I have a herniated L5 ??

thorsdad31

thorsdad31

Well-known member
sup y'all as the title says havent trained in 2 months due to lower back pain had an mri done yesterday come to find out i have a herniated disc my L5 to be exact waiting to reschedule with my dr to talk options cortisone injection or surgery does anyone on here have any advise or experience with this I'm starting physical therapy Monday
 
I broke my back and herniated L3,4,5. Physical Therapy will help a ton. Never did surgery or injections on them.
 
I have the same issue. Foam rolling, back buddy, inversion table and topical cbd are lifesavers. I also purchased a pad for my seat when driving and it has helped tons. About once a month I will sleep on my floor on my back and that does wonders.
 
I have bulged L2/L3, physical therapy NSAIDS, foam roller, CBD will help.

I don't have nerve stenosis, so I don't want to go under the knife. I think knife option is last resort when it comes to the spine.

Also sleeping on hard surface mixed with a good firm memory foam bed will make a difference. Easy to stretch in memory foam too.
 
DO NOT elect for surgery unless you ABSOLUTELY have to!!! Any surgery of the spine does not fix you... it only alleviates SOME symptoms. Your spine will be compromised for the test of your life. Accupuncture, PT, yoga, massage and other holistic methods need to be exhausted first before you let someone cut you open.
 
SkRaw85 said:
I have the same issue. Foam rolling, back buddy, inversion table and topical cbd are lifesavers. I also purchased a pad for my seat when driving and it has helped tons. About once a month I will sleep on my floor on my back and that does wonders.
Click to expand...

What topical CBD product do you use?
 
PoSiTiVeFLoW said:
I have bulged L2/L3, physical therapy NSAIDS, foam roller, CBD will help.

I don't have nerve stenosis, so I don't want to go under the knife. I think knife option is last resort when it comes to the spine.

Also sleeping on hard surface mixed with a good firm memory foam bed will make a difference. Easy to stretch in memory foam too.
Click to expand...

I've tried cbd oil, gummies and rub nothing helped the only thing that helps is pain killers but in on blood pressure pills now from them ����
 
jackedviking said:
DO NOT elect for surgery unless you ABSOLUTELY have to!!! Any surgery of the spine does not fix you... it only alleviates SOME symptoms. Your spine will be compromised for the test of your life. Accupuncture, PT, yoga, massage and other holistic methods need to be exhausted first before you let someone cut you open.
Click to expand...

I do not want surgery at all im praying pt helps
 
thorsdad31 said:
I've tried cbd oil, gummies and rub nothing helped the only thing that helps is pain killers but in on blood pressure pills now from them
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Kratom for me...and itll lower bp some too....I don't feel groggy or think about taking something first in morning, well unless I sleep wrong, ouch
 
I have herniated t3, l5, l6

In my experience when I dont train it makes it worse. Having a soft core is one of the worst things for my back. Of course first you have to get healthy enough to train with it. Train around the injury until you figure out what you can and can't do.Deadlifts are out of the question for me. Every time I'm out of commission 2-5 days. Ive had days where my back locks up and muscle spasms are unbearable.

Kratom rather than opiods imo because theyre only a partial mu opiod agonist. They are no where near as risky as synthesized opiates.

Also believe it or not diet plays a huge role in how my body responds to the hernias. Good diet less pain and less episodes. If I eat fried food I can bet money that within 24 hrs I will begin to feel discomfort that will last 1-2 days. I really watch eating fried stuff. Sounds crazy I know but its true.


Also sitting too long or in an uncomfortable chair will aggrevate the **** out of it.
 
If your back locks up ask not only for traditional muscle relaxers but possibly benzodiazepines. Aka anti anxiety meds as these are muscle relaxers. Its why people withdrawing from many substances are prescribed Ativan.

Besides all the good advice Ive seen here you could also do isometric squats and other exercises to build up other muscles which may take over some of the work from the damaged lumbar spine.

If oral nsaids arent doing the trick, you could ask about Voltaren gel(Diclofenic).

I would try to avoid any type of disc fusion, discectomy etc. You lose mobility and put pressure on the discs above and below the fusion. You could end up much worse off.
 
81dcs said:
Kratom for me...and itll lower bp some too....I don't feel groggy or think about taking something first in morning, well unless I sleep wrong, ouch
Click to expand...

I'll have to look into that
 
Suggest you start reading Dr. Stuart McGills work.

I have and l2-l3 disc bulge, l4-5 disc bulge against nerve root and stenosis.

Core work, desensitizing to pain avenues (avoid exercises that aggravate the discs- for now). Goal to is stop micro movements in the spine.

Disc herniations/bulges CAN re absorb Invalid Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed

They’re a plethora of research (didn’t want to sift through all of pub med) that shows you will benefit from other methods other than opting for surgery.

I rehabbed for a year and am now in process of competing in another PL meet come November (last one was two years ago before my injuries ). So, there’s hope.

What I did (worked for me, may not for you) consistently every day to every other day was;

Curl ups
Bird dogs
Dead bugs
Side planks
Ab wheel (look these up to do them correctly, you should have NO extension in the lumbar)
Static bear crawls
Bear crawls
Kb carry (front rack position)

These were progressions, not done all at once.

If I can help at all, you can DM me.

In short:
1) desensitize to pain avenues
2) reduce ALL micro movements in the spine (learn proper bracing)
3) build a strong core on ALL planes
 
Definitely agree with Godstrength about the soft core making things worse and tyga tyga above.

And pain killers like more advanced NSAIDs like CoX-2 inhibitors are good to try if CBD and ibuprofen don't cut it.

Also, stick to traditional benzos if you go that route... as someone with a ton of experience who still made a major mistake like 6 weeks ago and had a blackout seizure and woke up after an ER ride to Kaiser hospital... anyway RC benzos like clonazolam can be amazing but dangerous if you have a bad source and accidentally go into withdrawal... Worst 4th of July.

Anyway, Mobic or cox-2 inhibitors help with ibuprofen or napoxren sodium as well
 
Godstrength said:
I have herniated t3, l5, l6

In my experience when I dont train it makes it worse. Having a soft core is one of the worst things for my back. Of course first you have to get healthy enough to train with it. Train around the injury until you figure out what you can and can't do.Deadlifts are out of the question for me. Every time I'm out of commission 2-5 days. Ive had days where my back locks up and muscle spasms are unbearable.

Kratom rather than opiods imo because theyre only a partial mu opiod agonist. They are no where near as risky as synthesized opiates.

Also believe it or not diet plays a huge role in how my body responds to the hernias. Good diet less pain and less episodes. If I eat fried food I can bet money that within 24 hrs I will begin to feel discomfort that will last 1-2 days. I really watch eating fried stuff. Sounds crazy I know but its true.


Also sitting too long or in an uncomfortable chair will aggrevate the **** out of it.
Click to expand...
Something in the fried food is probably causing systemic inflammation. Time to leave the KFC to someone else. Prescription Voltaren gel will help or icy hot. Personally, I find the menthol is the way to go topically.
 
Mobic aka meloxicam and Celecoxib are the two cox-2 inhibitors to speak to your physician about.

Its been an age since I studied it but, there are three types of "slipped disc" Its important to find out exactly what the MRI says. Yes, discs can move back into place. Im always lax to mention this because I dislike the idea of giving a patient false hope.
 
tyga tyga said:
Suggest you start reading Dr. Stuart McGills work.

I have and l2-l3 disc bulge, l4-5 disc bulge against nerve root and stenosis.

Core work, desensitizing to pain avenues (avoid exercises that aggravate the discs- for now). Goal to is stop micro movements in the spine.

Disc herniations/bulges CAN re absorb Invalid Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed

They’re a plethora of research (didn’t want to sift through all of pub med) that shows you will benefit from other methods other than opting for surgery.

I rehabbed for a year and am now in process of competing in another PL meet come November (last one was two years ago before my injuries ). So, there’s hope.

What I did (worked for me, may not for you) consistently every day to every other day was;

Curl ups
Bird dogs
Dead bugs
Side planks
Ab wheel (look these up to do them correctly, you should have NO extension in the lumbar)
Static bear crawls
Bear crawls
Kb carry (front rack position)

These were progressions, not done all at once.

If I can help at all, you can DM me.

In short:
1) desensitize to pain avenues
2) reduce ALL micro movements in the spine (learn proper bracing)
3) build a strong core on ALL planes
Click to expand...

Wish I’d known you back in 2003 before I got a discectomy and laminectomy.
 
tyga tyga said:
Suggest you start reading Dr. Stuart McGills work.

I have and l2-l3 disc bulge, l4-5 disc bulge against nerve root and stenosis.

Core work, desensitizing to pain avenues (avoid exercises that aggravate the discs- for now). Goal to is stop micro movements in the spine.

Disc herniations/bulges CAN re absorb Invalid Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed

They’re a plethora of research (didn’t want to sift through all of pub med) that shows you will benefit from other methods other than opting for surgery.

I rehabbed for a year and am now in process of competing in another PL meet come November (last one was two years ago before my injuries ). So, there’s hope.

What I did (worked for me, may not for you) consistently every day to every other day was;

Curl ups
Bird dogs
Dead bugs
Side planks
Ab wheel (look these up to do them correctly, you should have NO extension in the lumbar)
Static bear crawls
Bear crawls
Kb carry (front rack position)

These were progressions, not done all at once.

If I can help at all, you can DM me.

In short:
1) desensitize to pain avenues
2) reduce ALL micro movements in the spine (learn proper bracing)
3) build a strong core on ALL planes
Click to expand...

thanks for all the help I appreciate it!!
 
Been there and done that, unfortunately.
Highly recommend the inversion table. Makes a big difference in short time. Start gradually, use it (couple of minutes) a few times a day. Muscle relaxants like diazepam help short term but need to get off those and painkillers as soon as possible.
AVOID SURGERY (butchery)
Stand up more, walk around.
You'll be back to DL's in no time!
 
WheyGuzzler said:
Been there and done that, unfortunately.
Highly recommend the inversion table. Makes a big difference in short time. Start gradually, use it (couple of minutes) a few times a day. Muscle relaxants like diazepam help short term but need to get off those and painkillers as soon as possible.
AVOID SURGERY (butchery)
Stand up more, walk around.
You'll be back to DL's in no time!
Click to expand...

thanks for the info
 
Find a good chiropractor. IDD therapy(disc decompression) worked wonders for me. I have herniated L4/L5 and L5/S1. Started with my chiropractor using 9 pills a day just to be able to go to work and function. Just getting out of bed in the morning was an act of courage. Two sessions of IDD and I could get out of bed without pain. Chiropractic treatment is ongoing, but I just go as needed anymore. I’ve had injections- epidurals and facet joint injections, with varying success. I’m about to have ablation procedures done next month(they burn off nerve fibers in the spine), to hopefully take another step.

Like previously mentioned, get healthy, train around the injury, rehab, and train to strengthen your core/glutes, etc. It’s something you’ll have to manage forever but once you’re healthy and you’ve found what works to keep yourself on the right side of the line, it’s fairly easy to keep up with. Just have to learn to be cautious and avoid over doing it, because when you do you won’t know until it’s too late.
 
jrock645 said:
Find a good chiropractor. IDD therapy(disc decompression) worked wonders for me. I have herniated L4/L5 and L5/S1. Started with my chiropractor using 9 pills a day just to be able to go to work and function. Just getting out of bed in the morning was an act of courage. Two sessions of IDD and I could get out of bed without pain. Chiropractic treatment is ongoing, but I just go as needed anymore. I’ve had injections- epidurals and facet joint injections, with varying success. I’m about to have ablation procedures done next month(they burn off nerve fibers in the spine), to hopefully take another step.

Like previously mentioned, get healthy, train around the injury, rehab, and train to strengthen your core/glutes, etc. It’s something you’ll have to manage forever but once you’re healthy and you’ve found what works to keep yourself on the right side of the line, it’s fairly easy to keep up with. Just have to learn to be cautious and avoid over doing it, because when you do you won’t know until it’s too late.
Click to expand...

thanks for the info my problem is standing up all the pain is in my calve,ankle and Achilles my back feels fine I have a little bit of hip/itband pain also
 
Feeling pain in lower limb is common, it's referred pain, because bulging disc is pressing on sciatic nerve.
Straighten out your lumbar spine, reduce the inflamation and leg pain should disappear.
 
thorsdad31 said:
thanks for the info my problem is standing up all the pain is in my calve,ankle and Achilles my back feels fine I have a little bit of hip/itband pain also
Click to expand...

Yep thats nerves. Take anti inflammatory, ice as often as you can, and find a chiro.

Once you get the inflammation down the pain should subside.

My issue is chronic inflammation. Inflammation cause pain, and pain signals cause more inflammation. So its just a vicious cycle.
 
I have been using CBD to aid in pain reduction/ sleep aid. It helps, you just have to figure out your dosing.
 
well I have surgery scheduled for next Tuesday the 18th very happy about it the dr that's performing the surgery is the top dr in my area for this procedure , lumbar laminectomy is what I am doing he said 2 hours long and i will be going home the same day 6 week recovery he wants to operate because he don't want me to have permanent never damage in my left leg and foot it's been numb for 9 weeks im very happy about the whole thing and at peace
 
thorsdad31 said:
well I have surgery scheduled for next Tuesday the 18th very happy about it the dr that's performing the surgery is the top dr in my area for this procedure , lumbar laminectomy is what I am doing he said 2 hours long and i will be going home the same day 6 week recovery he wants to operate because he don't want me to have permanent never damage in my left leg and foot it's been numb for 9 weeks im very happy about the whole thing and at peace
Click to expand...
Good luck with your surgery
 
been home for 2 days my surgery went will no more pain just sore from the incision dr expects a full recovery in 6 weeks and said I should be able to start training again by january thank you all for the advice and input
 
It's expensive, but I hightly recommend stem cell injections. I'm in NP school and I've seen wonders worked with this. A classmate of mine herniated L4 moving a patient at work and was in crippling pain. She had the injections done and saw rapid improvement a few weeks later. 8 months later, she's actually 9 months pregnant and her back is pain free. That's a good sign, especially considering the lumbar strain pregnancy results in.
 
I understand what you went through. I had a herniated L4 and had surgery 3 years ago. I am tall and had trouble with tight hamstrings after surgery that gave me lots of pain. Be sure you have physical therapy done and make sure your hamstrings in your legs don't tighten as you heal. I have found that working out with heavy weight on my legs keeps mine limber. I am running a super epi cycle now and it helps me bench more weight on my legs.
 
Talldude said:
I understand what you went through. I had a herniated L4 and had surgery 3 years ago. I am tall and had trouble with tight hamstrings after surgery that gave me lots of pain. Be sure you have physical therapy done and make sure your hamstrings in your legs don't tighten as you heal. I have found that working out with heavy weight on my legs keeps mine limber. I am running a super epi cycle now and it helps me bench more weight on my legs.
Click to expand...

thanks for the info I feel really good after the surgery
 
I started searching for lower back pain issues & found this thread.. I'm dealing with a pinched nerve in my lower back for about a month now.
Bought an inversion table for $50 this morning. Have tried it 4x already.
No position of comfort while sitting or standing.
Went to a chiropractor, but started wondering if pt would be more beneficial.
Anybody familiar with the yoga wheel? A buddy of mine recommended it. It's roughly a 14-16" wheel with a little foam padding around it.
Was hoping to start 2020 with some balls to the wall cardio, but now I'm in too much pain.
This getting old stuff sucks!
Turning 48 next month.
 
enhanced said:
I started searching for lower back pain issues & found this thread.. I'm dealing with a pinched nerve in my lower back for about a month now.
Bought an inversion table for $50 this morning. Have tried it 4x already.
No position of comfort while sitting or standing.
Went to a chiropractor, but started wondering if pt would be more beneficial.
Anybody familiar with the yoga wheel? A buddy of mine recommended it. It's roughly a 14-16" wheel with a little foam padding around it.
Was hoping to start 2020 with some balls to the wall cardio, but now I'm in too much pain.
This getting old stuff sucks!
Turning 48 next month.
Click to expand...
Chiro is good for relief, physio is good for rehabilitation in my experience. I prolapse 3 discs from L3 to L5 (or maybe it was l2 to l4 can't remember) and the key to my recovery this far has been gently liberating the psoas and hips from the inflammation in my spine by performing movements like thread the needle, Pilates leg raises, and cat to dog transitions. These started at a very restricted level and have slowly progressed in terms of ROM and resistance (some of the Pilates movements have used rubber bands for progression as well as technical 'levelling up').
 
w8lifter said:
If it ruptures, which mine did, you’ll have to go surgery. Be very careful lifting
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I'm not doing any lifting until it's better. Hurts to stand and walk, but I can ride my mountain bike all day long with zero pain.
 
Well I injured/herniated my L5/S1 Disc good and proper in September 2019, haven't had any invasive treatment as specialist didn't deem it necessary in my case due to me being active - have now started running/cycling and weight training again. So that's 3 months on. Am 44 years old as well, so keep the faith it will get better.
 
Forgot to add .....doing Mackenzie stretches and arm hanging for a minute from my pull up bar massively helped my recovery.
 
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