To ask for herniated disc experiences? (desperate)

[fortunatelynot]

Hello all

Ten days ago I woke with a lower back ache. For the next three days I could not move at all easily with pain in my lower back. It improved but since then I can barely sit and struggle to straighten up after sitting. I have spoken to a doctor over the phone (I had a call scheduled for something else) and described the pain. He 'thinks' it is a herniated disc; having googled it for ages, I think he is right.

I'm mid forties and pretty fit - I run about 25 miles a week. Bizarrely I have been able to jog short distances - I know this sounds crazy but at periods during the day, when I am upright, it feels better. Sitting, even going to the toilet (sorry) is agony when I stand up. I can sleep on my side but literally any sitting/driving etc is so painful. My lower back feels so weak; even reaching forward to put shoes on hurts.

I have never had any type of back issues and this has come out of the blue. The doctor did not really give any helpful advice (although to be fair, the call was for something else).

Any experience of this?

I have a herniated disc in my neck. For a couple of months it was absolute agony. I remember the trouble sleeping and I struggled to drive for months.
I was referred to a neurosurgeon who eventually sent me for an injection under CT. Didn't help at all. But, the pain has subsided and I'm pretty much back to normal.

I still have some numbness in my hand and have to be careful how much I lift, but it's certainly liveable with. Apparently if the pain hadn't subsided, surgery would have been an option.

Physio worked for me. My physio was specialist in spinal issues. It took over 3 months of really dull exercises and treatment and I had to stand at my desk at work (sitting is the worst thing you can do). It was mental as I'd feel pain in my glutes like I'd got a knot and he said there was nothing there, it started down my leg.

I did, turned into cauda equina, the sciatica was horrific, ended up having micro diskectomy surgery for it.

Best thing I found for it in the acute phase (both pre and post surgery) was a Med-Fit wireless TENS machine, and once it settled and healed after surgery, physio then weightlifting supervised by a good PT until I was sure I had the right technique and had strengthened enough. I'm basically better than pre the issue now.
Baths also helped - the water takes the weight off...

BUT - I had surgery so the underlying issue got fixed - please take good medical advice, and possibly go to A&E or get a GP referral for an MRI to check the extent of the disc prolapse and discuss treatment options.

I would not do any jogging, even if it doesn't immediately hurt this could jar it. Try to keep moving though, but smoothly and gently. Try to avoid bending, lifting and twisting keep your back straight. Lie down rather than sit. Be careful getting up from lying down as people sometimes twist or strain to sit up too quickly. Try heat or cold packs to see if one of those helps.
The GP can prescribe strong painkillers if you need them, and you can normally self refer for physio. A herniated disc will usually heal to a manageable degree of pain after 6 weeks or so then you would need to strengthen it and take care of it long term, but if it gets worse look out for the red flag symptoms for Cauda Equina.

This happened me 5 months ago. I went to a really good osteopath and fortunately ( ! )I turned a corner after that. Good news is, I’m back to normal. I never thought I would be normal again. It happened me about this time last year and I thought that was sore, but like you, the last time it happened, I could not move. So painful I thought I’d conk out.

I had a really really stressfully few weeks before mine kicked off - related to home, family and renovations which I was massively inconvenienced by and which were out of my control. I fully believe that it was this stress that kicked it off for me. Did you have a stressful time due to anything before this kicked off? I’d love to know, as I think the body keeps the score. My back worked beautifully to remove me from a situation I didn’t want to be in if the deepest truth be told.

I went to the gp and she said she would not mri, if you scanned 50 women our age randomly you’d see the same degeneration- it’s just that the back goes into a spasm, for whatever reason. I think stress!! Love to hear more about what you were going through emotionally before this happened @fortunatelynot

Thanks for your responses - strangely enough I have had a really stressful time since January (work related).

It is not good today and I am already sick of feeling in pain. Looking online, it seems that it can takes week to heal!

Mine took a couple of years to heal and I still have a bit of nerve pain and have to be careful but mostly I can forget about it day to day.

Could you have osteoporosis and a spinal fracture? Perhaps ask for an MRI scan

There’s a guy called Tom Morrison who teaches mobility and has a lot of experience with back issues - take a look at this blog post & explore some of his YouTube content (linked in the blog)

https://tommorrison.uk/blog/the-best-advice-to-get-rid-of-chronic-back-pain-even-with-disc-injuries

I really would recommend an osteopath to straighten you up and re align things. Make an appointment with a highly rated local one. I think might would not have healed so well if not for it. Yes it can take weeks. But you need to get rehabilitation started, you’re probably guarding it now, trying to protect it which doesn’t 100% help!

I’ve had a slipped disc for almost 20yrs. Been in pain every single day since. Unfortunately I have never got anywhere with doctors who just tell me I need to lose weight. I wasn’t overweight before my back went, but being in pain 24/7 certainly makes exercise much more of a challenge.

Amitriptyline and regular chiropractic appointments have been a big help.

I've had herniated discs in my lower back and neck.

For the lower back, there is loads of evidence that they heal faster if you walk a lot. Don't run for now.

Take a look online for exercises that help, and do them religiously, initially several times a day for a few minutes, work your way to a half hour routine that you keep going indefinitely. You need to strengthen your abs and work on your symmetry, that's usually where the problem comes from.

The overall healing time is long, but you can get better enough to be functional fairly soon, you just won't be able to sit for long. I used a standing desk for months after my injury.

What did GP suggest. I find most people, GP's even MSK are very dismissive of back pain.

I had a herniated disc about 22 years ago (getting out the car FFS and young too!)

Dealt with it, lived a normal life practically pain free

In September 2022 had a relapse - then had cyclical back pain for months. Had an MRI. Have 2 or 3 discs at risk in the lower back (one herniated). Also osteoarthritis in the hips and lower back.

Get a physio referral, do the exercises, build up your core to protect your back. No jogging for now! Swimming, spa bath and sauna really helped me in the acute phase now I go once a week as maintenance.

You've got to try and keep moving. No twisting of spine. Don't push trolleys or prams etc. Try and stay relaxed because if you tense up with the pain it often gets worse.

I was back to 90% normal within about 6 months partly helped by being given HRT (see comment about back pain being cyclical) no other peri symptoms. This was the game changer for me. Off painkillers now and able to do all exercises apart from contact sport (no rugby or roller derby for me 😢)

So take pain relief, stay mobile, try to relax, do your physio and build up your core muscles.

Check out worrying symptoms (loss of sensation, inability to control bladder and/or bowel) immediately as an emergency.

Look up the NHS MSK beta app. I use that.

As in mid 40s read up on MSK peri/menopause stuff.

It's a hidden thing I think but hugely relevant.

When I was in agony I walked around like a stereotypical "little old lady" sort of hunched over and slow once I got the HRT I was able to stand straight again and walk at normal speeds

I often think those "little old ladies" of years gone by simply needed HRT ☹️

I would find a good physio. Do you have some running friends you can help?

It will take a while to calm down. When it has there are stretches you can do. And you will probably be advised to improve your core strength and glutes.

Mine are L3 & L4 (lower back), I've had it 6yrs and view it as managing it for life - sorry. I do back stretches x3 a day, glutes nearly every day, and pilates 2 or 3 times a week. I do a mixture of swimming and running now. When I am not in a flare up I can function as normal. Things get progressively stiffer and I end up back at the physio once a year for a couple of sessions.

I was prescribed naproxen and codeine when it was bad.

I had very similar experience. Go to a private physio, they are real experts on muscles, joints and discs in a way a GP isn't. They will also be able to give you treatment to give pain relief (mine does acupuncture, massage etc) and will give you exercises to slowly keep it moving and improve/strengthen. In the long run when it is better consider adding in something like pilates to build core strength to protect your back for the future. It helps you recover quicker if your discs flare up again/get aggravated. Physio will also give you advice on what movement is ok eg short walks if no pain etc. I got a standing desk and rarely sit at work now as sitting is the absolute worst for disc pain - and the moving between sitting and standing is awful!! I find a knee pillow for side sleeping also really helps plus hot water bottle (you can get ones you wear round your back so can strap it on while working). Wishing you luck - back pain can be miserable x

Try and do two things today - firstly contact your GP surgery to get adequate pain relief, muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatories Tell them your current meds aren’t cutting it.
Secondly, make an appointment to see a registered osteopath. Look on the General Osteopathic Council for one in your area. They will diagnose the cause of your back pain and start your treatment.

Physio physio physio. Ask if your GP practice has one and you can self refer.

I have 6 herniated disc's going from one in my neck and two in the middle of my back and three lower back
Physio helps a lot as the sciatica is so painful and I take painkillers daily as I simply couldn't function without them as I work full time

I’ve been there and send my sympathy.

many years ago we had a long running thread on the health boards called The Back Story, you might find some useful information on there.

My quick advice is rest, potter, rest.
Get decent analgesia from your GP
Try gentle physio or exercise in water
avoid all sitting
try both heat and ice
be patient

above all else avoid surgery unless you have absolutely no option. It ruined my life and I’m not alone.

best wishes

I've found physio, swimming and Pilates all very helpful. In the acute phrase, I was on heavy duty painkillers and also found heat very useful (though maybe don't do what I did and have heat on it constantly - I actually have some skin damage there now!)

I can't do any serious running, personally, as it seems to irritate it. I use a cross trainer machine at the gym which means I can get cardio in without back pain. In your case, I'd discuss running with a physio before doing lots of it just in case.

I've made a recovery to the point I don't need to regularly take painkillers, but I'll need to do certain exercises and be careful for the rest of my life I think (sometimes I worry about what will happen if I get old and am unable to exercise, but there's nothing I can do about that now!)

I found laying flat on my back and putting my foot under the sofa then pulling back to stretch the leg helped, it stretches the sciatic nerve. Google nerve flossing. I did end up having a microdiscectomy which gave me instant pain relief but that was after a few months of trying every other option including caudal steroid epidurals which gave some pain relief but not enough to live a normal life day to day. A good sports physio will help as well. Mine taught me a lot.

How are you getting on? I had exactly the same a couple of weeks ago and it’s been horrendous. Exactly the same as you: the GP was pretty dismissive but the physio thinks a bulging disc at L3-4. He has helped a lot but says I’m very wonky as clearly my body is trying to minimise the pain so I’m standing in peculiar ways.

Two years ago I herniated the disc at L4-5 and it was again agony but actually healed quicker than this one did with lots of rest naproxen and paracetamol. The consultant said not being overweight was in my favour and the body should heal. The mri is a really good idea as it will show you what you’re dealing with.

Anyway I think going forward I need to insist on a scan as it’s still not right hence posting in middle of the night. I sometimes feel like there is something much more serious going on but hoping it’s just this and seeing how many others are posting on it I think it’s just a n age thing (also agree peri stuff isn’t helping as I’m 47 F).

The physio has said I must must must do Pilates to build up my core which will take pressure off the baxk muscles.

I had been really stressed shortly before this relapse.

My back “goes” every two or three months but this is the worst it’s been since the herniation. You have my sympathy - it sounds like you’re quite fit with the running and I’m sure that will work in your favour with recovery but def get that scan.