Hi, I suffered back pain off and on for 3 years. It fin...

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi,

I suffered back pain off and on for 3 years. It finally culminated in a prolapse disc. The day I actually went for a private MRI scan after months of waiting for a NHS scan the problem increased massively. I suffered excruciating pain, numbness down the left side of my left leg and the left part of my foot. I was also unable to stand on tip toes. I was rushed into casualty and then sent home with pain killers etc..

I've now had a disectomoy (about 2 months ago) and my surgeon told me there was a 80% chance of a full recovery. I've got alot of strength back in my leg and can stand on tip toes however i still suffer the numbness and pins and needles in my foot as well as some occasional pain in the buttock. Has anyone else experienced a similar situation. I'm trying to return to my sporting activities but am really nervous of making it worse and wondering will the numbness ever fade.

It would be good to hear from anyone who can share similar experiences.

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2

Hi I have also suffered from back pain on and off for three years, I intitally hurt myself when I was 4 months pregnant, I lifted a heavy television...stupid I know!!

Well I finally had a CT scan last week and was diagnosed with a prolapsed disc on L5/S1 what a depressing doctors appointment, I feel really depressed and sad about it all, I don't want to have surgery but I am unsure what to try first I have been taking vitamin supplements with glucosamine and fish oil and i am starting yoga and physio, I have weeks where I am ok and able to functionj then I lift something and bang im back in agony for weeks.

I also feel so guilty for my husband as it affects life on so many levels

I hate this problem but I feel there must be a way to heal and manage this pain, I am looking for advice and to be able to share this experience with other people

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3

:cry: I hurt my back in December 2006, after 22 years of back pain on and off (I'm 39 years old). I was rushed into hospital on New Years Eve, I was given Morphine to ease the pain. I had an X-ray and MRI Scan which showed I had a Prolapsed Disc L5/S1.

I had a Sacral Epidural Injection to see if the disc would go back in. But after 2 weeks still in pain I was taken back in and given a Discectomy on 19th January 2007.

I am still in pain and also have no feeling in my left leg and my foot is totally numb. I am still on Pregabalin, Tramadol and Amytriptalin for the pain.

I have been going to Physio but my back hurts too much to do the exercises given.

In March I could not stand the pain any longer and got in touch with one of the Spinal Nurses who was wonderful, she got me another appointment to see my Consultant, who sent me for another MRI Scan which showed I had another Disc out.

I am now waiting to go and have a Nerve Root Block done, which I have to have on 4/5/07.

I only hope that this works as I'm getting more depressed as the days go on. I feel that I have aged 10 years over the last couple of months. It takes me twice as long to do things than before. I am still on the sick from work.

I know exactly how your feeling, keep pushing your Doctor. My Doctors been great.

Hope everythings sorted out for you soon.

bye Angela

4

sad really fed up after reading the forums on this subject,i started to have problems oct 2005 when i went to casualty as i was in excruciating pain and explained to the doctor there if i had a wire i would have cut my arm off i was so distressed. and without examining or looking at me he said i,d pulled a muscle! next day went to my gp he put me on sick and said i,d probebly pulled a muscle, i phoned the local hospital to get some physio (off my own back) mean while still back and for the gp who now put me on tramadol and amytriptoline ( was that good!) any way after months back and forth a hospital app was made for me and guess what 18 wk wait.then more tests and xrays then finally a year later a mri scan which confirmed i had a large prolapse on c5-6 displacing the cord at that level, and to think i was working in that pain with that going on. well another app was made to see a neurologist at another hospital to undergo surgery and you guessed it another wait! had my diagnosis on the 20 feb been off on sick since , and still waitng. i,ve put my life on hold watch this space!!

5

I have had an mri scan and been told i have a prolapsed disc.I am in acute pain and seeing a specialist next week who, my GP tells me will advise a discoctomy. I am afraid that i will be laid off work for weeks/months if i have an op on my back and cannot afford to have that happen. willing to try anything else in the meantime. anyone out there tried the mobiliser?

anyone had the op? how long were you incapacitated for?

look forward to hearing from you.

xx

6

:D

Hi, i had a prolapsed disk removed three weeks ago. It has removed nearly all the back pain. The scar is the most painful and whoever has this done, MUST take time getting back to work etc. First week i only walked 20 minutes then had rests for long periods. IT is now three weeks and i am back at work , reduced hours but better than at home . I have been advised to go swimming and i am not on any pain killers.

7

Hi there, I am 26 and had experienced back pain since I was 16, with siatica redering me unable to walk for a couple of days at a time, but didn't happen very often. That was when I worked in a nursing home, I am now a qualified nurse and needless to say I don't think my choice of career helped, and I wasjust waling along when my back went last Sept at work -taken to A&E,home on painkillers, off work for a month and physio ever since.

Well, physio only helped a little and my back went again in April this year and 3 weeks off. Then thought I'd try yoga as a recommendation last month but that started off my latest episode 6 weeks ago but this time it was pain, sciatica in my left leg and a numb left foot. Had all painkillers under the sun at home,sleeping 3 hours a night and two weeks ago the pain in my thigh got excruciating, I felt delerious with pain. Went to A&E, given IV morphine and entonox (gas and air) for pain and then sent home on my own high as a kite, with the orthopaedic registrar telling me there's nothing they could do unless I was paralysed.

Obviously when I came round I was in agony, the next morning was worse, no piankillers were touching it - back to A&E, I was so desperate, it took a lot of morphine to ease the pain, and I was howling like a dog - transferred to ward as by this time I was having troule passing urine also. Had urgent MRI (which apparently was for my piece of mind as they didn't think it would show anything :twisted: ...

Anyway, it showed very large prolapsed L5/S1 disc which was pressing on my sciatic nerve and had an emergency discectomy the next day as my agony and bladder problems got worse.

That was a week ago - I am still experiencing a little pain in buttock and leg, but very little, and still have pins and needles in left foot. It can take up to 18 months for nerve damage to repair, sometimes it may not fully, so I am told to expect this, or perhaps worse post surgery as they've may have irritated the nerves during the op. I have been told to convalesce for the first 3 weeks, and I am usually very active, attending exercise classes so this is difficult!

Sorry to bang on a bit, needed to get it out there!