Slipped Disc

[Lord Tyrion]

I have had problems with my lower back for around 5 years now. It is something I manage, just ease off when it gets bad, but recently even that was not possible. I had the horrible moment of having to pack in mid round in September and recently it has become more and more of an issue. I decided to bite the bullet and go to a back clinic and after some tests, movement analysis etc it became clear that I have a slipped disc at the bottom of my spine. In some ways that is good news, I can now do something about it that will actually resolve the problem, hopefully, rather than do things which will have no impact.

This is a pretty common issue so surely there must be a few on here that have had the same. Any advice? Anything that in particular worked for you? The clinic will be giving me stretches as well as de-compressing my spine, to allow the disc to pop back in, but I am interested to hear experiences from those who have been through it.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Take up swimming mate, weight free exercise, best thing I did after the sciatica last year.

 

[spongebob59]

I had a couple (l5,s1), swimming and mckenzie back streches.
No easy fix, only time and patience.
Did lots of yoga once I was able to.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Take up swimming mate, weight free exercise, best thing I did after the sciatica last year.

Swimming pools are so cold though, and it's winter brrrrrrrrr.

 

[User62651]

Prolapsed a disc back in 2008 or so, lower back lumbar area typically. Had a few weeks of terrible sicatica leading up to the prolapse, went to pick something off the floor and the disc 'went' - was a kind of spongy weird sensation followed by agony. Was on the floor unable to move for about 4 hours, then managed to crawl onto a bed, doctor came out and dosed me with pethidine and voltarol shots which was effective.
Came to later on 'circling the airport', very dreamy floaty.
I guess the disc righted itself after the prolapse as I didn't get any back therapy or physio. Managed to hobble about for a few days with a stick, 2 weeks off work, gradually settled down. A slight lower back weakness/vulnerability has always remained though.
Back has been ok since but 3 or 4 times a year I get a little minder with niggly back trouble for a few days but it usually settles.

You want to manage that back carefully. Just be 'back aware' in how you move and sit, pick things up etc. Some stretching is beneficial, big hamstring stretches are really good for stiff lower backs. Best thing though I think is get your weight down and keep walking lots, stay fit and have those supporting muscles tuned up by doing a normal activity like walking. Avoid long stints sat at desks, driving etc.

 

[Beezerk]

Get a bike, just not an electric one ?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

You want to manage that back carefully. Just be 'back aware' in how you move and sit, pick things up etc. Some stretching is beneficial, big hamstring stretches are really good for stiff lower backs. Best thing though I think is get your weight down and keep walking lots, stay fit and have those supporting muscles tuned up by doing a normal activity like walking. Avoid long stints sat at desks, driving etc.

Wounded .

Good advice though, thank you.

 

[Slab]

Not so much what you should do more what you shouldn’t

Avoid washing dishes at the sink, or loading a dishwasher, or carrying too many dishes back to the kitchen… in fact stay away from dishes whether clean or dirty
Don’t attempt to do the ironing, this posture will do you no favours. Oh while I mention it don’t try to load the washing machine or tumble dryer either, both have similar impact to the dishwasher as above (& you’ll quickly realise that carrying a basket of washing to the end of the garden with all those slip/trip hazards is a job for the able bodied members of the household)
You don’t really want to try cooking anything and in particular stay away from any under-counter oven (see above)
You’ll naturally be tempted to change the bedsheets. DON’T. Not so much as a pillow case I don’t think I have to tell you why not…
There will be a time when you believe you can slip back into your old habits and try to give the toilet a thorough going over. I cant stress enough that you should fight this urge. Your desire to be a good homemaker will not be rewarded with a quicker recovery
What you should do is list the most popular items you will need from the fridge and arrange for these all to be placed onto a shelf at a height that doesn’t require you to bend too much if you find you need a bit of chocolate or a beer when everyone’s out shopping for you (It’s the least they can do!)

You’ll be pleased to know you can attempt to make yourself a coffee, you wont manage it but at least you’ve shown willing and someone else will finish the task but they mustn’t forget the biscuits (this also applies to soup in a microwave)

Its fine to practice your putting/short game

Get well soon
Slab MD

 

[PJ87]

Swimming pools are so cold though, and it's winter brrrrrrrrr.

Go to an indoor one then ?

 

[Mandofred]

2 bulging discs about 10 years ago. Had a series of cortisone shots that really helped for 6 months to a year. Slowly got better over a few years. Pain was located directly on the lower back....no sciatica type pain. One of the things that helped me....and you really need to be careful (I wasn't, although I didn't have an issue with it) was using an inversion table. Some people it can help, others not at all....and can even make things worse I guess. Mine definitely relieved discomfort for a few hours after using it. I put my current table in the attic a month or so ago because my back had been feeling so good......thinking it might come back down pretty soon since things are getting achy again. If nothing else for me....it just feels good. My wife hates it sitting in one of the bedrooms though.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Not so much what you should do more what you shouldn’t

Avoid washing dishes at the sink, or loading a dishwasher, or carrying too many dishes back to the kitchen… in fact stay away from dishes whether clean or dirty
Don’t attempt to do the ironing, this posture will do you no favours. Oh while I mention it don’t try to load the washing machine or tumble dryer either, both have similar impact to the dishwasher as above (& you’ll quickly realise that carrying a basket of washing to the end of the garden with all those slip/trip hazards is a job for the able bodied members of the household)
You don’t really want to try cooking anything and in particular stay away from any under-counter oven (see above)
You’ll naturally be tempted to change the bedsheets. DON’T. Not so much as a pillow case I don’t think I have to tell you why not…
There will be a time when you believe you can slip back into your old habits and try to give the toilet a thorough going over. I cant stress enough that you should fight this urge. Your desire to be a good homemaker will not be rewarded with a quicker recovery
What you should do is list the most popular items you will need from the fridge and arrange for these all to be placed onto a shelf at a height that doesn’t require you to bend too much if you find you need a bit of chocolate or a beer when everyone’s out shopping for you (It’s the least they can do!)

You’ll be pleased to know you can attempt to make yourself a coffee, you wont manage it but at least you’ve shown willing and someone else will finish the task but they mustn’t forget the biscuits (this also applies to soup in a microwave)

Its fine to practice your putting/short game

Get well soon
Slab MD

This is very sound advice.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

2 bulging discs about 10 years ago. Had a series of cortisone shots that really helped for 6 months to a year. Slowly got better over a few years. Pain was located directly on the lower back....no sciatica type pain. One of the things that helped me....and you really need to be careful (I wasn't, although I didn't have an issue with it) was using an inversion table. Some people it can help, others not at all....and can even make things worse I guess. Mine definitely relieved discomfort for a few hours after using it. I put my current table in the attic a month or so ago because my back had been feeling so good......thinking it might come back down pretty soon since things are getting achy again. If nothing else for me....it just feels good. My wife hates it sitting in one of the bedrooms though.

The place I am going to has one of these so I will be using it, it has been marked down as a treatment to do. As they are doing it with me it should be monitored so I wont come to a sticky end

 

[Lord Tyrion]

This is very sound advice.

If two people are saying it is good advice then it must be . I will print it out for my wife.

 

[SaintHacker]

Ibuprofen ibupfrofen and more ibuprofen ?
Regular, gentle excercise. Lots of stretches, especially ham strings. Core strength excercise such as planks i find help a lot. Easy to remember to lift properly when lifting something heavy, but especially important to remember when doing something light, thats when relapses will happen as you dont take enough care bending and lifting.
And did i mention ibuprofen?

 

[DCB]

After a fairly innocuous fall I ended up with three burst discs that caused spinal cord compression high in the C Spine. Three Surgeons had a look at the MRI pics, two almost wrote me off, third one thought it was worth a go. Medical notes have the phrase " to give beneficial use of the hands" as reason for operating as I was almost a quadriplegic. So, by going in from the front, moving windpipe, arteries, veins etc out of the way, cutting away sections of three vertebrae thus releasing cord compression, scraping out the damaged discs and then stabilising with a titanium cage structure and adding ground up bone to help the vertebrae to fuse to the cage. Had to learn to do almost everything again in rehab, but, after lots of hard work managed to get back to work six months later and back on the golf course 2 years later.

I swim every morning now, half the time stretching, half the time doing lengths. Keeps the back supple and helps strengthen the right parts. Make sure your physio gives a good programme of exercises to help you achieve what you want to do upon recovery. The back is too important to let it get damaged.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Try not swinging the club back so far. ?

 

[Crazyface]

Get the doc to issue you with some diazapam (tablet form), muscle relaxant, and send them to me.

 

[jim8flog]

Not so much what you should do more what you shouldn’t

Avoid washing dishes at the sink, or loading a dishwasher, or carrying too many dishes back to the kitchen… in fact stay away from dishes whether clean or dirty
Don’t attempt to do the ironing, this posture will do you no favours. Oh while I mention it don’t try to load the washing machine or tumble dryer either, both have similar impact to the dishwasher as above (& you’ll quickly realise that carrying a basket of washing to the end of the garden with all those slip/trip hazards is a job for the able bodied members of the household)
You don’t really want to try cooking anything and in particular stay away from any under-counter oven (see above)
You’ll naturally be tempted to change the bedsheets. DON’T. Not so much as a pillow case I don’t think I have to tell you why not…
There will be a time when you believe you can slip back into your old habits and try to give the toilet a thorough going over. I cant stress enough that you should fight this urge. Your desire to be a good homemaker will not be rewarded with a quicker recovery
What you should do is list the most popular items you will need from the fridge and arrange for these all to be placed onto a shelf at a height that doesn’t require you to bend too much if you find you need a bit of chocolate or a beer when everyone’s out shopping for you (It’s the least they can do!)

You’ll be pleased to know you can attempt to make yourself a coffee, you wont manage it but at least you’ve shown willing and someone else will finish the task but they mustn’t forget the biscuits (this also applies to soup in a microwave)

Its fine to practice your putting/short game

Get well soon
Slab MD

Good advice

I did my back in on Sunday -- -- hoovering

Well not so much hoovering as lifting the mats to hover the carpet under them.

Stupid thing was my daughter offerd to do it all for me when she was visiting on Saturday but I told her not to bother!!

Ps my osteopath told when hoovering do not use a backward and forward motion just push.

 

[jim8flog]

I have had problems with my lower back for around 5 years now. It is something I manage, just ease off when it gets bad, but recently even that was not possible. I had the horrible moment of having to pack in mid round in September and recently it has become more and more of an issue. I decided to bite the bullet and go to a back clinic and after some tests, movement analysis etc it became clear that I have a slipped disc at the bottom of my spine. In some ways that is good news, I can now do something about it that will actually resolve the problem, hopefully, rather than do things which will have no impact.

This is a pretty common issue so surely there must be a few on here that have had the same. Any advice? Anything that in particular worked for you? The clinic will be giving me stretches as well as de-compressing my spine, to allow the disc to pop back in, but I am interested to hear experiences from those who have been through it.

Certainly the right type of exercise is highly beneficial. One of my physios told me to keep up the golf as it is a really good form of exercise for lower backs just do not go on the range and repeat the same movements.

Do not forget to buy one of the ball pick up things for your putter.

 

[Billysboots]

I had a prolapsed disc about 20 years ago. Agony, it was. Osteopath was a waste of money for me, but a course of physio helped no end.

I never had surgery and still have occasional issues with it, but keeping active is the key. I recall the days when they prescribed bed rest for a bad back - it’s being immobile which causes me the problem!