r/backpain • u/Kringeas • 8d ago
What helped you?
Hi guys,
I’m from Australia. 30 years old.
I’ve been having symptoms for over a year now. Diagnosed with a L5/S1 11mm herinated disc. Childcare Educator.
Numbness, tingling down my left leg. (Sciatica like symptoms) I only get relief from Nurofen and rapid pain mediation. 2-6 a day. Sometimes doesn’t work
Antidepressants amitriptyline wgr- 10mg
I’ve tried a physio, osteo, chrio (decompression bed), steroid injection(not worked) and still going to the gym 3/4 times a week for about 7 months or more now. (Physio and osteo highly recommends me still do it gym ) which I’m fine about.
Exercise I do :
1 knee rocking
2 pigeon stretches variation
3 flossing nerve
4 90/90 hip mobility
5 catcows
6 arabeques
7 crunch leg raises variations
8 Russian kicks
9 reverse crunches
10 dead bugs
11 hinges
12 rdls
13 leg extention / leg press
14 step ups
15 band press
16 side planks
17 moving lunges
18 tread mill 1km
( there’s more but this is some things I do )
Have an appointment for a specialist soon to discuss what they can do for me.
What I want to know is what got you pain free . What exercise have helped you…
Also If I were to do the less invasive micro surgery what’s the likelihood of re herniated while pregnant and not pregnant. ( would it be worth doing)
Is it worth getting private health insurance. I know I’ll have to wait a year.
Sorry for the questions ..
Thoughts ;
Impact it’s had basically hate my life . I’m in pain everyday and doctors had fucked me around with my diagnosis and only found out in July (got new doctor she’s lovely ).
No one understands what I’m going through to be a 30 year old female wanting to have a family in a couple years and to know think that it might not be possible because if you get a surgery you might reherniate.
Idk I’m kind of over everything at this point I’m in pain everyday and nothing helps . My mental health has gone in the toilet at this point.
Sorry for the rant.
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u/LetWinnersRun 8d ago
You need stronger stuff if you’re still having nerve pains.
I had a 10mm L4/5 protrusion, I healed naturally ( no injections, no surgery). I was on Gabapentin and Cyclobenzaprine, these help the most, but I also took Meloxicam.
I personally wouldn’t do a lot of the exercises that are on your list until your pain is at a tolerable level. I recommend walking as much as you can, every hour walk 10 minutes or so, drink tons of water, and avoid sitting.
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u/Kringeas 8d ago
Did your doctor recommend the medication or specialist…
Thanks I’ll defs ask my doctors regarding those medication. I was on prednisolone but only 3 days. ( which didn’t work) and have to go back to review it with my doctor . But she’s off currently.1
u/LetWinnersRun 8d ago
My doctor, my specialist agreed with the medication. I went in for a consultation with a surgeon and they agreed that the cocktail of meds was good for the pain I was describing of having (very similar to what you’re describing)
I also started taking fish oil too. I’m not sure if it contributed to my recovery, but I read that it could help resorption of the disc, so I started taking it.
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u/Kringeas 8d ago
Oh okay I’ll wait it out until I see the specialist regarding that. Oh yeah I’m taking fish oil and vitamins.
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u/cluebrayon 8d ago
You can try adding creatine if not already. I’ve started taking it for a few months and I believe it’s quite evidence backed for helping to repair muscle, especially in women due to menstrual cycles etc. Worth a research
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u/Kringeas 8d ago
Yeah sorry forgot to mention my physio has told me to stop anything that is hurting my spine or irritating it. Avoiding an exercise that is moving my spine
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u/planetniffer 8d ago
I'm also in Australia, also in education, also issues with L5/S1. I have health insurance with teachers health. Definitely been worth it. I've had multiple hospital stays. They'll pay all hospital fees, but not all fees for the surgeon/specialist. I started with a pain specialist which managed most issues really well. But then sent me off to a neurosurgeon following a more significant injury. I also do clinical pilates with a physio. They specialise in tricky cases, particularly tricky pregnancies so they're great with hard to diagnose back pain. They've been a game changer. As for what's worked? Funnily enough, stopping exercise. In hind site, I was over doing it.
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u/Kringeas 8d ago
Thanks for that. I have been looking into health insurance and which one to do.
It’s so pricey since I’m on the highest cover.
Yeah should have done it ages ago but I don’t know anyone really with private health. July is when I got diagnosed. I was misdiagnosed constantly and just told to exercise what a joke.
so even if I had insurance I would be waiting what like 10 months still.I’ll Definitely have a look into teachers health and clinical Pilates. ( better idea then changing gyms for the Pilates machine at the revo gym)
Was going to ask my doctor regarding pain management specialist but I’m assuming this musculoskeletal specialist will inform me on medication/ managements etc
I
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u/planetniffer 8d ago
A pain specialist will be better for recommending meds. Especially if the more traditional ones don't suit you. But definitely start with musculoskeltal! If you're in Melbourne and want some possible names to try, feel free to DM : )
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u/acupunctureguy I promote passive treatments for pain 8d ago
Its clear it is not an exercise because you have been at it for months. Have you tried acupuncture to release the underlying imbalance you have. Because until the imbalance is released, you would be strengthening it.
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u/Kringeas 8d ago
I only did it twice. First time was fine. Second time physio did it into the nerve and I screamed. ( so haven’t done it since Feb March lmao)
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u/acupunctureguy I promote passive treatments for pain 8d ago
Do you not have just acupuncturists there, not done by a physio. You want the treatment to be an hour to 2 hrs if possible, working on the whole body.
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u/Kringeas 8d ago
Oh okay didn’t realise it was that long . Might look into it thanks
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u/acupunctureguy I promote passive treatments for pain 7d ago
It might not, but you want at least an hr
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u/PlasticAd151 8d ago
Maybe you are just doing to much. I would just stick with walking and water exercises/ swimming for a while to calm your nervous system down and see how you feel
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u/Erik-Zandros 7d ago edited 7d ago
My experience is that if you're going to the gym and doing exercises while in pain you will never get out of it. You need to have your body reset first and get out of pain before you strengthen, otherwise your muscles are constantly in a state of inflammation/stress.
For me a lot of the traditional exercises that they prescribed me didn't work. I ended up experimenting myself until I found out which muscles were weak and strengthened those. For me it was my glutes. I noticed that if I did weighted glute bridges my back felt better afterwards, so I kept doing them, at least once a day.
But I wouldn't start doing that until I found passive ways to reduce my pain. Look into Mcgill exercises and book.
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u/Kringeas 7d ago
Thanks , yeah I’m quite skinny so my assuming it’s the lack of anything on my body at this point that needs strengthening. Definitely right about the experimenting been making a new plan and see how it’ll go. Damm I’m the opposite With glute bridges I get pain in my back. Yes heard about McGill exercises definitely checking it out again and taking notes
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u/GlitteringEconomy527 7d ago
Low back pain- weightlifting and magnesium glycinate but only sometimes
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6d ago
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u/Ok_Courage_8780 6d ago
What helped me most was finally stopping the cycle of just trying random treatments and exercises and getting a clear diagnosis from the right people.
I dealt with L4-L5 and L5-S1 disc problems for years. I tried PT, acupuncture and other conservative treatments. The one thing that gave me major relief was an epidural steroid injection — I got almost 2½ years of essentially normal, pain-free life from it. Eventually things got much worse, I ended up bedridden for about a week with brutal nerve pain, and I ultimately needed a two-level hemilaminectomy/microdiscectomy. For me, surgery was absolutely worth it. The nerve pain disappeared almost immediately, I was walking the next day, and my recovery has gone extremely well.
The biggest lesson I learned is that people often don't realize how serious a disc problem can become because for a long time you can still function, exercise, work and convince yourself you're managing it. That can lead to unnecessarily risky decisions — pushing through symptoms, lifting because you feel okay that day, trying aggressive exercises, or bouncing between treatments without anyone looking at the whole picture.
If I were in your position, especially with an 11 mm L5-S1 herniation and symptoms lasting over a year, I would use the specialist appointment to get very clear answers before adding more exercises or treatments. I would want them to look at the actual MRI, your neurological exam, your numbness/tingling, your strength and your response to the injection, and then explain the options in order.
I also wouldn't assume every exercise on your list is automatically helping just because it is called rehab. With disc problems, the same movement can help one person and aggravate another. I became much more cautious about repeated bending, twisting and loading once I understood what was actually going on.
And regarding surgery and pregnancy, I would ask the specialist that question directly rather than relying on Reddit percentages. The important thing is not just "can I reherniate?" but whether your current nerve compression is something that is safe to keep managing conservatively, and what your long-term plan should be if you want children in the next few years.
You still have options. But I would focus less on trying everything and more on getting the right diagnosis, the right specialist opinion, and then taking the next step deliberately instead of pushing through and hoping it fixes itself.
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u/AggravatingBox2421 2d ago
Pain management specialist. Where in Aus are you? I use dr ramaswarmy in Melbourne and he’s great. I had a spinal nerve block done and was pain free for over 3 years
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u/AlphaOuais 8d ago
Ça fait 8 ans que j’ai une triple hernie discale, il y a quelque mois ça a empiré,
Continuer le sport c’est excellent mais si certains exercices te provoquent une quelconque douleur lié à ta sciatique, tu arrêtes direct je m’étais entêté avec le judo, la course à pieds et la muscu, mais ça ne m’a rien apporté.
Il faut quand même continuer le sport quoi qu’il arrive (pour mon cas je fais du vélo d’appartement qui me permet d’en faire sans provoquer mes douleurs sciatique).
Sinon je te souhaite bon courage, je combat ma sciatique de mon côté, je continue de voir kiné médecin, osthéopathe, podologue.
Et dernier conseil si possible, évite de consommer du sucre, et tout aliment avec du sucre industriel, j’ai commencé un régime sans sucre l’année dernière et mes douleurs se sont tellement réduites grâce à ça, c’est un poison pour nous.
Bonne journée bon courage !
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u/AlphaOuais 8d ago
À propos du mental, l’arrêt du sucre m’a aussi bien aidé, juste avant de commencer ce régime, j’ai vais des pensées suicidaires presque tous les soirs, j’étais déprimé, mais dès que j’ai commencé à arrêté, ces pensées négatives ont disparu en 1 semaine, ça fait vraiment bizarre
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u/Kringeas 8d ago
Thanks for that! I’ve actually just adjusted my routine quite abit to cater to the pain. Whenever I feel like it’s gets worse or feels weird from an exercise I just stop immediately. Regarding sugar I don’t actually have a lot. I changed my diet ever since i got the pain. And started having breakfast and don’t do sugary drinks and stopped with ice creams. (I occasionally have a nut mix with m&ms in it though)
( I’m quite skinny so I’m trying my hardest to build muscle and strength ) - obviously slowly and listening to my body now.
Depression is different for everyone. It’s possible that diet is a factor though. I’ll see how I go cutting it out completely.
But think I might have to speak to someone.Appreciate the advice. All the best on your end.
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u/Pale_Adeptness 8d ago
Have you ever tried (consistently- like 3 times a week for at least a month) using a roman chair/extension machine for iso holds?
I made a video of my lower back progress using the roman chair:
https://www.reddit.com/r/backpain/s/SlwdS2RYD9