[kiwee]

So I herniated or developed a bulge in my L5 S1 disk 14 weeks ago while training for Triathalon. It went out on a run and the follwoing days my right leg went through complete numbness, to complete calf lock up to severe sciatic pain. Left leg fine apart from nagging feeling of a hamstring tear. No lower back pain at all apart from the lsight tenderness I had had for months, noticable only when rolling over in bed to turn out the bed side lamp!

14 weeks out, my right leg is nearly 100%, but my left leg has developed over the last 4 weeks, the feeling of someone pouring hot water over it in different places, very surface centric sensation. Sometimes also into my lower buttocks. This can be pretty much taken away with some over the counter pain relief.

Is this normal, I have seen two specialists and they seem to think its all part of the process?

I am walking 10km 3 times a week and swimming around 6km a week. And have been doing full on core strengthening for momths.

I don't want surgery, but am getting frustrated, how long do you go down the conervative track for?

Also one surgeon told me a discsectomy is pointless, while the other said it is the best option?

Any advice welcomed...

[adomas]

hi kiwee,

Myself I have sciatica and back pain disorders for three years already. From my information what I have collected from internet, doctors, books etc. I recommend you start intensive treatment as soon as possible. The spinal disk degenerates over the time. You may feel better after some time, but the sciatica episodes will repeat and repeat again. Until now there is no effective treatment of sciatica which helps alone. Usually only the complex therapy gives beneficial results. Based on my studies (degree in biology) and own experience mostly are used: exercises, physiotherapy (electrotherapy, magnetotherapy etc.), manual therapy, massage, spinal (lumbar) traction. The herniated disc should be treated by conservative methods as long as possible. The surgery should be used as a last resort only. For, example, immediate operation is necessary only if severe pain prolongs for more than one month and respond only to morphine. In most cases there is no need to hurry with it. Often the surgery is not effective as disk protrusion/herniation forms again. The surgery do not eliminate the main reason for the herniation. During it, a part of disc pressing on the nerve is eliminated and thus the remaining part of the disc becomes weakened.

There is no one effective method of treatment for each person. The treatment should be very individual. Perhaps, the most important - are exercises. I understand from your situation that you are engaged in sport activities, so your abdominal and dorsal muscles are strong enough. Your exercises should be oriented to muscles stretching mostly. You do not need to strengthen muscles if they are strong enough. I thing that you should stop swimming as it may traumatize your disks more gives no benefit. This is not helpful in sciatica treatment. The walking is good and is preferred against sitting position. I do not know what medications are prescribed to you, so I will leave this part for later discussion. I will only mention that high doses of vitamins B (like B1, B6) is used for treatment of neuralgia and neuritis, like sciatica.

If there is any rehabilitation clinic or spinal treatment centre, they should have all necessary equipment for treatment. It should be oriented on reducing muscle spasms followed by spinal decompression (lumbar traction with computer based table). In any case the treatment will take a long time (months or even years) and could be costly. As a cheaper solution you could try purchasing a more simple lumbar traction unit intended for home use (few hundred dollars). If I can help you further you can send me an email at: **

Regards,

Adomas

[ShellieKiwi]

Hi
I see your post was back in 2009, but thought I would reply anyway
I had L5-S1 spinal fusion done, 10 years after suffering after falling from a horse at 15yrs old.
I too am from NZ. The first specialist I saw was in New Plymouth, told me to do exercises. 18 months later, I was still suffering (age 23).
We moved to Auckland in 2001, and seen another specialist as I collapsed and couldnt walk properly. MRI was done, dead disk. He was going to put a clamp at the bottom and top of spine with a rod between, and hope it fused. Drawback was I would have to go back under the knife to get rod removed.
Got second opinion, seen a Dr at Ascot. Age 24 by this time... He wasn't going to do it because of my young age, but he researched his patients and decided he would do it. He scraped out the dead part of the disk, put in a "spacer" (which resembles a holey thumb/finger thimble), took a bone graft from my hip, stuffed that in there, and put in 2x screws. I don't ever have to go back and have it out. Surgery done in 2002. Up out of bed the next day, 1 week in hospital, 6-8 weeks recommended off work (I returned at 7 with dr permission).
Today (March 2013), I can walk, run, play etc. Although, I do need to keep up the lumbar exercises for the muscles. Know when I have overdone it in the garden as muscles ache.
I know its been 4+ years since your post, but I hope you have it sorted by now, instead of Dr's fobbing you off cos they don't want to treat it, or don't know whats wrong. I would strongly recommend a 2nd & 3rd opinion before going under the knife.