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UPDATE: herniated disc
callktulu
Member Posts: 3,451 ✭✭✭
I have a herniated disc between my 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae. Can it ever be put back w/o surgery? I'm going to do PT and continue my chiro visits (which do help), but I want to know if there's a way to fix things without ever having to resort to surgery. And I'm 36 years old, by the way. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too soon for surgery, even if they recommended it, I wouldn't.
I'm also trying to determine if this herniation is in conjunction with my VA benefit for bone degeneration. I receive 10% already, and I'm wondering if it's possible the bone degeneration made it easier for this disc to move. If so, I may be eligible for additional benefits. Maybe.
I'm also trying to determine if this herniation is in conjunction with my VA benefit for bone degeneration. I receive 10% already, and I'm wondering if it's possible the bone degeneration made it easier for this disc to move. If so, I may be eligible for additional benefits. Maybe.
Comments
That was 20 years ago. Haven't had any pain since. That surgery was the best thing I ever did for my health. Only wish I would have done it sooner.
http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/
I don't know if they use this procedure in the cervical region as well, but it would be worth a call.
I would try the first link though before making a decision.
Surgery is 50/50,.........I have seen folks do just great, and then,.....well I think you can figure it out.
Call, I would tread very lightly on going to the chiropractor, a herniated disk is nothing to mess with and a chiro just may hurt it worse by tweeking you.
Actually, the neurosurgeon who recommended I not have surgery said to continue my chiro visits. The very cool thing is, for a $35 co-pay, not only do I get an adjustment, but I also get a 1-hour massage therapy to loosen the muscles, which are constantly spasming due to the disc being out of whack. If it works and feels good, I'm gonna keep doing it.
I was in my fifties. Wish I would have done it in my thirties. Do those 1 hour massages have a happy ending?
Don't mess around with a herniated disc. You could end up crippled or dead.
callktulu:
Do those 1 hour massages have a happy ending?
HAHAHAHAHA! No, and I wouldn't want one from that particular therapist anyway![:p]
i had surgery on l4,5, s1 it ain't a walk in the park and it still bothers me at times..if ihad to do it over i would do spinal decompression or acupuncture[V]
We're L5S1 buddies![B)][B)][:(][:(]
I got ya beat. I have S1 L5 L4 L3 all fused. One thing docs dont tell you is that intervertebral bulge will almost always end up with fusion vs a simple discectomy. Also once one level of your spine is operated on, it is like a ladder. The problems can and almost always do go up or down with more surgeries inevitable.
...Echo that. This is my L4,L5,S1. Look at the juncture of L4 and L3. The problem just goes up higher.
[img][/img]
I am still too fat!!!
they wont touch me,but I have a friend that uses vax d
he swears by it.
Try the shot and see. Doc says I shouldn't lift the heavy weights anymore. Used to press over 300 standing and 160 with one arm standing, no more. That is getting old I guess. Still can shoot a squirrel in the head at 80 to 100 yards though. It's management of the problem that might be helped with the shots. Good luck young man!
The 5 1/2 hour fusion was bad news, putting me in more or less constant pain and greater physical limitation than before the operation.
Tomorrow, they're doing an MRI on L5-S1.
I intend to do a better search for the best man for the job of correcting the injury there. This time he will probably be a neurosurgeon.
its not something that takes alot of time before
your in 10 level pain.
I would say no, but really to answer that, need to know
history, but i'm no doctor, we can say hell yea, but that just a guess.
when was the injury?
its not something that takes alot of time before
your in 10 level pain.
I would say no, but really to answer that, need to know
history, but i'm no doctor, we can say hell yea, but that just a guess.
Best I can tell, I've had no injury. The disc just decided it wanted to leave the comfort of its home.
quote:Originally posted by tomahawk
i had surgery on l4,5, s1 it ain't a walk in the park and it still bothers me at times..if ihad to do it over i would do spinal decompression or acupuncture[V]
We're L5S1 buddies![B)][B)][:(][:(]
Is missing L6 L7 hereditary?
Spinal Decompression. No insurance coveres it, minimum 20 visits, few grand total... Cash out of pocket.
Jacob, We did that for my wife. Did not help. Cost us $5000.[:(!]
Last November, had an artificial disc replacement at the L4-5 level.
www.charitedisc.com
It has largely been successful but now I'm back in the pain mgmt dr office once again with another disc gone.
Once you start the battle with spinal problems, it usually goes on for a while. If your neck is your only issues, get it fixed now and you'll regain your freedom.
BTW, I was 53 at the time of my neck fusion and never regretted it since. If you get a good surgeon, it will be worth it all.
I had a fact joint injection this morning going back to try to figure out which one is bad now????????
I took a fall in 94, since then ive had
13 or 14 operations. my latest on 20 may
now ive got staples down my back.
I wont go thru the spines injections anymore.
the va wanted me to go thru spine injections
but when I got talkin, they told me because of
budget cutbacks we cant do all the surgerys at this time
talk about mad as hell.
DID YOU HEAR OBAMA SAYING THE VA BUDGET WAS INCREASED.
BUT WHEN THEY ARE OUT OF MONEY ANYWAY[:D] Dont trust the SOB as
far as i can throw him, and I cant throw him a foot[:)]
used to cut into your scalp and then drill bolts into your skull and attach weights. now they have a harness type aparatus that goes around your head and under your chin, the weight pulles the head and spine apart allowing the disk to return to its normal resting place.
good luck with it, back problems are a real mother.
So, I went to the local VA rep yesterday and filed for an increase in my compensation for "degeneration of cervical vertebrae," for I currently receive a 10% rating. I'm seeking an increase to 20% based on a moderate decrease in cervical movement (which in my opinion and doctors' is due to the disc herniation mentioned before).
Question: should I continue my physical therapies and/or or treatments (chiro or pain killers/muscle relaxers), or drop everything until AFTER the VA has examined me? My concern is that continuing treatments of any kind might make me "better," and when the VA finally does get me scheduled for their exam regarding my request for increase, I'll no longer have the problem I've originally made the claim about.
[?]
It does hurt though![xx(]
quote:Originally posted by tomahawk
i had surgery on l4,5, s1 it ain't a walk in the park and it still bothers me at times..if ihad to do it over i would do spinal decompression or acupuncture[V]
We're L5S1 buddies![B)][B)][:(][:(]
I've had ruptures at C 5/6, C 6/7, L 4/5, L 5/S1, and a fusion of L4-S1. Since all were ruptures and pressing on nerves, I had little choice but surgery.
It's likely the surgery for the C 5/6 rupture caused the C 6/7 rupture. The pain after the C 5/6 surgery subsided a bit, but never went away. Then it started to get worse and worse, until I couldn't do my job properly. I was teaching HS Physics, and couldn't look down to grade a paper for more than 5 minutes. I then had to pull my head back up. It would take me an hour to grade 1 class.
I had 4 of those surgeries in a 1-year period. Really messed me up. That last, a fusion of L4 thru S1, lasted almost 8 hours and took 2 surgeons, each taking a 4-hour shift. Something bad happened in the surgery - I think the gas-passer positioned my head wrong (may not have known about the hardware there), reducing blood flow to my brain. When I finally woke up, more than 4 hours later instead of the usual 1 hour post-op nap, my memory was shot. I still have memory problems, and will likely have them for the rest of my life.
IMHO, be VERY careful with a chiropractor. I would look into other methods of decompression, such as an inversion table with very light traction on the head. Decompress the entire spine! Do strength training under the supervision of a physical therapist to make sure you don't do it the wrong way! Building up the neck muscles will help protect that disc.
Be sure to get a 2nd, 3rd and 4th opinion! The doc who did my C 5/6 op used an old, out-dated method, cutting out a plug of bone from the hip instead of using cadaver bone or doing a fusion. I swear, my hip hurt more than my neck! Sleep was terrible. I couldn't lie on my back because of my previous L 4/5 surgery, and couldn't lie on my side because of the neck surgery. I ended up at about a 45 degree angle with a ton of pillows propping up my back and head.
My currency doc says my entire thoracic spine looks bad, and he's surprised none of those discs have blown yet! So, I have that to look forward to!
Before the 4-in-one-year hell (May, 2001 - May 2002), I used to jog about 5 miles every other day, run 10K races, sky-dive, rock-climb, etc. Very active outdoors. No more. I now walk with a prominent limp and usually use a cane because the pain builds up quickly. I really miss the jogging; that was a great stress-reliever during my Ph.D. program. I didn't take up jogging until about 4 years after my L 4/5 surgery in 1988, but it helped reduce the pain from that injury. I could only run about every other day; if I tried to do more, it would hurt too much. I even ran 3 of the Indy Mini-Marathons, posting 2-hour times for each of them. Not bad for a *!
So, be very careful with the chiropractor, and get as many opinions as you can. Investigate dedicated spine centers. Study, research, and question!
Good luck!