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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 696
  
Location: Sunny California | I have a protruding disc at my L4. I've been having issues for about a year and a half. It causes my muscles in my back, hips, stomach and legs to ache (it feels like I've always worked out really hard). It's not a constant ache, but when I move my muscles hurt and it never goes away. I've been getting a massage every week for about 9 months which has made me feel about 80% better, but my back has siezed up twice in the last 5 months where I couldn't move. I went to a specialist and he recommended a cortisone injection. He said that I could get relief or it could not make any difference, but at any rate would not last. I don't know if I'm sold on the procedure or not, especially since I've heard that it really doesn't last. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks. |
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 Love Me Some Robert Redford
Posts: 2335
Location: WV | Someone I work with has many issues with her back/neck and just recently had some injections. She has had some relief with having this done. Could not say it works for everyone but it might be worth a try. Good luck |
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 Winner winner chicken dinner
Posts: 2047
Location: California | I had it done 3 years ago and am so grateful for it. It took me several months to feel 100% better after it, but once I fully healed I was good to go. I had 3 herniated discs in my lower back L4/L5 was one of them. I will say that my sister had a severely herniated disc in her lower back and the injection did not help her at all and she ended up having surgery. I was to the point where I had to do something because the quality of my life had diminished so greatly due to the constant pain. I think with any major physical issue, you have to let it heal and really recuperate before doing to much to soon. My specialist told me it would be between 3 to 6 months before I could return to normal activities. I ended up waiting longer and just really tried hard to get strong before I pushed it too much. Good luck back pain is no fun :-( |
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Veteran
Posts: 100
| I had a series of cortisone injections done in my lower back for a bulging disc several years ago. Until I had it done I was in agony and at times completely immobile from pain, after the last injection I have never had another ounce of pain. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1034
| My husband had 3 or four in L4/L5 over the course of a few years. It have him good relief, but he did eventually have to have a laminectomy. It was arthroscopic surgery to shave off the trouble spot. He says he should have just had the surgery years ago.
Good luck to you! I hope you find relief. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 696
Location: Sunny California | HorseMommyFiveO - 2014-11-08 8:29 PM
My husband had 3 or four in L4/L5 over the course of a few years. It have him good relief, but he did eventually have to have a laminectomy. It was arthroscopic surgery to shave off the trouble spot. He says he should have just had the surgery years ago.
Good luck to you! I hope you find relief.
The surgeon did mention that surgery, but at this point I don't feel like I'm that bad yet. Plus, my brother is disabled by 2 bad back surgeries, so it scares me. Thanks for the input! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1034
| pookey - 2014-11-08 11:29 PM
HorseMommyFiveO - 2014-11-08 8:29 PM
My husband had 3 or four in L4/L5 over the course of a few years. It have him good relief, but he did eventually have to have a laminectomy. It was arthroscopic surgery to shave off the trouble spot. He says he should have just had the surgery years ago.
Good luck to you! I hope you find relief.
The surgeon did mention that surgery, but at this point I don't feel like I'm that bad yet. Plus, my brother is disabled by 2 bad back surgeries, so it scares me. Thanks for the input!
That's terrible, I'm sorry!!! Was it a more invasive surgery?
Some reassurance for you if it comes to that - my husbands incision mark was about 1". No stitches. No pain. I could see the relief on his face in the recovery room. Before surgery, He had gotten to the point where the bulge was damaging his sciatic nerve and he lost circulation to his leg. The neurosurgeon told him in the ER (we were only in the ER because I forced him to go) we could either do an emergency laminectomy or a leg amputation. He still has numb spots on his calf and foot now 2 years later but the pain is gone. At a certain point, surgery can become the only option. Laminectomies are pretty minor, easy fixes in the realm of back surgeries. Don't be too scared! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 742
| Find a pain specialist in your area and first try several sets of cortisone shots and then move on to maybe a nerve deadening procedure if the shots work for over 6-8 months or even longer. I have had all of these things done to me and over 7 years I have not had to have any surgery...yet. My dad had the lower back surgery about 2 yrs ago and he is doing great from it. |
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Member
Posts: 41
Location: Texas | I had a herniated disk at L5...Did physical therapy and shots but they did not work...had surgery lady July and it was the best thing I did and would do it again. I started back riding some in December of last year and it has taken me awhile to get my strength and balance back. My doctor recommended the shots first since it was not as major as surgery and we were hoping that would work, but I never felt any relief. Hope you get relief from whatever you decide to do... |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 696
Location: Sunny California | Thanks for all of the responses everyone. I think I'm going to go ahead and try the shots and see if I get any relief. I still don't think I'm bad enough for surgery yet, so I want to try all of my options first. Thanks again! |
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