Thank you for this...Sounds very similar to my journey. This is such a tough recovery because there are so many unknowns and so many differing experiences and then there is the thought of the surgery not working. This gave me some needed confidence when I needed it.
i am at just over a week after my surgery. i made a video as well. i still have sciatica pain too, which is frustrating. its nice to see that it eventually went away for you. im feeling hopeful for the same.
Chelsea, I had the same surgery on Sept. 21st. Still have occasional stabbing pains into my right foot and big toe, but I'm confident they will eventually disappear, and will probably for you, too. I know this because I had neck surgery 10 years ago for compressed nerves....took about 18 months for pain to go away. Injured nerves take a long time to heal. Get yourself some Gabapentin, a pain-killer especially designed for nerve pain. It's relatively inexpensive, has few to no side effects, and will work way better than Naproxen. Keep taking it until your nerves are completely healed and the pain is gone. Good luck!
Thanks for the comment Edwin and the encouragement. It’s true it takes a long time! But now 5 months later I am much better! No stabbing pain, just a dull pain in my ankle when I twist. I am posting an update video this week so stay tuned. How are you healing up from your surgery? Have you started physical training yet? That also helped me a lot!
@@ChelseaWhitaker Hi Chelsea. Nice to know you're better. My sciatica is gone, a few pains in my toe and right foot, but I think will lessen. I'm "only" 7 weeks from my surgery, not 5 months like you. I started physical therapy last week. I still have a dull ache in the right side of my lower back, which is freaking me out. Do you still have low back pain, or did you ever? thanks
@@ChelseaWhitaker I'm 10 months in of back pain. I found out I have a disc buldge at L5 s1 I've tried physical therapy, chiropractor, decompression exercises, deep tissue massages, medicine, etc nothing helps. I got a steroid injection 24 hours ago I'm waiting to see if it will kick in within the next week to relieve me of pain. My doc said if it helps with the pain surgery will help the pain go away. I have back pain on my left side when I sit not when I walk or stand I have no leg pain (Sciatica). Has your pain went all the way away after surgery? Also did u have leg or back pain b4 surgery or both 🤔
@@davidlindgren7605 I'm 10 months in of back pain. I found out I have a disc buldge at L5 s1 I've tried physical therapy, chiropractor, decompression exercises, deep tissue massages, medicine, etc nothing helps. I got a steroid injection 24 hours ago I'm waiting to see if it will kick in within the next week to relieve me of pain. My doc said if it helps with the pain surgery will help the pain go away. I have back pain on my left side when I sit not when I walk or stand I have no leg pain (Sciatica). Has your pain went all the way away after surgery? Also did u have leg or back pain b4 surgery or both 🤔
I’m just over week2 for this procedure L3-4. You are the first one of these I’ve heard that’s lined up with mine almost identical. Minus the ankle pain.. mine is in the back top part of my hips. I’ve been able to be on my feet pacing/standing around the house for about an hour at a time before I HAVE to lay down. Heat/ice relaxes and then repeat lol. Walking is still slow and stead..not normal range of leg motion. Exactly with you in the more active /less active should I have been day 1-4.
@@TheTayann123 I'm 10 months in of back pain. I found out I have a disc buldge at L5 s1 I've tried physical therapy, chiropractor, decompression exercises, deep tissue massages, medicine, etc nothing helps. I got a steroid injection 24 hours ago I'm waiting to see if it will kick in within the next week to relieve me of pain. My doc said if it helps with the pain surgery will help the pain go away. I have back pain on my left side when I sit not when I walk or stand I have no leg pain (Sciatica). Has your pain went all the way away after surgery? Also did u have leg or back pain b4 surgery or both 🤔
Thx for making this video! I’m at day 12 and was hoping to start doing a little more than walking. Dealing with some intermittent leg pain at day 7-9ish that goes and comes times. How are you feeling now? It looks like it’s been two years?
Thanks for the video. I just had an L5/S1 Microdiscectomy on 5/3/21. The thought of a 12 week recovery is a bummer and I have noticed the pain in my leg got worse again. Hope it subsides eventually. I’m very active and sitting around is going to drive me crazy.
@@Jacob-rp5ip Immediately after the procedure the leg pain was completely gone but two or three days afterwards it came back which had me worried. Apparently what was happening is that the surgical medication was finally out of my system and the surgical site was inflamed and the tissues were pressing on the nerve. I started to up the anti-inflammatory meds and that helped and after two weeks post surgery everything started to settle down. At the beginning of the fourth week my surgeon cleared me to start physical therapy and at that point I was allowed to bend and twist again as for the first three weeks I was told to keep my shoulders and hips in total alignment. It was a 12 week recovery process to be cleared for work but I don’t have a job that I said in an office chair. I did physical therapy twice a week and took what I learned there and continue those exercises daily at home and we kept increasing range of motion exercises and most importantly strengthening of the muscles in that area. I am totally released now and hike, bike, swim and run with no pain. Knowing what I know now I absolutely would do it again but for the first two weeks I thought I had made a terrible mistake because of the pain from the surgery but also the temporary return of the leg pain. If you decide to have it done just keep that in mind.
@@V10Pilot Thank you so much sir for answering my scatica has been so bad the past few months I've tried physical therapy medication chiropractor everything and nothings getting better I feel like I'm just getting worse every day I'll go back and legs ache and feel heavy I've lost all my strength down there I don't know what to do anymore so this is my last choice I went from mountain bike in the woods doing 7 to 8 miles each day in great shape and everything just went downhill I kept trying to bike at first then it just kept getting worse I had to get off the bike the past Few months have been able to do anything just been laying in bed but I try to stay active during the day but I can barely walk thank you for giving me hope
@@Jacob-rp5ip after all the reading and talking to others I decided to get the surgery right away rather than waiting months or years. The longer that nerve is compressed the longer it will take to recover and if you wait too long it may not ever get back to 100%. I did injections, physical therapy, and chiropractic treatment all of which were just Band-Aids but weren’t really fixing the problem.
@@V10Pilot Yeah how long was yours compressed for I found out about mine Beginning of September But I've been having symptoms since June so I hope I'm not waiting too long
Your video was so helpful. I am at 13 days and the pain has returned exactly as you described. How are you now? I am scared but I also read this an be normal
@@haleyfortner8865 I'm 10 months in of back pain. I found out I have a disc buldge at L5 s1 I've tried physical therapy, chiropractor, decompression exercises, deep tissue massages, medicine, etc nothing helps. I got a steroid injection 24 hours ago I'm waiting to see if it will kick in within the next week to relieve me of pain. My doc said if it helps with the pain surgery will help the pain go away. I have back pain on my left side when I sit not when I walk or stand I have no leg pain (Sciatica). Has your pain went all the way away after surgery? Also did u have leg or back pain b4 surgery or both 🤔
Hi 👋 thank you so much I had L5S1 microdiscectomy on 4/7/21. And feeling nerve pain on my calf and hip. But feels like a 5 out of 10 and it’s not constant. How are you now after a year?
I just found out I have a L5 s1 disc bulge to the left. I have back pain when I sit but no leg pain. Do u have a disc bulge/ back pain or only leg pain. Also I only hurt when I sit not when I'm trying to sleep. Did you heal up completely? If so how long did it take and what did u do to heal ? Please help 😊🙃 also my back used to get tight when I lay down for bed but since I started back exercises 4 weeks ago. It doesn't get tight when I lay down only when I drive or sit. Are u 100% healed or do u still have back pain? Are you having any complications after surgery since u commented 10 days ago
I had the surgery 3 weeks ago and keep trying to find updates from people who have had it. Usually they quit after 2 to 3 weeks. When can I resume some activity besides the walking?
I just found out I have a L5 s1 disc bulge to the left. I have back pain when I sit but no leg pain. Do u have a disc bulge/ back pain or only leg pain. Also I only hurt when I sit not when I'm trying to sleep. Did you heal up completely? If so how long did it take and what did u do to heal ? Please help 😊🙃 also my back used to get tight when I lay down for bed but since I started back exercises 4 weeks ago. It doesn't get tight when I lay down only when I drive or sit. Are u 100% healed or do u still have back pain? Are you having any complications after surgery?
Still some but it’s begging to centralise and ease back up into my back. Physio and consultant believe it is due to the nerve being compressed for around 3-4 years and will take a while to return to normal
@@Tom-gy3sd I'm 10 months in of back pain. I found out I have a disc buldge at L5 s1 I've tried physical therapy, chiropractor, decompression exercises, deep tissue massages, medicine, etc nothing helps. I got a steroid injection 24 hours ago I'm waiting to see if it will kick in within the next week to relieve me of pain. My doc said if it helps with the pain surgery will help the pain go away. I have back pain on my left side when I sit not when I walk or stand I have no leg pain (Sciatica). Has your pain went all the way away after surgery? Also did u have leg or back pain b4 surgery or both 🤔
@@freestylebully4849 Hi, glad to hear you’re progressing with your treatment, sounds very similar to the way I did. I’m now 8 weeks post surgery and only have mild sciatica at infrequent points during the day. Before surgery I was crippled with back and left leg pain, not sleeping couldn’t stand up for longer than 30 mins etc. sciatica not completely gone but definitely back to a normal quality of life which is the most important thing! Good luck man, any more questions about it just shout. Cheers, Tom
