Spinal disc herniation (female)

[sagittarius]

Hi!

I have a friend who has problems with the lower back. She is 30 years old and she has an office job. Now she took a break from the job because the pain increased in the last few weeks.

Her doctor said that she has "Spinal disc herniation". These are the details:
- Spinal disc herniation L3 (diameter, AP - 8mm, LL - 12mm, CC - 11mm)
- Spinal disc herniation L4 (diameter, AP - 9mm, LL - 11mm, CC - 9mm)
- Spinal disc herniation L5

I attached the NMR (PNG pictures) to the thread.



So far it is not clear if she needs surgery or there is another way to solve or ameliorate the problem. That's why we are trying to do more research. Lower back pain is a common problem and maybe some users reading this thread will be able to give us some advice or help us to better diagnose the problem and find a good treatment.

I appreciate any answer or advice. Thanks!

[sagittarius]

Anyone?

[ppwc1985]

That's rough, I have some back problems too but i deal with the pain. I have a bulging disc, it hits my sciatic nerve every now and than. My brothers back was messed up and he had surgery and has never been the same. He had I e if the best dr in the northeast. I won't let them operate on me. My uncle was same once he had surgery he was never the same. But I have a friend who has had three fusions two in back one in neck and he still in some pain but he works. I'm not a dr, but my advice would be take her time making a decision. I been hearing good things about laser surgery for the pain. Just take the time to research, sometimes when someone in pain they will do anything to end it, just take time. And if pain medication is takin please tell her be careful because I know a few to include my brother who got addicted and ended up on stronger stuff if you know what I mean. I wish the best for her, good luck!

[sagittarius]

Thanks ppwc1985 for your advice.

[Lunk1]

If the herniated disks are bulged and not ruptured, then she may try a series of epidural floods along with PT. If they are ruptured then surgery is the only option I'm afraid. In some cases (mine) even a bulged disk requires surgery. In cases where the disk is hitting a nerve and the swelling is not able to be relieved from more conventional methods, surgery may be necessary.

Hopefully she is seeing a nuero.

It doesn't help that she sits all day. She may want to concentrate on some good core exercises to help off set the weak back.

[nafnlaus]

the surgery should never be considered unless you are about to suffer permanent neural damage. If ruptured, the gel will loose its water content and dry up so the actual object that clamps the nerves will get smaller and easier to bear with. Neural flossing will help when the object has gotten smaller and decrease chronic pain from memory.

understand the surgery, they will open you up, remove the outlying gel. And if they can, they will remove the rest of the gel that the disc has! That means stage three disc degeneration INSTANTLY. it will cause the discs above and below to degenerate much faster and/or rupture. So keep the surgery as a last resort! bear with the pain for some time, dont use opiods prescribed or not. addiction on top og all that wont help much.

i have three discs with stage three degeneration and one of them is also bulging at the moment.

[HulkSmash1]

I agree with Nafnlaus. Surgery should only be considered if there is impeding permanent nerve damage or the pain is unbearable (i.e. car accident). My brother had a lumbar microdiscectomy and I opted out of surgery and worked on my hip/thoracic spine mobilization, glute activation and core endurance (more important than strength). It took over a year but I am now back to 95% (I had a 9mm lumbar protrusion). My brother on the other hand, simply relied on the surgery and suffered a couple of re-injuries.

[sagittarius]

Thanks! I really appreciate your advice.