Why do I have a disc bulge after my surgery??
 

I had a lumbar discectomy on L4/L5 on the 9th of February this year. All was ok and I was healing and recovering well, but in my 7th week I had a massive back spasm after prolonged sitting and have not been right ever since. This spasm was on 29th of March.

I have had sacral pain and pain that jumps from left leg to right leg/foot and butt pain since that day.

I have had a follow-up surgery appointment and my surgeon said the nerve roots are being irritated due to me having a bulging disc??? I then said I thought you cleaned it up in my operation. he said it's impossible to do that unless we remove it and fuse you there is always some residual bulge? He basically told me to live on Voltaren and not worry about it. My physio says it's soft tissue irritating the nerves and thats why it is not a true pinched nerve but jumps around alot. Is this common and what can I do? My surgeon would not order any more imaging and basically told me to go home.

can anyone offer me any advice and what can I do???

God Bless,
Aussie

disk
 

Doctors that do your surgery do not like to hear that something is wrong. I do not think he should have told you to just go home. It is my understanding that a disk buldge hurts as it pushes on the cord. My surgery on C3-7 took care of all protruding disks and fussed them at the same time. I would go for another neurologist for a back up opinion. After all you go through to get the surgery in the first place, I know it is dissapointing to still have pain. I did change neuros after my first surgery failed. ginnie

I have also disk bulging in my lower back, and I thought that my leg pain was sciatica ( due to the disk), I had some numbness and pain on both leg. Kind of scary. After many doctors and physical therapist, I finally realized that I have chronic hamstrings injury, and piriformis syndrome. One thing that helped ( big time) is ART active release therapy with trigger point therapy. Having a therapist massaging the soft tissue in you leg, to free muscle adhesion and toxins from non usage, chronic inflammation ect. I am still having trouble with my hamstring, but the numbness/ tingling is gone, I have just pain now in the hamstring tendons. ( used to have pain all the way down to my foot) I am not considering surgery. Back pain is so complex, everyone is focusing on the joints and the MRI but, not much study is done on the soft tissue influence.
It is kind of tough to know what is going on. I would suggest getting a session of ART and see if it makes any difference in your symptoms. it made my pain a little worse at first, then did make a big release feeling in my legs
hope this help virginie

What sort of therapist does that? I am in Australia and I have never heard of ART. Thank you!! Aussie:)

Thank you Ginnie. I will be looking at getting a 2nd opinion hopefully soon when my wallet recovers if you get my meaning. Thank you!! Aussie:)