Bulging disk in your spine

[Aidensmom]

Did yours go away on its own?

At the beginning of January I had an acute onset of severe pain in my neck, upper back, and shoulders, accompanied by occassional numbness and tingling in my arm...I found out last month I have osteoarthritis in my neck and shoulders, but when sent to a specialist, it was also found that I have a bulging disk in my c-spine that is compressing on my spinal cord (thus the severe pain and numbness). My doctor has told me to limit any activity that puts stress on my neck, take my anti-inflammotory meds, do some neck exercises, and hopefully it will go away on its own and won't herniate or cause a need for surgery, but if it doesn't he will refer me to a surgeon. I really DON'T like the idea of surgery.

Just wondering if anyone has had this and if it did just go away.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

I have one in my lower spine, on the L4 5, something like that. Anyway, I was told surgery in two years. That was 3 years ago. I was having really bad lower pain, with times of it being "thrown out" where I could barely walk for a few days. Most of that is gone now though and I haven't had an episode in a long time (Thank God).

Not sure that it went away really, but it has gotten better, even though I hvaen't done anything really.

 

[bicker]

Mine was L4, I think. It required micro-surgery. After the bandages came off (ouch, the bandages themselves hurt!) I was almost as good as new.

 

[kimluvswdw]

I was told the other day that I have 2 discs in my lower back that are inflammed. I have lower back pain and pain down my right leg. I have been to the Chiropractor 3 times and it gets better for a couple of days then comes back. I can't afford to keep going there. There has to be something I can do at home to ease the pain.

 

[hiwaygal]

My disc problems were in my lower back but yes, they did go away for awhile at first.

Massage therapy, physical therapy, and exercises can help.

It may never come back again, or it could...there's really no way to tell. Mine would go away for about 6 months or so, then come back. Eventually it got so bad that I did have surgery...just over three years ago. I've had very few problems since. My back is weaker, and there are times when it aches, but the pain is very manageable.

At first I was terrified because of the "horror stories" I'd heard about back surgery. But technology has come a long way, don't let the stories scare you off. The pain and (possibly) permanent nerve damage is far worse than talking to your doctors and getting the facts.

 

[becka]

I also had a bulging disc in the L4-L5 area and I live in fear of that pain coming back. Over time it does seem to have gotten much better but I am afraid that surgery will one day be required. Not carrying my kids around has helped a lot of my back problems so as they get older I am hoping I am lessening my chances of it flaring back up again. I have also gone to a chiropractor. I am not a huge fan but they have a tens machine (electric current thing) that seems to really help so I go there first when I have a flare up. That coupled with ice, rest and plenty of ibuprofen seems to do the trick for now.

I hope you get some relief soon. I know back pain can be completely debilitating.

 

[tekmom]

OP, mine is the same as yours. It started several years ago...I was pic axing shrubs up out of the yard. It does come and go. I roll a towel up and sleep with it behind my neck and try not to do anything strenuous with my left arm. Sometimes pulling wet clothes out of the wash does it.

I, too, get the tingling and numbness in my arm and feel like someone has their knee pressed between my shoulder blades. Now that I know what it is, I'm very careful about the things that make it pop out. Good luck.

 

[Nancy]

My 18 year old just had the surgery 2 weeks ago. Hers was the L-4 too. We had spent over 2 years with her in pain, going for PT, trying rest, more PT, more rest and it was getting worse and worse. Finally doctor said she was past the point of it getting better by itself so we did the surgery. I hated the idea of surgery but she is so much better already. She is pain free for the first time in over 2 years. No more tingley legs. She can sit for more than 2 minutes without being in pain, and she can stand and walk without having to overcompensate to stop the pain. Right now she really isn't supposed to bend or do any lifting for at least 6 weeks so she is off work. She missed 1 week of school (we had a week off this week for break) and the doctor said when she goes back he doesn't want her carrying heavy books, but that is the only restrictions she has now.

She did say she feels "weird". I asked her why she feels weird and she said it is becuase she feels normal again, no pain, and it's been so long it feels weird.


BTW, hers was a sports injury.

 

[pta-mom]

OP, mine is the same as yours. It started several years ago...I was pic axing shrubs up out of the yard. It does come and go. I roll a towel up and sleep with it behind my neck and try not to do anything strenuous with my left arm. Sometimes pulling wet clothes out of the wash does it.

I, too, get the tingling and numbness in my arm and feel like someone has their knee pressed between my shoulder blades. Now that I know what it is, I'm very careful about the things that make it pop out. Good luck.

Yup...that's me too! Just started up out of the blue one day...would come & go. Typically it would last for only a few days before going away but about ten years ago, I was showing off for a friend, attempting to do a chin up on a tree branch & *something* popped in my neck. After that, the pain got worse & lasted longer. I tried massage therepy, muscle relaxers, excercise...nothing seemed to work until I started going to see a Chiropractor.

For the first year I was seeing the Chiro three times a week!! Deadly!! But it worked...I am now living pretty much pain free these days but I still go in for adjustments at least twice a month. And, no more chin-ups!!

I would recommend chiropractic care if you can get it, especially if your insurance will help pay for it. It has made my life much better!!

 

[wardfamily1]

DH had exactly the same problem. He would get the tingling in his arm and it would go numb along with the severe pain. He had the surgery (the disc removed and metal plated fusing the vertabrae together) back in October. As soon as he woke up from the surgery he said it was SO much better, the pain and numbness were completely gone. It took him a couple of weeks before he was back to work on light duty. He feels like a new man. The Doc said he'd lose about 10% mobility in moving his neck left to right, but he said he can't tell that there's any loss.

 

[spalady]

I had surgery this past October (L5-S1) and I am glad that I did. It was rough the first couple of weeks but much,much better now. My DH had the same surgery 3 years before me and he feels the same way.

 

[Gusteau]

I would check out a book... Healing Back Pain by Dr. John Sarno before you have any surgery.

Its a fantastic book and it eliminated all of my back problems.

 

[MzDiz]

I was told that I'd need surgery last year. When I saw the neurosurgeon he told me that it wasn't necessary right now and sent me to a pain specialist who gives me a shot in the nerve root off the herniated spot giving me trouble.

When it comes to something like fusing your vertebrae, definitely get a second opinion!

I have all kinds of herniated discs and the bonus of a neck deformity. I dealt with crippling headaches for years before someone finally sent me for an MRI. This is what they found -

I always marvel at my fat back in these pictures. The things I dwell on.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I've had one herniated and one bulging disc. Both went away on their own. The bulging disc took about a week and a half before it was better (but I still have to nurse it a little - not sit in one position for too long, not stand for hours, etc). The herniated disc took about two and a half to three months to heal. I was very close to having surgery, but I didn't.

 

[Kitty 34]

Thanks to a car accident (I rolled my VW 4 times) back in my 20's I have lots of back problems and neck problems. I actually broke my neck in 3 spots and had spinal fusion surgery on that right after my accident.

My back really didn't start bothering me until a few years ago. I have several herniated discs.

I'm not a big fan of surgery at this point. Usually visiting my PT once or twice a year helps tremendously as does a vicodin here and there.

 

[Aidensmom]

Thank you for all the answers, it sounds like there really are a lot of different options that help people.

I will check out the book that was mentioned. I have been thinking about a chiropracter, but my insurance only pays 70%. How often did people who have used this route have to go for treatment, just so I can get sort of a guesstimate of how much it would cost me?

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I have one and it caused sciatica. My orthopedist put me on anti-inflammatory meds and the sciatica went away. I don't know that the disc went down though.

 

[pta-mom]

Thank you for all the answers, it sounds like there really are a lot of different options that help people.

I will check out the book that was mentioned. I have been thinking about a chiropracter, but my insurance only pays 70%. How often did people who have used this route have to go for treatment, just so I can get sort of a guesstimate of how much it would cost me?

Well, when I first started going, I was seeing him 3x a week!! But, understand that by the time I went, my neck had completely seized...I could not even drive a car as I could not turn right nor left!! And I just lay on his table & cried from the pain...it was pretty brutal by than! So, 3x a week for maybe a month or so, than 2x a week for around a year & eventually less & less. But remember, even after five or six years, I still go, about every second week just to keep things moving.

I too hated the cost & even had to take out a line of credit to pay initially but once I committed to it, I'm glad I did...it changed my life! Good luck to you, hope you find a cure!

 

[MO Disney cruiser]

There is a big difference in a disc in your neck and a disc in your back herniating. The back ones are harder to treat.

I've had a disc removed in my neck 2 different times. C5/6 and C7/8. As another poster mentioned, after the surgery you feel like a new person. I let my first one go too far. Couldn't move my head. Couldn't even walk without shooting pains down my shoulder and arm.

Do go to physical therapy (your insurance may pay more for PT than a Chiro). Do all of the exercises they tell you to do, but if they don't work, don't rule out the surgery. It was the best thing I ever did. I was only on the prescription pain killers for 24 hours after surgery. The pain of the surgery was so much less than the pain I had been living with.

Take care of yourself.

 

[It's A Happy Day]

Unfortunately with with a back injury do not plan on any 1 thing being a "cure" Even with surgery there is no guarantee that it will make you 100% better. I have a herniated disc in my lower back - after 3 weeks of excruciating pain I finally went for an MRI and found out exactly why I was in so much pain - depending on movement I would get a sharp jolt and it would extend down my right leg. I could not flex my toes towards my body without causing unbearable pain. I too did not want to go the surgical route - other risks involved due to the anesthesia, didn't know if I could "afford" to be on my back for several weeks recuperating, etc. I opted to try chiropractic - even though the idea of someone cracking me scared the heck out of me. I brought my films to the chiro and he did his eval. He suggested that I piggy back my treatments with him with physical therapy. He said that he would re-align my skelatal while the pt would help re-structure the muscles to re-inforce the realignment. He said that the chiro alone would realign me BUT that my body would try to slip back into it's comfortable position. By working the muscles back into place it helps hold everything in its right position. I too was seeing them 2-3 x a week at about $10-$15 per visit for about 2 months then dropped to 1x per week and now I go every 6-8 weeks for adjusting (I can call if I need to go in at anytime) but it has helped tremendously and I did not need to do the surgery. What convinced me to try this 1st was that a doctor told me that he could not guarantee that with surgery I would be any better. The hope was I would but there is no way to tell w/o doing it. If the disc at this point is only bulging I would personally try to externally manipulate it vs. surgery but that is only something you can tell.

ETA: ice works bettter than heat to reduce the inflammation and if you can ibuprophren (sp?). Also check with your physician/pt/chiro if there are certain stretching excersizes you can do at home to help. There are certain things I can do at home when I feel my back is on it's way out to stop another blow out.