Back problems?

[Ian Hunt]

Anyone else on here been a sufferer?
I've always had problems since my teens..... Back in June I had pains in my right hip & a numb leg. Frequent trips to the quacks (like most blokes, I never seek medical help unless I need stitching up,a bone setting or something really hurts!). It turns out I have a couple of collapsed discs (I'm only 37!) and the prolapsed bits are puttting pressure on the nerve roots that control my right leg & hip. It's been a difficult few months - one day I can play with my baby girl & walk about/the next I struggle to get out of bed unaided.. Today I'm fine & feel like I could run a marathon.
Have been bounced around a couple of orthapaedic consultants till today. Saw the main spinal guy. Booked in early in the new year.
Bottom line is my knackered discs have prolapsed so far that they can't ever sort themselves out. I've 2 options - they can cut out the bulged disc material and insert DIAM inserts - or I can decline the surgery (& do it later, probably). I've seen the MRI scans - & they don't look pretty!
3 days in hospital &6 weeks recovery??!! Today I feel fine & nearly ok... decisions....
Spinal surgery scares me...... but.........

ANyway, opinions & exeriences wanted! I know we have a couple of members that have done battle with the NHS!

Cheers

Ian

 

[lacroupade]

I have exactly the same problem....I'm 6'3" and my two lower discs are completely fecked, so badly that at one point my back muscles were going into spasm so chronically that I eventually drove my car off the road during one episode because I couldn't make my legs work.....but I was lucky enough to go to one of the country's top specialists courtesy of my corporate private medical cover....and it made for an interesting chain of events.

Firstly he tried hydrotherapy (from the outset he made it clear that fusing the spine is the least desirable and most risky option)....but after six months of regular treatment in a special pol with a personal physio - nothing! I then did gym plus normal physio but still remained half crippled.

But then one day I decided to tackle a major job that I had been putting off; busting up a large area of concrete to make way for an extension .....I must have been mental cos it took three days and filled two and a half skips and I broke and moved the lot myself - so probably 8-10 tons of concrete...but after it was done, I was leaping about like a bloody gazelle!

The consultant later explained to me that the muscle structure of the back is so complex that its the second least understood part of the body after the brain apparently. Also he told me that the days of being sent home to lay flat were dead and gone....exercise is apparently the new therapy and the same complex muscle structure is highly capable of rearranging itself in terms of how the individual muscles interract with each other to improve support in problem areas.....in my case it just happened that it needed a pretty extreme form of exercise to do the job.

Since then - 15 years ago - apart from the odd bit of discomfort, that seems to emanate from the hip are but probably doesn't, if I sit around for too long in the same position (which is why I got cruise installed in the truck and have used it ever since on all my vehicles) I have had no problem whatsoever.

I'm not suggesting you go quite so mad but its worth discussing, as well as making sure your consultant is a good one!

Good luck, I know how bad it can be until its fixed.:thumb2

 

[Deleted account DD]

Been in twice for just the same. Got injured at work plus years of abuse and was off for ages. Still suffer now.

Its well worth the discomfort though but there are risks. Dont be shy to ask the surgeon what their success rate is :thumb2

If the "work" is going to go into the spinal nerve canal area (below l3 & 4 on into the pelvic area) as well as the "discs" check up on whether your local hospital uses a neurologist or an orthopedic surgeon.

That reflects pauls make sure theyre good comment.

If youve had long term problems there may also be scar tissue present.

Sounds horrible but trust me, well worth the effort :thumb2

If you want any more info feel free to pm.

Whatever, god luck

 

[Terranical]

Had the same problem for probably 15 years or more - regular trips to the doc just resulted in ever stronger pain killers - now they're saying I've been on these strong NSAIDs too long and I've got to come off them, no offer of any alternative! Because I'm 66 & retired I think the medical profession regards people like me as not worth bothering about - I've done my 50 years of work, so what do I need to be active for? Cynical? You betcha!

 

[solarman216]

I have exactly the same problem....I'm 6'3" and my two lower discs are completely fecked, so badly that at one point my back muscles were going into spasm so chronically that I eventually drove my car off the road during one episode because I couldn't make my legs work.....but I was lucky enough to go to one of the country's top specialists courtesy of my corporate private medical cover....and it made for an interesting chain of events.

Firstly he tried hydrotherapy (from the outset he made it clear that fusing the spine is the least desirable and most risky option)....but after six months of regular treatment in a special pol with a personal physio - nothing! I then did gym plus normal physio but still remained half crippled.

But then one day I decided to tackle a major job that I had been putting off; busting up a large area of concrete to make way for an extension .....I must have been mental cos it took three days and filled two and a half skips and I broke and moved the lot myself - so probably 8-10 tons of concrete...but after it was done, I was leaping about like a bloody gazelle!

The consultant later explained to me that the muscle structure of the back is so complex that its the second least understood part of the body after the brain apparently. Also he told me that the days of being sent home to lay flat were dead and gone....exercise is apparently the new therapy and the same complex muscle structure is highly capable of rearranging itself in terms of how the individual muscles interract with each other to improve support in problem areas.....in my case it just happened that it needed a pretty extreme form of exercise to do the job.

Since then - 15 years ago - apart from the odd bit of discomfort, that seems to emanate from the hip are but probably doesn't, if I sit around for too long in the same position (which is why I got cruise installed in the truck and have used it ever since on all my vehicles) I have had no problem whatsoever.

I'm not suggesting you go quite so mad but its worth discussing, as well as making sure your consultant is a good one!

Good luck, I know how bad it can be until its fixed.:thumb2

Totally agree with the above I had 18 months virtually on my back, finally got to see the local supposed top guy, he told me if I continued working at all I would not walk again, gave me some flat on the floor exercises to do, week later I felt I was worse so went to work, the job was slab laying, so I stuck a 50 Kg bag of dust on my shoulder and ran, yes ran up and down three flights of concrete garden steps, I thought kill or cure, well it did not kill me, but it did not make it worse either, then I met a NHS phisio girl (Liz) two weeks and I was sorted, while the hospital wanted to Fuse my spine, that was 12 plus years ago and now I have a better idea how to look after my back due entirely to Liz, and I have very little problem at all, Rick

 

[makeitfit]

I fit kitchens most of the time and always shifting 4 metre worktops and getting into awkward spaces. back plays up from time to time but the underlying injury persists. Best cure for me IS as Mr Luvgluv says, is keep working:thumbs
Try and get fit especially stomach musslesthey act like a girdle:sly
My plumber friend had two discs scraped out and welded together, recovery was much quicker than he was told mainly because he was quite fit:thumbs
Get it done mate and take time to recover properly before you go back to work, good luck

 

[MudLifeCrisis]

Back problems

Quite the opposite for me I'm afraid.

Waiting for a hernia opp at the moment and in fecking agony at times.

Had my pre op a few weeks back and was told it could be up to 12 weeks before my op ;O(

Brian

 

[makeitfit]

What hernia you going for? I had the one near your nuts
Got the sugeon to do the industrial version while he was at it. Some sort of gauze stuff similar to astro turf:lol Worked for me:thumb2

 

[Ian Hunt]

Thank you all for your experiences and advice.
As much as spinal surgery scares me, I think I'm going to have to go with it. I can't hobble round for the rest of my life if there's a chance of sorting it out.

 

[11redrex]

gotta say I agree totally with the "working it off" cure. I got crushed on a building site 11 years ago and dislocated one of my hips, ended up with a sacro iliat injury (or something like that) . Had all sorts of physio which didn't work, but the day before going to see the insurance company's doctor, I decided to concrete my back yard. I could barely walk by the time I'd finished shovelling 3 tonnes of concrete through a mixer and then spreading it across the yard. Anyway, woke up in the morning right as rain, never felt better !
And I really had to put it on at the doctors.:augie
Since then it's got worse and I have a bloke come round once a month who puts everything back where it's supposed to be. He uses a hot water bottle before and a bag of frozen peas afterwards.
He's advertised it as Swedish massage but I was expecting more 6 foot blondes and steam to be honest.

 

[Deleted account DD]

Do not go for the kill or cure aproach if you have a back condition unless you are either a very very lucky individual, had professional advice or understand and know more than your average physio. I would suggest if Ian has suffered since his teens ie 20 plus years and theyre looking at operating its beyond a bit of stretching.

Problem is before you get professional opinion you have little idea what stage youre at.

Try out the macho approach by slinging a brick filled bergen or sack of shit on your back and cure may come on by good luck and coincidence. The kill is just a probable and is far worse.

Its fine having marvellous cardio vascular capacity and toned muscles but when they tell you the last ditch chance to get you back on your feet is an op because youve been stupid its tough.

Trust me.