Bulging Discs

[MuppetsMuggle]

Following on from previous threads, I've been to Rheumatologist today, and she thinks I have bulging discs which is what is putting pressure on everything else. So I have to go for an MRI scan to find out where and how bad. In quite alot of pain today, its my DD birthday today her party later and one thing I could do without really. Am looking forward to sitting down later.

Hope you don't have to wait too long for your scan

4 weeks, consultant told me yesterday.

In mega pain today, after DD party yesterday.

Wondering how they can treat bulging discs tho!

Surgery I think. Sometimes they can do it as a day case with something called IDET. A friend of mine had it done and she's loads better now.

Surgery - is what crossed my mind too, is it the case they just push them back to where they should be? whats IDET??

Thanks IWIWMC

IDET is something where they heat up the disc where the bulge is coming from to stop the jelly like bit in the middle from bulging out. That's how my friend described it to me anyway!

Ahh - sounds interesting. I just want the pain to go away.

I have bulging discs and a fully slipped disc. There is an exercise called the MacKenzie technique that is effective but should be done under supervision and Pilates helped me a lot.

Does it help you? What treatment are you under by your GP/Consultant?

MacKenzie exercise alongside Pilates deffo helped and probably meant I avoided surgery. I had to be very disciplined though and did it every day.

If I had time now I would do Pilates every day. You need to be sure you get a properly trained Pilates instructor or a Physio who uses it. For pain relief I found very little helped but taking strong painkillers with a glass or two of wine was the only thing that worked. I only did this when really really bad and wouldn't reccomend it. Lot's of painkillers will make you constipated wich can make it worse in my opinion.

Do you find hot baths help? If you do try 2 cups of Epsom Salts in the bath water. It's a great muscle relaxant. www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/health_usage_tips.htm

Ahh, will see if my physio is trained in pilates.

I take lots of painkillers, I try not to depend on them because of my DD.

I love a hot bath, its the only time of an evening I get to chill by myself iykwim!

they treat bulging discs in many ways including good old fashioned traction in hospital. Surgery is a long way down the track and not ime used for bulging discs as they can't relieve the pressure. If the discs susequently herniate and then the disc debris causes ongoing problems then they sometimes suggest surgery.
The thing is that lots and lots of people have bulging discs but it's when those bulges trap/nick/pressurise the sciatic nerve that things become very painful.
If you are in anyway overweight try to lose weight.
Equally although this sounds unlikely try to keep moving and go to see someone who can help to strenghten your core muscles in your trunk.
A light healthy body with strengthened stomach muscles will sort out most bulging disc problems

In terms of pain relief, is it nerve pain?

Hi, I'm def not overweight. I'm 5'6 weigh 8.5stone, BMI 18.

Def have sciatica confirmed by the consultant, I have tight & tense muscles all along my back, and pains in my bum going down my leg. My hips also seem like they are going to pop out, and go numb also my feet go numb too.

what painkillers do you currently take?

30/500mg Co-Codamal
400mg Ibproufen
5mg Diazapam (when needed)

first two, I take 4 times a day.
Diazapam, 1 at night when its really bad.

The only thing which made a difference to my nerve pain was a drug called Gabapentin.
When I saw a pain consultant (controls doesn't dish out!!iyswim) he recommended straightaway that I start using a drug which would actually tackle to pain type and not some cheap codeine from the GP or Orthopod consultant.
Gabapentin as he described it was developed to treat epilepsy and scrambles the electical nerve pain messages going to the brain. The brain then says yeah fine la la la.
He said as the problem with my spine was mechaniacla there was no need to suffer from this debilitating nerve pain whilst it was treated or during the period of time it took my spine to right itself.
Before I was talking zydol solpadol or df118s alongside voltarol and diazepam and I'm not kidding I was still in agony.
After a week on the gabapentin I was like a different person.

When I went back to my GP he tried to stop the gabapentin as he said they were too expensive. I went spare as they had given me my life back. Called consultant got GP bollocked.

You must discuss these types of treatment with your GP or ask for an appointment at the pain clinic

Yeah consultant agreed my pain was mechanical, am booked for MRI and pain clinic, just waiting for the letters to come through.

I'll remember that, she noticed i struggled on monday to move etc, and she also noticed that my hip had a tendancy to move out of place iykwim.

I was also offered a long term epidural. I think it is meant to be pretty effective for about 6 months and the theory is that it allows you to be mobile which is generally good for your condition.

Intersted to hear about an alternative pain relief. I was offered Morphine at one point but thought better of that as where would I go to after that. I never thought of asking to see a Pain Consultant. What a simple sensible idea.

I was also offered a long term epidural. I think it is meant to be pretty effective for about 6 months and the theory is that it allows you to be mobile which is generally good for your condition.

Intersted to hear about an alternative pain relief. I was offered Morphine at one point but thought better of that as where would I go to after that. I never thought of asking to see a Pain Consultant. What a simple sensible idea.

Long term epidural - I don't think thats recommended around here lol.

Morphine I don't think is the way to go for me, as I agree where would I go after that, and don't want to become dependable on it iywkim.

Oh I so sympathise with anyone with disc problems. Mine started as a bulging disc, now it's completely degenerated. It caused me the most hellish pain for years, I have had nerve block injections, radio wave treatment, epidurals and I was put on a list for IDET and offered a disc replacement. I am so glad I didn't have anything done though as time and strangely the birth of my first child must have moved something in my back as I am no longer in constant back pain/sciatica which I had been in since 1999.

I was taking co-codamol 30/500 daily until I became pregnant and I was on crutches due to horrendous sciatica in the latter part. I walked out of hospital with the crutches in my hand childbirth was a miracle for me as far as my back was concerned.

Whilst I was going through my pain hell, I did find that cutting meat out of my diet helped, especially red meat. I once met someone who had the same back problem and had cut out meat which immensly improved her pain levels. Apparently the arteries in the back can get 'clogged', I would have tried anything to relieve my pain back then.

SFW - Red meat? Is it the toxins or something in it? Sounds like you have been to hell and back!

I'm going to start having regular reflexology, and am going to find a gym that specialises in health problems, so it helps me build up my core stability.

I'm willing to try anything to take the pain away.