Herniated L5? Docs, Check Out My MRI

[M.D. Holloway]

What do you think?

[nostatic]

make sure you don't put the bbq sauce on until *after* you cook them...

[Noah930]

This?

[red-beard]

You're a mess, Mike!

[JJ 911SC]

... That I got Arthritis on 3 & 5... Nothing that



wont fix . Of course with our new .05 law its always after I took Das Babe out.

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally Posted by Noah930

This?

Yup - sends a steady stream of pain down both butt checks to the back of my legs. It doesn't bother me too much while I sit but when I stand or walk it hurts like a sonofab*tch.

[Vipergrün]

Yep, bad news, have had two surgeries. Dunno, that one looks pretty bad.

[M.D. Holloway]

Feel like sleeping on my belly with a big pillow under me - take the pressure off and maybe it will pop back in....

[livi]

Sorry about that, Mike. Looks significant.

[Tobra]

Disclaimer-I am not now, and have never been a radiologist

Right behind it, look at how the nerve changes color where it is being impinged. I also looks lighter below that, it may be where it goes from being like a rope to like a horse's tail.

Get as comfortable as you can, maybe buy a truss or wear a weight lifting belt in the meantime

[911Freak]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Disclaimer-I am not now, and have never been a radiologist

Right behind it, look at how the nerve changes color where it is being impinged. I also looks lighter below that, it may be where it goes from being like a rope to like a horse's tail.

Get as comfortable as you can, maybe buy a truss or wear a weight lifting belt in the meantime

Good advice here

BTDT (L-4, L-5, S-1)

I didn't follow this advice (at first) and that little protrusion on each herniated disc chewed it's way into and up against the tissue surrounding my spinal cord

Micro-discotomy x 2 and there's still unrepairable damage. Stupid me thought I could work through that kind of pain, wrong!

Take care of your self now, it can get worse

A weight belt really helps me as does a tenz unit for the pain and spasms..

A traction belt or inversion table really helps when the nerves flare up.

Cortisone shots to the areas did absolutely nothing for me YMMV

I try not to sit for longer then an hour without getting up, stretching and taking walks.

Good luck Luby, Hope you get good treatment

[Lazarro]

hang upside down

[sc_rufctr]

What about surgery? Have you talked about that option with your doctor?
Risky... Yes but the payoff would be huge. You have to think long term.

It's easy to see the issue with L5 but the one above has me concerned.
I hope it's nothing but note how the white area is bulges inwards slightly.

I really hope it works out for the best.

[pavulon]

Be very concerned by anyone (surgeon, injection folks, chiropractor...) offereing guaranteed results.

Your problem won't be made better by chiropractic care.

If your symptoms have not improved in a week, get some help. If you get problems beyond your current level of pain (BIG pain, leg weakness, loss of bladder or bowel function/control), get to the ED ASAP.

Back problems stink. Try to be pleasant to folks taking care of you...you'll get much better care from folks showing you empathy.

Good luck!!

[M.D. Holloway]

I'm hoping to score a hot PT! I will have her do countless hours of Swedish Ball demos...

[dhoward]

Surgery risky? Yes, and the downside is HUGE. The percentage of success is low.

[gatotom]

The good thing about this view is that the bulging disc isn't pushing real hard on your spinal cord and that it still appears attached to your disc. So your disc is still somewhat plyable and may have some recovery movement in there.

See how the white stuff, spinal cord is nice thickness until L5, its slightly compromised at L4 but mostly due to the ice pick at L5, there is also compromise at S1. L5 is the bad boy.

An inversion table might do the trick, since I am a Chiropractor I am not up on all the latest and greatest techniques of the medical community but they do have continual new procedures that are minimal invasive, so the chances of acceptable recovery is increasing every yr.

If you walked into my clinic, I would adjust you of varying degrees of force and as long as progress was made to the good, I would continue. I would expect to see you for at least 2-3 weeks of care and if any reversal in progress, the Ortho would get the next crack on you. In my 28 yrs doing this I have had many referrals from Ortho's and most have never gone back for the knife.

Good Luck.

[Don Plumley]

My wife had exactly the same situation. Disc was extruded after a coughing fit, after one week she started to have foot drop which indicated nerve issues developing. Pain was significant, affecting quality of life.

Microdiscectomy with a spine-only specialist (lots of Ortho's say they can do this) solved the problem and she has been 100% for a decade.

Microdiscectomy is a much improved procedure than gruesome back surgery of decades past. Incision is about 1.5", minimal muscle displacement and very rapid recovery. My wife was walking in hours, flexible brace removed in weeks and at full activity within three months.

[GeorgeK]

OK, basics first:
One can NOT make a diagnosis on a single image.
We need more images, a history of your back (previous pain, surgeries, trauma),a clinical status and the axial images.
Then, No one will operate an image. I have seen people with worse images and no pain. Muscle spasm and inflammatory vertebra changes will cause the same pain, and the treatment is very different.
Finally, anyone would be crazy to give a diagnosis on internet browser quality images. We need a dedicated server, a dedicated screen (20K+ $).

Oh a radiology degree might help too... There' a reason even neurosurgeons come to me for diagnosis...

And to comment on above remarks, there is NO spinal cord at that level, the aspect change under the circled disc means nothing, and well indicated surgery has excellent results.

[sammyg2]

I had a laminectomy L5 to S1 about 25 years ago. Not fun. That kind of surgery is a last resort. I've heard they've come a long way since then.

Chiropractors are NOT the answer to a disc problem IMO.
You might wanna look into one of those gravity thingies where you hang upsdide down. Can't hurt and I know people who swear by them. No personal experience tho.

Take a really, really good look at your sleep posture.
When sleeping on your side, does your back have any twist to it?
If your muscles are in tension during sleep they will never get time to relax, the damage will never get time to heal, it will get worse instead of better.
Changing my sleep posture habits made all the difference in the world.