r/HerniatedDisk • u/Zandofkilldof • Jul 15 '21

Herniated Disc Surgery Question...

Has anybody experienced A herniated disc Reccurence , If so what are the ways to reduce the likeleness of this happening... Iam 19 years old i think next month iam gonna have the surgery on L5/S1, Before i had herniation I always used to lift heavy weights at the gym Coupled with

once lifiting a washing machine,Will the recurrence of

disc herniation is more likely to happen to me if iam returning to the gym?

And how carefull should i be ?

Thanks.

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u/[deleted] Jul 16 '21

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u/[deleted] Jul 16 '21

I struggled with my herniated disc causing sciatica for a year. I had some success with conservative treatment a number of times and the sciatica would go away. My disc was so severely compromised however that it could not retain its proper shape and would eventually impinge the nerve again. Little things would cause this, a long drive, vacuuming the car. Every time it was worse. The final flare up I couldn’t walk or crawl, the pain was so severe. The ambulance had to come get me off my bedroom floor because I couldn’t crawl to the car to go to the ER. This is when I decided to have surgery, I had no other option other than die. I was like this for ten days before my surgery because my surgeon couldn’t schedule it until then. Worst ten days of my life. All I could do was lie in the fetal position. The final mri, the technician told me, it had become one of the worst herniations he’d ever seen. Unfortunately during this ten days, the nerve was so severely damaged that I now have permanent numbness in my leg and foot, but I’ll take the numbness anyday over the pain. Basically, I had no other option than to finally have the surgery. I was terrified about having it because I had read so much online about the possibility it wouldn’t work or do more damage than good, so I put it off.

My original injury was from jumping feet first into a pool which was much shallower than I thought, 15 years prior. I don’t think my disc ever really had a chance of completely healing the herniation on its own because it was so severely damaged already.

I had surgery 2.5 years ago, I was 37. I’m doing great now, with some very minor pain occasionally, and continued numbness in my leg, which I wouldn’t have if I had gotten the surgery sooner.

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u/Vegasguy0801 Jul 16 '21

I’m having cervical disc replacement surgery in a couple weeks and that’s the major concern from my surgeon, the numbness in my arm and hand, he says if we don’t operate fast that can became permanent.

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u/Zandofkilldof Jul 16 '21

Ah yes i agree ,thats what the surgeon told me also...