Slipped disc

Anyone here suffered from a slipped disc? I've had it for a few years now n it's so painful! I have steroid injections but they don't last. Any ideas to help the pain would help x

Willow

I do. At least , I'm pretty sure its a disc issue . I've never had x-rays or any kind of diagnostic tests to confirm it .

I haven't had steroids but I do go to a chiropractor which has helped me a lot . It took about 3 months of going every week and I nearly gave up . On the day I decided would be my last appointment , I woke up pain-free and stayed that way for almost a year .

Of course , nothing lasts forever .

I'm having another episode now and seeing a new Chiro since my old one closed his business . ( I still haven't forgiven him ) .

I've committed to doing my exercises religiously every night , no matter how tired I am . I do 10-20 reps of the yoga moves Cat / Cow and Child Pose , 1-2 minutes of hamstring stretches and a move my Chiro taught me :

Sit in a chair , feet together and flat on the floor . From the knees , slowly swing your feet to one side and hold for a count of 5 before returning to center . Think of a swinging pendulum kind of motion . He has me only arcing away from the painful side , not towards it so I swing my feet to the right since the pain is in my left hip / butt .

I've been seeing him for about a month now and it's slowly improving although I still have my moments when I turn too suddenly and start yipping like a poodle .

Really , I think the exercise is the key . That pain-free year ? I didn't exercise one little bit . I'm pretty sure I'm paying for that now .

thanks for the reply!

NewSunRising wrote:Really , I think the exercise is the key . That pain-free year ? I didn't exercise one little bit . I'm pretty sure I'm paying for that now .

yeh, i agree. exercise definitely does help. i sieze up if i dont stretch everyday

willow

I had pinched nerves in my lower back from spinal alignment and cartilage deterioration issues. My legs would tingle and fall asleep. Whenever I had to walk some distance, I would look ahead for someplace to sit down if I had to. I would begin puffing and panting for breath. When I went shopping, I would find a cart in the parking lot to use as a walker.
I was becoming incontinent while walking. I was in my mid-50's and felt that I was too young to be so old so soon!
I tried a chiropractor first. It felt good for about 20 minutes after the appointment, then the tingling and limping would return. My hips were in agony. I thought that the problem was in my hips and not my back.
I was given a back brace to wear, TENS unit for electric shock, high doses of anti-inflammatory meds which burned my stomach, steroid shots which did nothing and physical therapy. The exercise made the inflammation worse.
After a few months of nothing really helping, I was beginning to get upset. My boss saw me stumble sideways at work which was not good. Sitting did not really bring relief. Laying down did.
They made an appointment for me with a neurologist. He heard me out and said, 'I think I can help you'. I almost cried. I said 'When?'
Surgery was the ultimate answer. The insurance company had to try everything else first, but I think that we all knew that I needed surgery early on. Insurance companies don't like to pay out and was hoping that something cheaper would work or I would give up trying to get help.
The neurologist made room for the nerves where they exited the spine. The vertebrae was collapsing and pinching the nerves. They really can't fix a crooked back, but they got the pressure off the nerves.
That morning in the recovery room, I felt my toes like I had not felt them in over a year. I wiggled them to test everything and knew then that it was fixed.
This was 8 years ago and the doctor said that it may not be a permanent fix, but if we have to address it again in the future, that is fine by me. So far, so good.
Don't give up asking for what you need. When they ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10, give it a 9.
Near constant pain can really take the joy out of life and make us feel old. We can't concentrate or perform tasks that we used to take for granted. It always distracts us and can sour our mood.
Ever since then, I watch how other people walk.
Best of luck to you.

Hey,
Thank you.
Im glad you have been able to get some relief from the pain. I have the tingling and numbness too and i also look for shopping trolleys to hold onto
I sometimes need to use crutches just to get around the house. My pain is manageable atm but i know the steroid injection will wear off soon and i will be in agony again. Last time i went to hospital 5 times in 3 weeks!
Im thinking surgery will probably end up being the answer for me too but think the consultant wants to try everything else first.
I did some research on ways to lie etc that are meant to ease the pain when its bad but unfortunately i havent found anything that helps me. Was there anything that eased the pain for you?

willow

My disc in my back is playing up again. My gp gave me some strong painkillers but they arent really helping. I rang back the other day and she said theres nothing more they can do for me except refer me to orthopaedics again. I may need another steroid injection (which i dread bc it hurts so bloody much). My gp also said i need an up to date mri to make sure nothing else is going on. Im trying to exercise as much as i can so i dont get stiff but its hard with the spasms.

willow

Oh me, HUGS!

Careful ones, of course.

Thank you so much Snaga!
Very much appreciated, feeling sorry for myself atm

weepingwillow wrote:Thank you so much Snaga!
Very much appreciated, feeling sorry for myself atm

Hey if you can't feel sorry for yourself here, where can you, I ask you?

Thats true!

I am feeling pretty ok today (hoping it lasts a while) I can move around with only a little pain. I think its mostly all the painkillers kicking in but ill take it.

willow