prescribe you something other than tramadol so you can at least go about your day to day life. I remember the period before i had my epiural injection when my back was cooked, i took a course of prendnisilone (cortizone) which calmed it down a heap, and then took lyrica, which calms the nerve pain. Sounds like youre in the pain management stage before it gets fixed, so try manage it as best you can! If it gets to the stage mine did, all the anti inflammatories in the land woudlnt help!

Hi mate.

What was wrong with you ? Did you have the microdisectomy ?

Heard both those pills make you pack on weight. Last thing I need as I've had a few knee arthroscopes

 

[Drewpac]

Hi mate.

What was wrong with you ? Did you have the microdisectomy ?

Heard both those pills make you pack on weight. Last thing I need as I've had a few knee arthroscopes

nah i had the L5/S1 laminectomy 14 months ago. the pain in my hammy/calf/knee/foot was so bad from the sciatic nerve.

i probably did pork up a little bit after taking those medications, a bit from them and then from being inactive due to the injury. if the pain is getting so bad though that it is ruining the way you live your life, then its definately something to think about.

definately light at the end of the tunnel though, so chin up!

 

[Groupie_]

Neurosurgeon Gus Gonzolvo at the Austin told me that I should try epidurals first for my L5/S1 bulging disc before I consider any form of surgery.

He said that some people have the injection and are fine after that. I'll be having my first injection on Wednesday. Hoping it will allow me to go to the footy on Sunday and watch the Tigers play as I've been unable to attend lately due to the unbearable pain whilst sitting/walking.

 

[Messenger]

C3/C4
C4/C5
C5/S1

and yes.

Do you mean L5/S1?

 

[SnakePlisskin]

Neurosurgeon Gus Gonzolvo at the Austin told me that I should try epidurals first for my L5/S1 bulging disc before I consider any form of surgery.

He said that some people have the injection and are fine after that. I'll be having my first injection on Wednesday. Hoping it will allow me to go to the footy on Sunday and watch the Tigers play as I've been unable to attend lately due to the unbearable pain whilst sitting/walking.

Good luck mate , hope it works out for you.

 

[Groupie_]

Pinging in the hospital after the epidural !!!!

 

[Drewpac]

Pinging in the hospital after the epidural !!!!

How's it feeling mate? I found when i had my L5/S1 Epidural in 2011 it felt pretty much perfect after about 36 hours

 

[Groupie_]

How's it feeling mate? I found when i had my L5/S1 Epidural in 2011 it felt pretty much perfect after about 36 hours

Feels ok now but still a bit sore. It did keep me up all night though. Been 24 hours since I got it.

How many times did you have it? Didn't work for you right ?

 

[Drewpac]

Feels ok now but still a bit sore. It did keep me up all night though. Been 24 hours since I got it.

How many times did you have it? Didn't work for you right ?

Yep I only had it once. Was effective in relieving the pain completely and after about 10 weeks i got another MRI to see what was going on in there and it hadn't improved even 1%, so had the surgery.

Fingers crossed it works for you

 

[Groupie_]

Yep I only had it once. Was effective in relieving the pain completely and after about 10 weeks i got another MRI to see what was going on in there and it hadn't improved even 1%, so had the surgery.

Fingers crossed it works for you

Thanks mate

Did you have the bulging disc at l5 s1 like me or was there more to it? After how many weeks did you pain come back?

 

[Drewpac]

Thanks mate

Did you have the bulging disc at l5 s1 like me or was there more to it? After how many weeks did you pain come back?

Yep had a badly bulging L5/S1. My surgery was supposed to go for 3-4 hours but ended up going 7-8 because it was so badly wrapped around and stuck to the sciatic nerve.

The pain after the epidural didn't come back at all. I even went on a pre-booked trip to Bali (praying for it to not flare up) but was fine. Just had the follow up MRI after 10 weeks and it was no better, so decided to push on to the surgery which was a good thing I did in the end.

 

[Groupie_]

Yep had a badly bulging L5/S1. My surgery was supposed to go for 3-4 hours but ended up going 7-8 because it was so badly wrapped around and stuck to the sciatic nerve.

The pain after the epidural didn't come back at all. I even went on a pre-booked trip to Bali (praying for it to not flare up) but was fine. Just had the follow up MRI after 10 weeks and it was no better, so decided to push on to the surgery which was a good thing I did in the end.

Wow you must be pretty brave to give the ok for surgery even though the epidural worked.. No doubt the pain would've returned though if the mri showed that it was the same.

My surgeon has said to me that for my leg pain there is a very good chance after surgery that the pain will be gone but not as much chance for the back pain. My leg pain isn't that bad though and it's bearable. It's more a back thing for me and being unable to walk or sit because of it.

He said I should have the epidural at least 2-3 times before I seriously consider surgery. Hey, how funny is it when people who have never had back issues and have never played sport or done weights at all in their life try to give you advice on how to fix the problem. The other day I was told to buy some stupid belt off the net and that I don't need to have a needle put in haha