JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

Hey guys had the thread up about sciatica, had mri last week, confirmed today at doctors that I have a slipped/prolasped disc pushing on the nerve, he said being a young chap its a big decision to make, but odds are 1-100 000 of not walking again, would like some thoughts on this matter? Has anyone had any problems from surgery on their back, is it worth getting done etc? He said it may well go away in 6 months and stay away a while but surgery would take it away in 2 n a half depending appointment, would it stay away? As said I am young only 23 and already sick of laying around not being able to do much as its severely sore as you sufferers no, I want fit again get out working etc thanks to anyone who shares some info.

R4N SS

iTrader: (6)

think my twin bro has this but he has decided against an op as its too risky and instead has to have shit loads of physio - i have a bad back too but i aint had it checked out properly yet as the whole family suffer from this so just assumed its normal

Twins

iTrader: (18)

Fractured my back in march skiing they wanted to operate in switzerland but i would not let them

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

i currently get physio but aint helpin, few guys esp tabetha have told me to get into pain clinic said it helped him big time so may leave the op and try get into this instead

CVHman

Now there is a coincidence,

I was taken out of my house 10 days ago on a stretcher by ambulance as my back went out on me for the 5th time in four years.

When it goes out it pretty much renders me immobile and I'm only just back on feet these last few days.
Sadly I am no closer to knowing what the hell is wrong with me.

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

dug112y

iTrader: (1)

if it doesnt go as planned....



my mum had it done good few years ago and all went well....suppose it depends how much its hampering your life bud.

nthorpey

I had the the opposite 3 months ago , get surgery or not walk again. had a bike accident and crushed T7 into 2 very nearly paralysing me from armpits down!

Was very lucky and had surgery and now 3 months on a lot of people don't even notice (apart from at the pool cos of the scar!)

If you're 23 and in that much pain I'd take to opportunity straight away with a 1:100000 chance, same day but a Ł10 bet on it not going right and if not you'll still have a million


heres a couple of pics

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

pml if anything bad happened a need one of those!!!! it hampers me bad cant do silly things most of the time like washing without being in pain, so suppose now a couple of guys have pointed in from that direction it would be more worthwhile just going for it. Just always that thought in mind I would be the 1 that went wrong, but everyone will think that if it was them id guess.

nthorpey... on that way of thinking I suppose your right im in agony most of time. if goes wrong I will be a millionaire that looks bad glad you were looked after to mate

R4N SS

iTrader: (6)

i cant stand still for more than 10 mins at a time as my lower back then starts to hurt

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

i used to be that way, mine all extended from a crash in 2005 had back problems since then this started, used to be if I was still a while I cudnt bend down or straighten my back

Dlatch!

get it done beats living in pain, both my parents have had back ops so i don't hold much hope for mine
but i am very carefull about what i lift ect

my dad had a disc removed and it really helped sort him out recovered pretty quick too

david 100

I am now 53 and i have had a back problem since i was 14, i have had everything you can do for a back problem but nothing worked but they wont operate as it could put me out of action , i have been told by the doctor to pack up work as the pain is now getting pretty bad , leaning over the engine of my cosworth is now almost impossible and i get a lot of pay back pain at night if i do to much during the day so it looks like my truck driving days are nearly over and its picking up litter for a pound a day for me.

dojj

iTrader: (3)

bloke at work had an op for siatica and was off for 8 months

i had an op for a broken back and was in hospital for 15 months

my cousins had 5 plates in his back and is "fine" as long as he doens't exert himself too much or sit down for too long a time

find out some info on what you actually have first, and then go through all the options for with and without the op

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

I have sciatica, its a prolasped disc causing problem just been referred to surgeon so waiting on word back so thought id get some peoples experiences of back surgery

cpaul4

I am going through this at the moment, I have a prolasped disc at the L5/S1 region from lifting up a staircase

I have had a few procedures so far.

Two weeks ago I had a cordial epidural injection under sedation, this how ever did nothing.

Tomorrow I am having a fassit joint injection (well 4 of them) to try and stop the pain without open surgery.

The next step after that is open surgery and to be honest if thats the case i would rather have it done as being in constant pain is getting annoying now.

I did this about 18months ago so all hopes of it returning to normal by its self have faded but some people are lucky and will sort its self out.

I have pain down both legs and about half way up my back. I suppose you should way up your options.

Chris

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

good to know what I will be looking at, did look up on net and saw injections, but had thread up here and alot said injections do no good so will probably be going open surgery route tbh cos as said had enough of pain

cpaul4

Most times they seem to do the injections first too try. I wanted surgery straight away but am going through the treatment plan to see what happens.

Chris

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

ah bugger guess ill just have to wait see what surgeon said, long as im asleep pml hate needles with a passion

Turbosimpsons

iTrader: (3)

iv'e had sciatica for 6months been to the doctors, he gave me some pain killers, had phisio, that did fook all, back doctors, nerve blockers.
Then a friend recomended acupuncture, the lady came on monday and told me she could cure me no probs for Ł45. quick feel of my back, i got 3 discs out, she shoved them back in. had 5 needles put in me. now i'm not cured but i'm 95% better than i was. feel like iv'e got 2 legs again. i think that is a alternative to a back op.

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

another spanner in works to think about pml thought about it but didnt think it would help but clearly was wrong, was going to get into pain clinic if possible as alot of people said it helped them, do you think it a long term help or just a few days/weeks?

Mark Shead

My Mum and Brother inlaw both had the op for a slipped/prolasped disc both are fine with no problems.

Mark

jameswrx

I had the root block injections, did fuck all. I'm currently waiting for an appointment with surgeon.

I'd deffinately risk open surgery, infact I'm going to insist lol. I've been really bad for a long time. I used to get a small amount of rest from the pain when laying down in bed on my front and bringing my leg up towards my chest, now I'm just in agony 100% of the time instead of 99%

I get to mid morning now and I'm bent over and the pain down my left leg is unreal. If I'm standing with weight on one leg for more than a few seconds just the weight transfer onto my other leg to start walking is enough to make me grimace in pain. I'm sure my hip is fucked too as it feels really odd. There was a similar thread on here a while back, if you're bad kick up a fuss. I left things way too long putting up with it and now I look like a mess (stomach is sucked in involuntarily, my torso is out of line as I look down and I'm bent over) in recent weeks im getting serious dead leg feeling now, like bad pins and needles. I don't think that's a good sign. Plus I get the joy of various prescription pain killers and the side effects that go with them.

Everything takes so long on the nhs though and the whole time I'm trying to keep a roof over my family's head.

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

yeah was my thread about sciatica? I remember you saying about being out of line etc sounds awful. I aint as bad but am with pain as you say used to get some relief in bed lying on stomach but I lifted my chest up instead (physio exercise) it constant down my left leg and esp sore in my back/hip area quicker I get this appointment the better I think after hearing the thought of you guys that it will be worth the risk, just always have doubts about it till it done

Daveysaff

iTrader: (9)

If I get offered the surgery I'm gonna jump at the chance, I've seen how debilitating chronic back pain can be and I'm not spending my life zonked out on pain killers.
I need something doing soon though, I cant sit on the bog properly without ending up in agony after 5 minutes, cant even get to read the paper

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

know exactly how you feel

gorillasnot

Have you tried a chiropractor? have just been diagnosed with a slipped disc at the base of my spine, been struggling with my back for most of this year, have injured it before and been off my feet for a week or so but this year i noticed it hurting when running at the gym, eventually got to the point where it felt as if my hole back / pelvis was stiffening after walking for more than 10 mins and i was in constant pain, even lying down, been seeing a chiropractor for about 6 weeks now and im 95% back to normal (struggling a bit in the cold weather as i work outside), i was pain free after the first session, its been pretty intense treatment (3 times a week plus ice pack 5 times a day) but worth it. Discussed the option of surgery with my chiropractor and was advised against it, basically the surgery involves cutting away the prolapsed disc material, obviously leaving you with less disc, may be fine for a bit but can lead to problems further down the line as the disc shrinks with age, chiropracter works to actually push the disc back into place rather than cutting away

Ryan

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

thot about this aswell, is it expensive as obv I aint working at mo with the problems im having? That has been my main worry about surgery any problems later in life with the fact they are removing instead of putting back in place, I will go back to docs and possibly find out about these other options.

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

repeated it in this post and dont know how to delete pml

gorillasnot

mines Ł30 a session, started off 3 times a week for a month, down to twice a week now, after that will be once monthly check ups, it is expensive but well worth it, if your not working i would seriously see if someone can lend you the money, at least for a few sessions to see if it helps you, some doctors dont seem to recognise chiropractice, or understand back injurys in general, think my doctors exact words were "we will send you for an mri scan but you might just have to live with the pain" no mention of alternative therapys, took myself off to the chiropractor, just dont go if your squeamish, the sound and feel of your spine being popped into place is weird!

Ryan

CrOwSoN15

Dad suffered with a prolapsed disc last year, had to have an ambulance out to take him to the hospital, although he was never offered surgery? I'm assuming different discs can affect different parts of your body and some may need operating on and some not?

However, his business partner had a problem with his back recently and had to have surgery, his father also had the same problem but died on the operating table, and any of the other days of the year his appointment could of been on, it was the same as his dads . Needless to say he changed the day lol, and lives to tell the tale. Don't want to put negative thoughts in your mind buddy but it happens, things don't go to plan and mistakes are made etc etc, but as you've sad, the chances of things going tit-up are slim.

My opinion?
Go ahead with it, I'm 18 and suffer with my back from an accident at work last year, I wouldn't think twice about having an Op.

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

tbh doctors are hopeless, as stated dont mention pain clinic, chiro etc only thought of these threw you guys giving some info!! I was feeling good till this last post pml died must have been very unfortunate? sorry to the guys son for having to deal with that dont blame him for changing the date, think it may be worth the risk if chiro cant help might just get some dosh and give it a go cheers for that

CrOwSoN15

Haha sorry mate, but it's best you know what's happened to people, good and bad.

But I'd definitely go for it, except toothache, back pain has gotta be the worst of the lot, really stuffs everything up!

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

yeah exactly mate appreciate the post though cheers

CrOwSoN15

No worries mate, hope things turn out okay!

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

you too mate hope that accident dont give your back to much grief, get it sorted asap if it does best thing I ever did going by what people have said about leaving it on here

CVHman

Ive been to the hospital twice with my back(both times in the back of an ambulance).
On both occasions the doctors were unable to diagnose the problem.
Its starts off with shooting pains running from the small of my back and into my legs, its not so bad at that point but It often turns into horrific back spasm's that render me completely immobile,,,,In short, its fooking agony.

The annoying thing is that the doctors are no more interested in listening to what I have to say.
I have physio on Friday, but I'm worried it will do more harm than good as I have not been diagnosed yet

JamesyRS

iTrader: (3)

be careful at physio mate, soon as anything makes you sore you tell them, wanted me to do exercises but were killing me so had to stop, they understood but they said to me soon as you feel anything just stop or cut back

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

to put it in perspective.

odds are:

1 in 5 dying from cancer
1 in 8000 dying in a car accident
1 in 19000 being murdered
1 in 43500 dying in a work accident
1 in 89200 chance of dating a supermodel
1 in 100000 chance of dying due to general anaesthetic
1 in 500000 dying in a train crash

etc etc etc

so youve got more chance of dating a supermodel than the operation stopping you from walking again!!!

And your just as likely to croak from going under the knife as you are loosing ability to walk.