Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Bulging disks in back

I had a herniated disc at L4/L5, fortunately it blew out the back rather than to the side(s). Physical therapy which involved stretching and traction successfully got the disc back in place. During the process I developed sciatica
which affected my left leg, a cortisone injection into the area of the sciatic nerve took care of that. Hope you are able to get some relief.

What ever you don't go to a Quackapracter!!! They have the ability to cripple you for life.! Esp since you know your disc's are already bulging!!!

Two severally bulged discs. My surgeon said at 44 my surgeon said I had the back of an 80 year old, " you too young for surgery try to get by for 10 more years" That was 12 years ago. If I walk lots, do my core exercises and as the surgeon said "don't do anything that hurts" I lead a normal life, including solo backpack hunts. Just must be careful how I lift and never lift and twist. Best of luck as every back is different and its a pain.

I had a fusion in 69 and another in 2007.That pain management,epidurals is BS.I had every kind of back procedure done there was.is.Nothing helped. I now have everything fused from S1 thru L4, including two rods and screws . My first fusion I was in the hospital for 6 weeks ,flat on my back.The last,I was out in 3 days.The technology improves every year.

I ride mules a lot, elk/deer/antelope hunt, shoe my own mules, do all the farm chores , mechanics etc. Just finished wiring a new garage. I do move hay with tractor and hay spears instead of throwing bales. Sure I am limited and life style has to change.

The biggest problem with fusions is that the disc and vertebrae next in line takes all the stress and it is common to have to go back and do another.

Find a good surgeon and see what they say. A lot of people having bulging disc and some exersize, therapy helps,in two weeks or so it alleviates,but if you go thru and check off all the boxes like most insurance companies want you to do,surgery might be a viable optoin.

Pushaways as you strengthen your core.

I have 5 disk that are screwed,,, couple are flat and black, couple others are blown out the side, sciatic nerve kicks in every now and then and sometimes I get severe nerve pain that will put me down for the count, cant stand cant move.

I'm 50 and for the last 2 years have managed to do pretty well after working on my core alot,,, just exercises I do at home, I watch what I do, no more carrying heavy weights, I keep my weight down, I take a Ibuprofen when I feel lower back pain, may go weeks without one then may have to take 2-3 a day for 3-4 days. If I weedeat or chainsaw I take and Ibuprofen beforehand.

After MRI's the specialist told me I was on the long term payment plan,,, I would be paying for the ways I abused my spine for years for the rest of my life. Live with it and manage it and put off surgery as long as I can.

If I use common sense and do not do to much and treat as necessary then I do pretty well.

find a physical therapist,he or she should be able to set you up with an exercise program.

Ed

Excellent advice. Some people spend 10 years of their life in misery trying to "manage the pain". Most of those guys are quacks. Get good help and if surgery is advised dont run from it. It's the only solution to some problems.

Thanks for all the info. Its not any better today, been down since Tuesday. Took about 30 minutes to put my socks on this morning before going on a short walk

I've had 3 herniated discs that were healed overnight with cortisone injections. The first time the cortisone was injected directly into the disc and the other 2 times it was injected in the area around the affected nerve. When I herniated the first disc my insurance wouldn't allow me to see a back specialist until my GP gave me a referral. My GP tortured me for about 3 months with pain pills (that didn't help) and oral anti-inflamatory medication (that also didn't help). He finally gave me a referral when my left thigh muscles started going numb and my left leg would collapse occasionally. This added a little excitement when going up and down stairs. There is still a part of my thigh that is numb but luckily I regained the strength in my left leg. The back specialist told that the numbness and pain could have become permanent from nerve damage if I had waited much longer. He wrote my GP a very nasty letter for being so stupid. Since you already you have bulging discs you shouldn't waste any time with chiropractors or physical therapists who might cause more damage.

You must not have ever had any herniated or ruptured discs.

the op was talking about bulging disks.

Ed

once you are fixed maybe a careful exercise program, but at this point since they are already bulged it could hurt you even worse, walking helps with the pain but does nothing for the condition, and anything like pilling the knees up and all that junk can put more pressure on the disc and make it much worse!! 1234 for sure has never been there done that!!!!!!!!

Umm Ed...I couldn't even hold a crap or control my bladder when I bulged mine, it also took me a good three hours to make my way (via floor) to the bathroom trailing fluid, muck, and pain all the way.
It took three months of laying on my bed for the damn thing to recede, and to this day I use weights, running, and a big dose of 'oh [bleep]' every day to damn well make sure I don't go that way again...forget about exercise 'til the pain and symptoms go away, and then revisit the idea slowly.

Oh...and it took from 2009 to 2014 for my feet to stop going numb from that rotten sciatica.


Those that have perforated theirs are on a whole different level of misery.

Patience and getting the right help before permanent damage is done is key.

I have degenerative disc disease, I had a lot of pain and would have episodes of "Losing" function of my left leg and fall when the bone would crash onto the nerves. In 2014 they removed the offending disc and fused S1, L5, and L4. I was off work for 6 months and had to work very gingerly for a while when I went back.

In 2015 I could lift 25lbs comfortably, now I can lift 50lbs comfortably, I will not go past that mark because as has been said when there are fused vertebrae the others take the brunt of what ever you are doing.

My life now compared to 2013 is bigly better! I'll probably have to have another surgery in the future due to the degenerative disc disease but I have had very few side effects from the surgery. I do have a spot on my left thigh that "Vibrates" a little now and then and I have to check and make sure it's not my phone going off.

My son who is 26 has been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, I keep coaching him on the things not to do but you know how we men are when we're young.

Oh man...you are in a worse place than I and you most definitely have my sympathy.

No sympathies needed here, the Docs fixed me at least for the time being. Doc told me if I listened to him I might not ever need to have another surgery.

I actually feel bad for you, losing your bowels and your bladder can't be a whole hell of a lot of fun.

I just hope the OP gets the correct help soon so he doesn't have to suffer for many years.

Had the same back in 2000. Find a good chiropractor. Mine got me back to work in a week but then stretches and such for a couple of months, but the basic searing pain was gone.

OK, here is the best tip you will receive from a guy who have been getting these for years.

Blue Ice, the rectangular ones. Always keep at least two in your freezer. As quick as you can get back to your feet, crawl to the bed with one of these, place it behind your back so that it pressed hard against your back. Not only will the cold stop the swelling to allow the blood to circulate around the injury, it will actually press against the disk itself.

Bulging disks used to take my legs out, then land me on my back for three or four days, but once I started hitting them with the blue ice asap, I would be able to get up and around in four or five hours for short periods at a time; then right back to the bed with a fresh ice, and some advil.
Depending on how soft your bed is, you might want to put the blue ice on a folded towel to get a good press against your spine.

No soft ones, you want the hard ones to press against the injury. That combined with the cold will stop the swelling.

Two different people I have told about this, now swear by it...cold and pressure.

I have always had a strong back and a weak mind. No back trouble yet.