Anyone have experience with bulging discs?

[MedicStudentAmy]

Hi everyone! I'm new here. ::waves:: As you can see by my username, I'm in medic school. I'm on hiatus right now due to injury. :angry: Anywho....I was having a lot of back pain, so to be safe, my doctor did MRIs considering I was very athletic as a child/teen/young adult and I still do gymnastics. He wanted to rule out a herniation or stuff like that. Well....wouldn't you know....L4 and L5 discs showed up as bulging as well as me having degenerative disc disease. Soooo....What I'm asking is, does anyone have experience with these issues? If you don't mind saying, how old are you? Are you still working as a Paramedic/EMT? How long have you been a Paramedic/EMT? What medications are you on? What type of treatment have you done? I haven't seen the neurosurgeon yet, but I just want to get some personal stories so I can see what type of experiences everyone has had. Thanks!!!! If you'd rather PM me, that's fine too.

 

[alphatrauma]

I haven't seen the neurosurgeon yet...

Good!

Surgery should be your VERY LAST option, and only if you are having SEVERE neurological symptoms (ie. muscle weakness, foot drop, etc.)... and I am quoting a physician that I work very closely with, as well as my own primary care physician. I have the occasional lightning bolt tearing through my butt cheek, as well as numbness, tingling and burning down my leg. As of now, it's more annoying than anything else. Never had an MRI done... but with my symptoms, I don't need one to tell me what I already know.

If you can walk, go up and down stairs, get in and out of a car, and do the horizontal mambo... there is no need to have someone carving up your back. Considering you were a gymnast, I will assume that you are accustomed to living with/tolerating a reasonable amount of discomfort on a regular basis. Stay in shape, use proper lifting techniques, rest when needed, and judicious use of an anti-inflammatory with the occasional muscle relaxer. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stay away from narcotics (that includes the vicodin in grandmas medicine cabinet).

In my experience, the few people I know (and the many patients I've treated) who have had back surgeries to correct disc issues, mostly ended up on chronic pain management (read: narcotic addiction), and permanent disability. Of course, as with anything in life, your mileage will vary

Pain/discomfort is subjective, and only you can determine what you can live with on a daily basis. Try to exhaust ALL non-invasive options before going under the knife... chiropractor, massage therapy, physical therapy, etc. Once you hit the OR suite, there is no turning back.

 

[MedicStudentAmy]

Surgery will DEFINITELY my last option. I'm pretty tough and can deal with more pain than most people. My dr. sent me to the neuro to get me started on PT and stuff like that. MY appointment is August 26, so I'll see what they say then.

 

[alphatrauma]

Surgery will DEFINITELY my last option. I'm pretty tough and can deal with more pain than most people. My dr. sent me to the neuro to get me started on PT and stuff like that. MY appointment is August 26, so I'll see what they say then.

Excellent!

Keep your options open, and always get a second opinion... surgeons get paid, whether you have a positive outcome or not.

 

[MedicStudentAmy]

I definitely will! Thanks! I'm in pain daily, so I'll probably ask about cortisone (which I know is NOT a pain reliever!) to see if the inflammation is causing the pain. My chiro said I always have a lot of inflammation. I have built up a wonderful tolerance to Advil and Aleve, so I will see what they say.

 

[Bryan]

Hmmm physical and massage therapy will really help in these kind of scenario i have personally experience this last year physical therapy is more helpful......

 

[mycrofft]

Don't accept medical advice here, see your doctor.

WHat we have to say may be confidently worded, but we don't know you.
Suffice to say, get out of a lifting field of work if yo have a bad back. Besides, most jobs with good benefits and pay do not involve heavy manual labor.

 

[DV_EMT]

My pop has a lot of back issues... biggest advice I can give you is find a great doctor. Do your homework and see which specialist is going to give you the right treatment, not necessarily the best treatment. When I say that, I mean If your car has a flat tire, it doesnt mean that you need to go all out with 4 new tires, 22" chrome spinners, and some hydraulics.

 

[Aidey]

This thread is over a year old.

 

[DV_EMT]

lol.... didn't see it was a resurrected thread. my bad