Likely had a herniated disc 7 years ago but had no health insurance, no job, no money, and no idea what was wrong with me since there was no pain in my back, just leg weakness and buttocks pain. Seemed to heal on its own within weeks but took a few years to get legs strength back so I could run normally again for more than 30 minutes.
Had horrible pain in my left leg two years ago in the middle of our trip to Italy. Couldn't sit, lye or move. The Docs made an MRI that showed a herniated disc, but in comparison to other pics on the net, it seemed not that bad. Had a lot of injections and pills, nothing helped. Went on half a year without any sleep and at that time, bad thoughts came to my mind. My wife said that I should go to an osteopath. To be honest, I thought that's a charlatan, but gave it a try since it was my last option. Well, he pushed some spots all over my leg, hip and back. 5min later he said it isn't the disc, it's the piriformis. Pushed another 30min some spots and all of a sudden the pain was gone. This muscle pinched my nerve to an extend, I couldn't feel anything in my toes. Went to 8 different docs including a large variety of profession. They all said it's the disc and I need surgery. Well, I am glad I didn't do it.
I'm dealing with this last 3 months now. Med and injection didn't do anything, I had sport message therapy as a theory that my muscles still been cramping on me. After message therapy the next day I felt so good with pain relief and therapist stated that my muscles can push against the sciatica nerve as well. I'm not fully recovered and pain came back because of physical therapy
I was bending while holding a sneeze and was reaching for a tissue and after realizing the sneeze I had a pop at my lower back, and it’s so painful for two minutes and then I was all good for the whole. Then at night the sharp pain started at my right buttock and thigh, and then to calf a day later. It found it difficult to walk up the hill. I went to see the doctor and the diagnosis was moderate L5-S1 disc herniation. It’s now going to five weeks, I don’t experience pain but only when I sit for too long and the pain is more upper back when it happens. I guess this is a good sign.
Thank you for doing this. The surgeon talked to me about rods and screws if medicine and therapy doesnt work, and Im just mortified by it. I cant stand up for more than a minute at a time before the pain becomes unbareable. Im 39 and just want my body to heal itself. This gave me hope.
I’m the exact same bud, had it for four months and it’s got so bad the last few weeks I’m unable to walk or stand - I found chiropractor did a really good job of understanding and building a plan to help me, acupuncture too. I’m only 21 and it’s affecting me mentally more then anything.
5:52 "Structure is just one component of many..." I couldn't agree more. After 40 years of experience in orthopedics (Not only orthopaedic surgery!) I find it very helpful to think of us humans as computers - with a hardware and a software. I did not learn this at any of the university hospitals in London, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Düsseldorf or Münster where I got my academic training as an orthopaedic surgeon. I learned it during the following 20 years working with thousands of patients. The basic lesson is very simple: Since reality is too complicated to fully understand it, we need simplifying hypotheses. I called my hypotheses the Instifor concept. It does not contain any new ideas about diagnostic or therapeutic tools - but it is a very simple theoretical concept that tells you exactly what to do in terms of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and when to expect what results. I am so sick and tired of patients who are subjected to yearly MRI scans as if the essential problem was to find out whether their backpain was red or green, spherical or squared. Thank you for your excellent video!
Yea sounds good on paper. Try living with a herniated disc though. It’s a different story. Your mood is greatly affected. You don’t want to sit for very long anywhere. So good luck travelling or working. You’re constantly thinking about it. You could reinjure doing almost anything. Honestly it’s a fucking nightmare and it just gets worse and worse and worse. I took the conservative approach for 10 years managing it staying active then couldn’t take it anymore and got surgery last year. It’s been a steady decline ever since. I’m still active though. The disc feels like it’s degenerating more and more every week. I push through and continue to exercise hoping that it will get better one day.
@@connoranovick8546 decline meaning pain levels increasing functionality decreasing. I have noticed though there’s a direct correlation to sitting. The more sitting I do the more it tightens up. Sometimes sitting is unavoidable. It’s about minimizing sitting and doing a perfectly tailored exercise routine with enough rest to feel better.
@@thrace5134 ah thanks for clarifying. Sorry to hear that. I have been dealing with pain for 5 years now. I got it into a good position at the beginning of this year, and then reinjured it in July, and have been contemplating surgical intervention.
@@connoranovick8546 surgery should be used as a last resort. If you expect it to magically solve all your issues then you might be disappointed. However there are cases that it will help. After surgery you may get scar tissue trapping the nerve root, tightness and nerve sensitivity. Continued mobility and careful exercise is the only way out.
@@thrace5134 yeah I am sure you’re right. I’ve just gotten desperate for an “easy” was to make this more manageable at this point, because as I’m sure you know simply getting the pain to a place where it is manageable is all consuming.
I am the original decompression advocate, simple procedure, raise foot of bed, fix feet to foot of bed, car inner tube, tied to both ends of bed posts, then tied tight in middle, slide feet in sideways , straighten, holds feet , body weight on incline provides stretch, between two and three months, over ten years of herniated disc, flexing feet against resistance I think helps, condritian, glucosamine supplements, crutches to get around, important not to aggravate
I have had several disc herniations. They regressed, true. I can't do heavy lifting anymore though. The pain after a session is excruciating. Also back bending is not a mind game. In many cases this leads to disc herniations. Lacing my shoes etc. works only with a straight back.
Great video with lots of facts! Actually I agree with you, one of mine patient with disk herniation got relief by systematic rehabilitation protocol. Surgery was advised to that patient but with proper rehabilitation given by me & my team gave him relief!
physio in progress here, love you guys! you gonna help going through my examina, i learned more from your videos as a couple of my teachers could teach me.
I’m 30yo with a sequestered/ herniated disc and experienced 8 weeks of varying pain levels from dull to the most painful ever. Doctors told me to have surgery after 7 weeks of back and forth. I’m not doing surgery. I believe I’m getting better and training my left leg back to strength and practicing movements that will facilitate healthy spine.
Took me more than half a year to convince a friend of mine that his herniated disk on an MRI from 2 years ago isnt causing his present pain. Also he is almost pain free right now :D
I had a herniated disc (with sciatica pain as a bonus) about 2.5 years ago. Got rid of the issue in about 2.5 months thanks to the McKenzie technique I discovered and used it every hour on the hour of every day. with that I had some numbness on both legs, the right leg was worse than the left, the numbness did become a little better but never completely left, Will it ever leave me?
I have Disc Protrusion Dealing With it Right now, On My Right Side Only, My Pain Comes When I'm Sitting Down, When I'm on my feet I'm fine very minimal pain
Took me 6 1/2 years to get my L5 healed enough to walk without pain. The pain when walking felt like a sprain in my ankle or wrist, and then you put pressure on it, and that sensation is what I felt in my legs when just walking. I had to walk very slow to keep pain in something I could handle. My lowest lumbar disc in xray and MRI showing almost non existent and Dr. said it is dead. The 3 discs above it shows to be leaking internal fluid both in front and back which is touching sciatic nerve. When I stand 5 min, it hurts bad, and by 10 minutes I have to sit, and then I feel the pain subsiding. Finally got on Social Security, and had a job at same time in I.T. so had money to go to Chiropractor. Went twice a week for 4 months... and for the first 3 1/2 months, no change, but then after that, with him using a red heating lazer light on that area, it got better...... Then I got canceled from my job at end of December.... What I get for expressing Trump with my Covid mask I guess. But haven't been able to go to the Chiropractor since. Now my leg muscles are so weak from not walking for right at 6 years, I now have that problem to deal with... 67 yrs old, live in apts. So not much reason to get outside for any length of time. However, when rolling over in bed, my butt area still feels the sprained sensation.
I can hardly find any person with hd t7-t8, I'm always special🤦 .... pain in belly, back.. If I control my moves and posture I can go through the day without pain. But it took long period to learn how and through pain unfortunately. Next Wednesday I go to see neurosurgeon with my MRI images. Lockdowns and long period of staring to mobile for last two years and my job at nursrery kindergarten made the rest. I cannot find exercises for my type of HD (5mm), and would be very thankful to someone for the link or site.. thank you for your video💕
It does heal, one of few testament here. 2 months back pain, then gotten better and went hiking. Next day all pain is back 4x more worse. 3 months of hell with constant sciatica no sleep. Nothing works except ice pack and numb that disc area. Injection numb worked for a day or 2 but it's back with a vengeance after. Praying and others praying for you works. Dunno how or what, it's gone 80%. Just sore back most of time now. L5s1 with stenosis. Camel back hump stretch 6 time morning and night lumbar decompression by butt against wall leg straight up turn against each other twist to stretch with 2 hands straight back head.
walking up hills every other day is what started my pain then I cleaned my carpets and I've been out going on 3 months now but I am doing a little better every day it seems
Just reviewed your 5 day e mail course on low back pain and I can see you covered some of the same material in this video as well. I really appreciate your work and effort.
I’m 5 months down the road and now waiting on surgery, the MRI was fascinating, I couldn’t urinate either but it was due to the pain and not cauda equines. I’m on gabapentin,morphine,amitriptyline,diazepam, methacarbamol and still in excruciating pain when I move. I was in hospital for 2 weeks at the beginning and came home with a pulpit walker, crutches and bathroom aids. It’s really depressing sitting at home doing nothing for months . I’ve developed sciatica in high legs as well now
would use a TENS unit .Will kill a lot of the pain. Also heat and ice and NSAID if tolerated. Also try medical pot.Dont use opiods or prednisone as they will be worse than the disc.
Thanks, just found out today after 2.5 years that my large herniation in S1 has auto absorbed, it took a lot of holistic changes in diet and excise. Please do feel free to reach out for more details.
Leg pain is high than back pain sir ..right leg pain is very high and I am not able to walk...just 100 mtr I don't walk sir .. Surgery is suitable for me my age 29 years old ...my work is hard work and loading work too...so can i do again sir after Surgery....
I didn't. Most people recover in a month or three. Waiting it out is as effective as surgery (this has been established by the med. profession), but you have to suffer longer. Surgery is almost instant relief, but is not without risk.
Had a sequestrated for 11 months now, L4/L5, never had pain in my back just my calf and foot, it’s not getting much better, slight improvement with calf, ie getting sensation back, but foot no improvement
Loss of function can take long to recover and can also remain in a low percentage of cases. The standard advice here in the Netherlands is to discuss possible surgery in cases where radicular syndrome lasts from 12-16 weeks on. Long-term results (1 year) are the same though.
I been told that I need surgery which I have put of for many years, due to herniated discs in my lower back, I have been able to manage pain. However, my problem is numbing in my feet and up my leg, especially the right one. I con only walk for 15 min. Than I need to seat down. Needless, to say, it has altered my life a lot! Help!!!
I had a disc herniation in Dec 2019. I have degenerative disc disease. The pain is as so severe. For weeks my calf and hamstring were stuck in a spasm and nothing helped. I could stand, sit, walk or sleep. It took weeks of physical therapy and chiro before insurance allowed an mri. After mri I had 3 cortisone shots. I did ok for a while but things are backsliding. I have leg twitching in calf and hamstring all day and night and often have spasms in the calf and hamstring especially when sleeping. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Owning a restaurant has been a nightmare!
From what I understand from this video, the pain could have an entirely different origin than the one we currently believe. Fascinating. What about slow movement that triggers a part of the pain to help the patient to get used to it? Did any scientist manage to pinpoint the true origin of the lower back pain?
He has to differentiate between disk herniation that just cause pain and those that cause loss of feeling or numbness in the lower extremities. Those means the nerves are permanently disabled. He sites many different studies supporting his position. It’s like going to a library and finding a book with words. Listen to some of the doctor’s segments on back pain and repair. They don’t agree. Suggest Seattle Medical Association search who do frequent seminars on new back treatments. Fusion according to more and more doctors is “old school”. Technology well over 60 years old. The switch over the last 10 years is to insert elastomeric spacers to replace the function of the disk which helps the spread of the degeneration to other parts of the spine. The procedure has been in use for 10 years with over 10,000 successful surgeries and much fewer revisions (doctor word for “do over”). I’m not a doctor, I’m an engineer that designed automotive safety system and had to learn some biomechanics, with a weak stomach for blood and guts. I got my 4th MRI back in 10 years and my lumbar spine is becoming a stump. It took 9 surgeries,and 4 hospitals,and 4 knee prosthetics, before I declared defeat and will forever limp. My chances of doing invasive back surgery are slim and none, and slim left town.
very good video , i am 29 yers old and by lifting havy things i had this problem i had hernia 12 mm all doctors said operation but i didnt do it and i feel better but not 100% it will takes timeto recover but better not to do operation swim lose weight and some soft gym things
in the mornings my back is too weak to work, disc herniation since 2018 (first one), microdiscectomy 2019, herniated above level 5 months after that working outside. I'm scared to get surgery but open to getting a vertebrae removed, spinal fusions are way scarier
Had prolapsed disc since 2006. Last yr started to get burning and stabbing. Last month it got worst. Now im partially paralysed. Its affected boths legs. Im panicking!!!
Slipped 7 months ago and ruptured a disk. It’s been horrible as I cannot do anything for longer than 10 minutes , such as bending and walk-in without bad back pain. Injections helped for a couple months as well as PT but now it’s worn off and life sucks. I gained 20-25 lbs due to all this. The depression is horrible
Don’t give up! You need to find activities that motivate you and are fun so that you can slowly get back to them. If ten min is all you can take, then take a break! Try walking, gardening, swimming, etc again after the break. Next day try 10 min and 5 sec. Then 10 min 20 sec. Keep adding by greater and greater amounts as tolerated. Keep up the PT with it all. You can get better! According to the research described ( 5:29 ) it should be completely absorbed already for you. Now it’s all about reminding your body what is safe and not safe because it currently believes all movement is dangerous, therefore, causing pain.
Do herniated discs from degenerative disc disease usually get absorbed too? I was told at 17 that I would just have to live with the pain. I was offered the option of surgery after trying physical therapy, traction, oral steroids, and epidural injection, none of which was any help.
Awesome video. You mentioned a video for some inspiration to gain confidence in your back in the top right corner, but there's no video? Where can I see that video at. Thanks
Thank you very much I have a l5 S1 disk protrusion and l4l5 disk hernia and the doctor throw so much The word surgery I was shoked especially even I have mild pain just discomfort from the hernia not the protrusion form sitting now after 5 weeks I feel great I stopped taking medecins I walk a lot and I avoid lifting weights and I feel no pain I have my balance and cooredination
Hello sir I m from India I don't have any back pain and leg pain the only pain is in my buttock my MRI of lumbo sacral spine shows Bulge and protrusion at L4-L5 and L5-S1 causing spinal canal and thecal sac indentatio hum time I need to go back agin to gym plzz help me out what kind of excercise I need to do
3:40 My friend, did you say physical exercise and a hard bed were protective? I'm about to buy a memory foam topper for my mattress. Are these ok for the back? Thanks!
I have been using memory gel mattress the last couple of weeks and my sleep and pain has improved. The most important factor was being able to get proper sleep.
Nice explanation. Please answer my question. How to identify, my disc is in protrusion stage? My mri showing - broad based postero central disc prolapse. What that means?
Hello sir, i am sports man and i have one confusion that is I should do daily truly strengthening or some days in a week please give advice which is correct for our body. sir i am requesting you please give comment.
Thank you. This was much needed. One of the best things you are doing is calming down with your findings and knowledge. It makes me feel like it all will be good after all. With or without surgery. Thank you so much.
@@dustymallon it got better to a point where I almost do bot feel the sciatica pain but I still feel it when I sit for more than 30mins. It appears that improvement stopped for the last week or so. After MRI its clear I have sequestrated disc herniation. I'll.make another MRI at the end of feb. To see if it is getting smaller or I need a surgery. 🤞
@@cryptoharald8273 I'm good. I don't feel the sciatica any more. I did not wet through surgery. Just a lot of exercising with and without physiotherapist. The basic thing you can do is just exercise and prevent this to happen. :)
Hi, I am a student. I am just wondering what's the differences between disc protrusion and bulging? Can I say that bulging is a prior stage of protrusion?
Should i go for surgery when disk herniation shown in MRI for L3L4L5 but i have little pain in my back on pain in leg. But looking at MRI every doctor suggested me for surgery kindly guide.
What if the disc herniate 4 years ago and it STILL causes discomfort or sciatica. Is it safe to say then I would be a good candidate for surgery? Or should I continue to deal with it?
I got diagnosed with an L5 S1 disc bulge and been struggling for months now. Been off work 9 months witha LOT of pain which 95% of the time is in my legs and glutes. If i could just get rid of this i think id be good again but just cannot shake it,some days it’s difficult to walk. Im 24 years old and this all came about when training legs at the gym in March. If i sit for too long on hard surfaces or chairs for example it really sets it off and so does walking too far or any activity with my legs. Really quite stuck and dont know what to do,are you able to help or have any advice for me?
@@TheChesterfieldFan dealing with this same problem traction and certain core exercise helped me a lot struggling with this pain for almost 4 months. Still can't sit more than 15 mins but now iam going for walking about 4 km daily .iam 25 yrs old don't lose your hope, your r not alone.
I very much appreciate and am encouraged by your video. After spending 4 days last week barely able to get out of bed I was beginning to worry I'd have to leave my good job. I'm seeing a doctor in the morning, since I'm now able to move around. I work long shifts and wear a lot of heavy equipment. I want to feel confident to return to work. Hopefully the doctor has read the research
I suffer with chronic back pain in lower middle and neck with slipped discs I'm on so many pain meds morphine codiean and noproxin the pain is unbearable most days but can't op as it make me worse and physio won't touch it any ideas on how to help.
No! just because it is common does not mean it is normal. I find it shameful the way providers dismiss patients with disc bulges as being "normal". Eventually things cascade into the worst painful herniation. Back pain is very specific, providers do not understand back pain for an individual.
thank you! answer my questions about possible re absorption of herniation, that was very important for me. questions: your thoughts about inversion tables, acupuncture and cold vs heat for sciatica from S1? Also do you have a video about thoracic outlet syndrome?
All of those treatments might only help for a very short time. A real nerve root inflammation takes time to recover. Best way to decrease symptoms are extension exercises (McKenzie), but it's basically wait and see plus having sufficient pharmacological management
