I will never help anyone move again...

[AVB]

A fifth of Wild Turkey will cure anything.


At least temporarily.

 

[handyman dave]

While doing air to air video on a skydive I lost a steering toggle on landing and, unable to flare for landing, I slammed into the ground at about 30 mph. I was black and blue from my armpits to the soles of my feet, not to mention what I did to my back. When MDs look at xrays now they say, "What the h*ll did you do to your back?"

800 mg of Ibuprofen every 6 hours to reduce inflammation, ice to reduce inflammation, and taking it easy always have helped me. The Ibuprofen dosage sounds extreme but it was first prescribed by an MD and when my back gets spasming it really helps me. I also now swear by our "Sleep Number Bed" which has been a WONDERFUL help to less painful sleeping and I don't know how I ever functioned without it.

I tried MANY chiropractors over 25 years trying to find one like the one I had while I lived in Illinois. I have finally found one who REALLY has the gift for reducing pain and healing but it was a difficult, painful, frustrating and expensive search. There are some real gold-diggers in the chiropractic field. Now I just pray this fellow doesn't retire until after I'm dead!!

God Bless You and I will be praying you feel better soon!


edited for poor sentence structure.

 

[coolboxers255]

Sorry to hear about your back Ash. No fun, I feel for you.
I threw out my back a few years back and tore some muscles, hurt like Hell!!! Couldn't move, just layed in bed with constant ice.


Here's some info:

from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: Linky

from the Mayo Clinic: Linky


My recommends: Ice, Vicodin / Tylenol w/ Codeine, Skelaxin (Muscle relaxant), and most important plenty of rest. You'll be bouncing off the walls in no time.

 

[Marcos]

I am a chiropractor and treat these injuries daily. In the acute phase do not use heat. Heat will dilate the blood vessels sometimes to the point where they will leak fluid into the tissue which will then likely compress the blood vessel allowing for no blood flow/exchange at the site of injury. You are always safe at home using cold. The thing to understand about disc herniations as compared to a disc bulges is that herniations are permanent injuries. The nucleus pulposes of the disc (the center gelatinous portion) has actually started to force or herniate its way through the outer annular layers causing the outer periphery of the disc to protrude outward. This will cause either foraminal or spinal stenosis so most likely a nerve root or the spinal cord/thecal sac will be impinged upon. Every nerve root from the lower extremity originates at the low back so any derivative or numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain in the legs can be expected in severe cases. Although the etiology or these symptoms can be somewhat different they are usually lumped into a general category called sciatica.
Depending on your therapy of choice, the outer periphery of the disc that is protruding may be reduced...but the internal portion of the disc that is internally deranged will always be that way. Think of a dry creek or stream. When it rains the immediate path that water takes is just like they way it was previously. You now have a disc that will never function again like a normal disc in its ability to absorb shock or provide a central pivot for the motor unit to move and will result to consistent abnormal mechanical behavior. The plus side to this is that spinal foramina (the holes on each side of the spine where the nerves come out) are classified as functional spaces. Meaning that half of that hole is made from the bone above and half is made from the bone below. The more ranges of motion that the motor unit ( vertebra/disc/vertebra) has intact, the bigger the foramina will stay. The bigger the foramina stays, the less likely the disc and the nerve root will interact which means less pain and problems for you. Depending on the level of severity, a regimen of manipulative treatment from a chiropractor may be beneficial for you because it will instill/maintain those ranges of motion at that affected level . An active regimen of physical therapy may also help. There will be no other treatments besides something like disc decompression that will address your injury functionally from a mechanical standpoint. Another equally powerful benefit of manipulation in trauma through the acute phase is the prevention of fibrosis or scar tissue formation as a normal sequele to inflammation. Scar tissue can form around the spinal facet joints as well as in the foramina itself and tether the exiting nerve root causing serious long term problems and neurologic defecit. Some of the more chronic cases I have with these issues need to be treated under sedation with a procedure called MUA (manipulation under anesthesia) to remove and break up that scar tissue.
Traditional allopathic practitioners will use a regimen or anti inflam meds. If those do not work they should send you for a consult with an interventional pain specialist for possible epidural steroid injections. Usually done under general anesthesia for the lumbar spine and usually ordered in a series of three injections. If those do not work they may order one more round of injections or refer for a test known as a discogram. Only after a positive discogram should anyone even mention the word surgery to you.
In the three offices that we have, all of these practitioners exist. Chiropractor, Medical Doctor, Pain Management, Physiatrist, & Physical Therapist. Every case is different and every case responds to its own set of therapies. In my career so far I have never seen a case that has gone to surgery that had favorable results. In fact the surgeon usually refers them to me for something called "failed post surgery syndrome" which again usually requires a MUA. If you have any other questions shoot me a PM I will gladly give you my direct line if you want to talk more in depth. Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

[MoeCizlak]

My wife had back surgery for a herniated disk four years ago. She literally spent the entire summer on our couch and couldn't move. She doesn't have any problems anymore but that was a long recovery. Good luck to you.

 

[gtadroptop]

I am a chiropractor and treat these injuries daily. In the acute phase do not use heat. Heat will dilate the blood vessels sometimes to the point where they will leak fluid into the tissue which will then likely compress the blood vessel allowing for no blood flow/exchange at the site of injury. You are always safe at home using cold. The thing to understand about disc herniations as compared to a disc bulges is that herniations are permanent injuries. The nucleus pulposes of the disc (the center gelatinous portion) has actually started to force or herniate its way through the outer annular layers causing the outer periphery of the disc to protrude outward. This will cause either foraminal or spinal stenosis so most likely a nerve root or the spinal cord/thecal sac will be impinged upon. Every nerve root from the lower extremity originates at the low back so any derivative or numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain in the legs can be expected in severe cases. Although the etiology or these symptoms can be somewhat different they are usually lumped into a general category called sciatica.
Depending on your therapy of choice, the outer periphery of the disc that is protruding may be reduced...but the internal portion of the disc that is internally deranged will always be that way. Think of a dry creek or stream. When it rains the immediate path that water takes is just like they way it was previously. You now have a disc that will never function again like a normal disc in its ability to absorb shock or provide a central pivot for the motor unit to move and will result to consistent abnormal mechanical behavior. The plus side to this is that spinal foramina (the holes on each side of the spine where the nerves come out) are classified as functional spaces. Meaning that half of that hole is made from the bone above and half is made from the bone below. The more ranges of motion that the motor unit ( vertebra/disc/vertebra) has intact, the bigger the foramina will stay. The bigger the foramina stays, the less likely the disc and the nerve root will interact which means less pain and problems for you. Depending on the level of severity, a regimen of manipulative treatment from a chiropractor may be beneficial for you because it will instill/maintain those ranges of motion at that affected level . An active regimen of physical therapy may also help. There will be no other treatments besides something like disc decompression that will address your injury functionally from a mechanical standpoint. Another equally powerful benefit of manipulation in trauma through the acute phase is the prevention of fibrosis or scar tissue formation as a normal sequele to inflammation. Scar tissue can form around the spinal facet joints as well as in the foramina itself and tether the exiting nerve root causing serious long term problems and neurologic defecit. Some of the more chronic cases I have with these issues need to be treated under sedation with a procedure called MUA (manipulation under anesthesia) to remove and break up that scar tissue.
Traditional allopathic practitioners will use a regimen or anti inflam meds. If those do not work they should send you for a consult with an interventional pain specialist for possible epidural steroid injections. Usually done under general anesthesia for the lumbar spine and usually ordered in a series of three injections. If those do not work they may order one more round of injections or refer for a test known as a discogram. Only after a positive discogram should anyone even mention the word surgery to you.
In the three offices that we have, all of these practitioners exist. Chiropractor, Medical Doctor, Pain Management, Physiatrist, & Physical Therapist. Every case is different and every case responds to its own set of therapies. In my career so far I have never seen a case that has gone to surgery that had favorable results. In fact the surgeon usually refers them to me for something called "failed post surgery syndrome" which again usually requires a MUA. If you have any other questions shoot me a PM I will gladly give you my direct line if you want to talk more in depth. Hope this helps and best of luck!

Thank you. You just taught me something. I hurt my back when I slipped while carrying a stack of trays in the dishroom at my college job back in the '80's. Have had problems off and on ever since. I can usually tell when it's going to go out. When it does, the pain can best be described as an electric shock followed by having an ice pick jammed in my lower back. Swearing is usually a by-product. I've always treated it with heat packs, ibuprofen (800 mg tablets), muscle relaxants (flexeril 5 mg), chiropractor visits and bourbon (no set limits, but only when I'm not taking the flexeril). Not that I want to rush it, but I'll try ice the next time. Not giving up the bourbon, though.

 

[Aeroscott]

I too have had the Laminectomy/discectomy (disc removed) from lifting a 5 gal bucket of oil out of the grease pit at the truck stop I used to work at, it was also the bottom disc L1-L2, the insurance company sent me to 2 specialists in San Fran before they decided I was a candidate for surgery, I had a friend who had the same injury, but had an orthoscopic surgery to remove the disc and he hasn't had thelevel of pain relief that I have had, In my MRI, I could clearly see the disc blown out and rubbing on the nerve root to my left leg, (my whole left foot was numb all the time before the surgery), when I first went to meet the surgeon, I saw someone literally skipping out of his office, I took this as a good sign, I am now 14 years post surgery and maybe have 1 or 2 bad pain days a month. I feel I am the exception to the rule, as alot of people don't get the level of relief that I did with surgery, actually after the sugery, the physical therapy/work hardening program I was involved in was keeping the pain away better than Vicodin/Norco ever did, I still keep a stash of pain pills for my bad days, but they are few and far between. Try the physical therapy, it helped the best for me.