Herniated disc

[Will_m]

Haven’t gotten an MRI but have some tingling in my right foot and ring finger on my right hand. Not really any pain, but low back will be super stiff after sitting.

Very gradual onset and I can’t think of any particular even that caused it. Just trying to take time off from lifting and running but I’m not enjoying the downtime.

Anybody experience something similar and have a timeline of recovery?

 

[Ross]

6.5 yrs ago l5s1 severe extrusion and unbearable nerve pain. Discectomy performed resolved the nerve pain for the most. Good luck it sucks. Photo of the extrusion jelly you don’t want this.

 

[Coach Chris]

Haven’t gotten an MRI but have some tingling in my right foot and ring finger on my right hand. Not really any pain, but low back will be super stiff after sitting.

Very gradual onset and I can’t think of any particular even that caused it. Just trying to take time off from lifting and running but I’m not enjoying the downtime.

Anybody experience something similar and have a timeline of recovery?

Are you self diagnosing?

 

[Will_m]

Are you self diagnosing?

Of course I am. I’m on an Internet forum asking for medical advice.

 

[swavescatter]

Are you self diagnosing?

Not sure about you, but seeing an actual doctor without waiting 6+ months is pretty much impossible now. This is all we got...

 

[sierracharlie338]

Sounds like a possible pinched nerve to me. When I herniated my l4-l5 disc pain was immediate and intense. I had to leave the gym immediately. I’ve also had a pinched nerve that caused pain down to my foot when standing up. The two were very different.

 

[EdP]

Not sure about you, but seeing an actual doctor without waiting 6+ months is pretty much impossible now. This is all we got...

Around here, a rural area, the ortho practices have walk in service.

The tingling in the foot sounds like pressure on your sciatic nerve. Not necessarily from a bulged disk but could well be. I've had severe sciatica in each leg at different times over the last 3 years. Six months to recover each time. The most recent was from a bulged disk that healed itself. It takes an MRI to know what is going on and how to treat it. You need to go see an ortho. Don't waste time seeing your primary care doc, go straight to a spine specialist if you can. They can get you in for an MRI faster than your primary in many cases.

 

[5MilesBack]

I have three herniated discs in my neck, one in the middle of my back and another in my lumbar........that I know about. They don't ever get "better"........I just get more stubborn, obstinate, and intolerable.

 

[Mk44]

I suggest getting professional advice and a MRI.

 

[Coach Chris]

Of course I am. I’m on an Internet forum asking for medical advice.

I apologize for having the ignorance to ask a question and not making an assumption.
Good Journey to You

 

[TaperPin]

Maybe you have crappy circulation, diabetes, cancer, blood clots, blood cancer, MS, or ate fruit loops as a kid with petroleum based food coloring. I hear Kennedy has a doctor who can fix you up, and the active measles the dude had while “treating” kids for measles has cleared up, so he’s good to go.

That’s what chat GPT says anyway.

 

[Weldor]

Surgery is last resort, I had L5 S1 done in 2000, failed surgery. Do all you can ,therapy etc before talking to a cutter. 5milesback is right they don't heal, they just become a annoyance.

 

[DrBeetleKill]

I have a thoracic bulged disc. I had it for several years before finally going in for an mri just to confirm. During that time I was out for six months recovering from shoulder surgery. As soon as I started lifting again the pain and tightness came right back. As said before, I don’t see these healing up as long as you are active. I would say go get an MRI and start physical therapy.

 

[stank.243]

I had a large herniation in Oct and had a discectomy in January. I still have the numbness in my foot and calf but I’ll take that over the constant nerve pain I had. When mine ruptured I had 9/10 on the pain scale when I moved, couldn’t sit in a chair, couldn’t feel anything below my right knee.
Based on what you’ve said it doesn’t sound like a herniated disc to me but I’ve been wrong before!
I’d highly suggest the MRI and try some PT. My PT had great luck with using traction on other patients. Get after it asap if it’s causing disruptions to life! Best of luck!

A picture of mine for fun

 

[Elkhuntinfool78]

A good physical therapist is key, i have a total of 4 herniated discs in my back, 3 are lower lumbar and one thoracic.

When the first one went it was bad enough I couldn't stand up on my own let alone walk. Spent three days pulling myself around the floor like I was in the movie the revenant...lol

Been a long road and I imagine I will continue to have flare ups but once I got the right PT it has made a huge difference.

I even managed to pull off an Alaskan Moose hunt solo, probably not my smartest decision but I have no regrets.

Try to get a PT who is knowledgeable about Dr. Stuart Mcgill's back protocol

And as others have mentioned get in and get an mri, need to know exactly what you have going on

 

[gbflyer]

Could be wrong but I’m not sure how a herniated disc pushing on the nerve causing extreme pain/nerve damage is going to heal itself with PT. At least that’s what the surgeon told me in my case. The big needle shot under the fluoroscope that the insurance company wastes money on lasted about 12hrs…about how long it takes the hit of lidocaine to wear off.

 

[5MilesBack]

The big needle shot under the fluoroscope that the insurance company wastes money on lasted about 12hrs…about how long it takes the hit of lidocaine to wear off.

Yep. I've had a torn labrum in my right hip for almost 5 years now. But the pain from my lower back shooting down my leg is so constant that I assumed the pain in my hip was from that as well. I described the pains to the Dr doing my lower back injection and he said it sure sounded like a torn labrum, and ordered an MRI. Sure enough, the MRI shows a large tear. So had an injection in the hip as well. And as you say......neither injection helped with the pain........except from the Lidocaine. SMH

 

[Weldor]

Read up on how Europe takes care of back injurys, seems like they have it down pat. They rarely do surgery. It was 7 years before I could feel my left leg. You just learn to deal with it.

 

[Elkhuntinfool78]

Could be wrong but I’m not sure how a herniated disc pushing on the nerve causing extreme pain/nerve damage is going to heal itself with PT. At least that’s what the surgeon told me in my case. The big needle shot under the fluoroscope that the insurance company wastes money on lasted about 12hrs…about how long it takes the hit of lidocaine to wear off.

If I hadn't been through it I would be skeptical also, and I'm not saying it would be that way for everyone but it would definitely be the first step I would take before considering surgery.

FWIW a herniated disc can reabsorb into the disc , not necessarily completely but definitely enough to take the pressure off the nerve.

The other thing that was a major help for me was using a inversion table. But I would not recommend that until you had an mri and received some guidance for how to use it. If done too aggressively it can cause more harm than good.

 

[Weldor]

I was put on a NASA stretching table, tore it up worse than the surgery. Not a fan of Doc's trying new things. Just my humble opinion. After 25 years of people trying to fix it, I have been better off just exerciseing as much as possible, walk, and carry light loads only. Gabapentin works for me. DMSO is great too.