Can I just live with herniated discs?
 

Hi All,

I've had herniated discs, caused by back injury, for over a year. Conservative treatment has not worked and the pain has started to radiate into the bottom of my left heel. No problems with incontinence, though.

My PT thinks I need surgery. Thing is, after the way I was mistreated by doctors after a serious MVA, I HATE them. I mean, REALLY hate them.

If I don't treat these discs, provided I can suck up the pain, can I just carry on? I'm already disabled and limited, so it's not much of a lifestyle adjustment. ;)

Hi Hockey,

Wish I had an answer for you and am wondering the same thing myself, the pain is awful.

Ditto with the being mistreated by Dr's, my old one was awful, did nothing and I was crying saying how much pain I was in, put off tests for months and months, another told me if you're in that much pain you'd try anything when I asked questions about steroid injections :( I felt so awful.

My pain was originally in my neck and left arm, now it's in my left leg/foot too so spreading.

Hope you get answers and feel much better, this is hell!

When I had my first, terrible MVA, the neurologist was outraged because I wouldn't take narcotics. I can see their value for terminal or short term acute pain, but I was looking at injuries that would NEVER resolve completely and would need to be managed for the rest of my life. Like I needed to add drug addict to my list of problems.

That doctor didn't want to help me; he wanted to make me a docile zombie. :mad:

Now I can't bear the thought of even seeing a doctor. My life is miserable enough without having some "healer" belittling my suffering. I am a VERY tough customer: (breezed through natural childbirth, have dental work without freezing)if I saw it hurts, it darn well does.

I would get more information
 

I'm sorry to read that both of you have been mistreated by your doctors. It's very difficult to find a doctor who will spend time with each patient and discuss alternatives, too.

If I were in your position, knowing what I know now (post ACDF surgery), I'd get as much information about my condition as I could. Have you had an MRI? I'd try to get consultations with two different neurosurgeons to learn all of the treatment options, their approaches, and their own patient outcomes (successes, complications, etc.). No one is perfect and every surgery has its risk, but you want someone who knows how to reduce risk and address any complications that might arise. Also review the hospital they operate out of.

The fact that your pain is spreading is of concern. I'd get that consultation sooner rather than later.

Best wishes to both of you.

Yes!! I hear you.

So sorry about your MVA, they sure can change your whole, in one second it's done and you suffer.

I also wouldn't say I was in pain if I wasn't, who wants this to be going on...

My Dr acted insulted when I said I didn't want to be taking such high doses of pain pills....how's about we find out what can be done about all this pain me thinks...

Actually, Vicodin doesn't help, only Percocet but not going to take them all the time. She also kept going on about the steroid injections, "all my other patients beg me for more and have them all the time"...that's all she wanted, for me to be drugged up or keep having injections for ever, just go away and don't come back that's how it felt, not good enough for me I'm afraid.

I'm the same way, childbirth...oh, no drugs for me thank you ha ha ho ho...I can stand pain, but this is nothing like I've ever felt before, horrendous. All day pain, all I think of is please take this pain away.

Had to go to a physiatrist yesterday and got so worked up about it for days, even cried I'll admit it, this is not me at all, I'm usually everything's going to be okay, let's get on with it but now Dr's upset me so much, get such anxiety going and feel sick to my stomach.

I dread going to any as I don't trust them, sat and broke down yesterday in front of the Dr and he looked at me like I was nuts, I kept thinking don't do it, don't do it!!! and here it comes...can't help it.

I totally hear you, so sorry you are suffering and I hope someone out there will help you, big hugs.....

Yes, I wasn't overly impressed by the outcomes, when I researched the surgical options. I don't expect to be able to do back flips off the diving board. I just want a more endurable level of discomfort.

get several opinions
 

I am new to this board, I have some mild bulging and herniation, but a great deal of incapacitating pain, having had numbness and restrictions for 5 years prior on how long I could stand, walk, etc., but I could live with it without drugs or injections. It ever occurred to me that it would progress to the level of intractable pain and disability I have now. Please try to get a course of action in place before it gets worse. I was never a candidate for discectomy, but I wish I was. If I were you I would get several opinions and not necessarily from just surgeons. I think simple herniations
are more easily dealt with if you don't put it off, ive been warned that longer term nerve impingement and irritation ca lead to permanent damage. I just had a great phone consult about my mri with a chiropractor and professional spine researcher I found online, and he read mt MRI so much more thoroughly than any doctor I've seen and ive probably got more options than I realized. Its very clear to me now what diagnostics I need before doing the discography and fusion that th surgeon said was all he could offer me. I dont know if im allowed to give his info or endorse here, but so grateful I found his site with so much info.

get several opinions
 

I am new to this board, I have some mild bulging and herniation, but a great deal of incapacitating pain, having had numbness and restrictions for 5 years prior on how long I could stand, walk, etc., but I could live with it without drugs or injections. It ever occurred to me that it would progress to the level of intractable pain and disability I have now. Please try to get a course of action in place before it gets worse. I was never a candidate for discectomy, but I wish I was. If I were you I would get several opinions and not necessarily from just surgeons. I think simple herniations
are more easily dealt with if you don't put it off, ive been warned that longer term nerve impingement and irritation ca lead to permanent damage. I just had a great phone consult about my mri with a chiropractor and professional spine researcher I found online, and he read mt MRI so much more thoroughly than any doctor I've seen and ive probably got more options than I realized. Its very clear to me now what diagnostics I need before doing the discography and fusion that th surgeon said was all he could offer me. I dont know if im allowed to give his info or endorse here, but so grateful I found his site with so much info.

Well, I've been doing it for nigh on a decade now, with no appreciable disc material left in a couple of places. I'm still able to walk (albeit with cane) and have no numbness/paralysis. Some autofusion has occurred, so I assume it's still going on.

I think it's going to depend on your symptoms. We've discussed here several times that the only times surgery is mandated is when there is risk of paralysis, similar serious nerve damage, or death.

Doc

Hi Hockey,

Were are your herniations? Cervical, thoracic, lumbar? More than one of those 3 areas? About 15 years ago, I was told that I needed surgery for my lumbar herniations. I declined surgery. Last September I was told I needed immediate surgery for thoracic problems and herniations. Again, I declined surgery. Time has helped. My MRI's now are better in some aspects, worse in other aspects, and my pain levels usually tolerable without needing oral pain medications. When having higher pain levels I use Lidoderm pain patches. My lumber herniation is much better but I have different problems now with my lumbar region. I am just waiting for my thoracic region to improve on its own.

To answer your question, can you just live with herniated discs? Some people can but it depends on the individual and the specifics. I would get a lot more information before I considered surgery if I were you. And several different opinions. The members that have already posted a response have said most of what can be said. I agree with Doc that surgery is advisable when limited to specific situations.

Wishing you the best. Hope you find the right decision for YOU and your specific situation. I have been fortunate that my hard head saved me from unnecessary surgery because the surgeries proposed it turns out would not have alleviated my pain. It turns out that my other spinal problems, not the herniations, are the cause of my back pains.

I may be singing a different tune in the future, but for now, I am not having back surgery.