OP, I admire you for wanting to serve your country, with the ROTC and probably subsequent tour of duty in the military. However, considering how much trouble you are having physically at such a young age, I think it would be smart for you to consider other ways you can serve your country. Take a look at www.usajobs.com and look at the many government agencies that need intelligent, dedicated people. That includes the State Department, FBI, CIA, and of course Department of Defense needs a lot of civilians too, not just active duty military. Good luck and keep us posted!
The DR said he thinks my pain was coming from the facet joint rather than from my disk pain. He gave me two cortisone patches Friday morning. That day I was miserable and in lots of pain, which I read can sometimes happen with these shots. I took ibuprofen throughout the day and used ice on and off. Saturday was much better, it was more tender than anything. Today so far it feels good. He said it would probably take 3 days to start kicking in. I’m hoping this helps for awhile because I do not want to go through those shots again.
I am sorry to hear you are going through this at such a young age. I Am 64 and have L5 disc pain. Sometimes it is really hard to deal with. I havehad tractionand Physical therapy and it did help some. Now I live on pain killers.
I had to change my riding to a Western sidesaddle. My back stays straight like I am sitting in a chair. I do not dare ride like I used to.
I used to get rescue case horses and retrain them to be good saddle horses. But I can’t do that now. One bad fall and I will be out of business.
So I can’t ake that chance now.
There must be a good Dr. who can help you. You are too young to be going through what we old folks have to deal with.
I do wish you the best in getting this resolved.
Kindest regards,
sadlmakr
[QUOTE=Milocalwinnings;5485681]
I was just diagnosed with having 2 bulging disks (L4/L5 and L5/S1) in my lumbar area. Initially I was told that they were pretty severely bulging but upon evaluation by a neurosurgeon he said the MRI didn’t show anything nearly as bad as I was originally told. Said that my MRI shouldn’t look that bad since I’m only 19 years old but that he would have expected to see much worse after reading the MRI report. Neurosurgeon was listed as one of the top surgeons in 2007 and 2010 so I trust his opinion.
Flare-ups cause intense pain, some soreness a couple days after and then after that I feel fine. Unfortunately I’m in ROTC which involves carrying heavy rucksacks and people, and I work at a barn which obviously involves daily lifting of haybales, grain sacks, manure, etc. Dr said that at 19 years old he’s not going to tell me to stop my life and be a couch potato. He said that it will most likely get worse over the years and eventually there is a chance that the disks may rupture which could require surgery, but that right now I can continue to work and do ROTC as long as I take precautions and understand the risks of doing so. ROTC is the most important thing I have right now. It’s my life. My job is my second most important thing I have. I’m considering giving up riding because I’m afraid that if I fall off I will risk further damaging my back and since riding is not one of my priorities, its something I’m willing to give up if it means I can continue with the other two. My horse is 18 and I wouldn’t feel bad for retiring him.
So does anyone have bulging disks and if so what kind of precautions do you take for farm work and riding?[/QUOTE]
Your story could just about be mine! Same age, same area in spine. My injury was 2 1/2yrs ago now, done at work cleaning stables (the result of many microtraumas and my back suddenly going, NO MORE!)
Work put me through rehab for well over a year, trying just about everything - treatments, PT, pilates. I had the most relief from massage, occasionally a small chiro adjustment but treating the soft tissue stopped me compensating for the general aching and radiating pain. It stabilised after around 12 months, and since then I have had the occasional flare up which I can manage with a hot epsom salt bath, magnesium tablets to help relax the muscles, and a day in bed - then I’m ready to go again.
I do wear a back brace if lifting anything heavy, cleaning stables etc, but only for short periods.
Work did stop me riding for 4 months and it was the worst thing they could have done as I went dramatically backwards despite intense rehab.
So how do I manage it?
-lots of dressage riding, long stirrups, correct technique - this does more for my core muscles than clinical pilates ever did
-taking magnesium when I’m getting a bit tense
-regular massage to deal with any spasm/tightness from compensation
-avoiding bending and twisting as much as possible
I can’t take anti inflammatories as I have a sensitive stomach, so on a bad day I can basically knock myself out with magnesium, chamomile tea and valerian to stop my muscles locking up after stirring them up.
I do think chiro treatments CAN help sometimes, but not on their own - if the muscles are screwed, your body will go straight back to the bad alignment after treatment. Correct the muscles and half the time the body will keep correcting itself - the more that happens, the less pain you will get from the bulges.
If riding is a bit tricky, make sure you have a comfortable saddle that fits you well, put a fluffy cover on it and ride with a back brace on loosely until your back is stable enough to manage without. Dressage is the best physio in the world 
Have you had an MRI??
I had a bulging L4–diagnosed with an MRI, and tried every possible treatment: PT, caudal epidural injections (up the tailbone), more PT, massage, injection at the site, etc. My ortho, PT and neurosurgeon met with me and we decided that a laminectomy would be my best option. It was a simple surgery, took under an hour, and I walked out of the surgery center that morning. While not pain free immediately (too much residual inflammation), the nerve pain was GONE.
So, do exhaust all options before surgery, as it does not work for everyone. Injections do help. Massage is a wonder, but if the nerve is being pinched/compromised, nothing is going to relieve that but removing that which is hitting it.
Good luck. It will get better.
Check all your options, before even thinking about surgery.
I’ve talked to many people after back surgery and it didn’t work. some were even worse then before the surgery.
Injections have a higher rate of success and is less invasive.
[QUOTE=Calvincrowe;5866357]
Have you had an MRI??
So, do exhaust all options before surgery, as it does not work for everyone. Injections do help. Massage is a wonder, but if the nerve is being pinched/compromised, nothing is going to relieve that but removing that which is hitting it.
Good luck. It will get better.[/QUOTE]
If you give yourself time, the nerves will eventually grow around the bulging disc and decrease the pain for some people.
I had two herniated discs and went to three different doctors.
One wanted to operate immediately, one wanted to stick needles in me, to check my neuro status. The third doc told me to rest and allow my back to heal.
I opted for the rest and heal. It took a good nine months, but my back healed and I’ve been well for about 20 yrs.
I just had surgery to repair a herniated disk in my neck but I have also had bulging disks in my back. Im only 29 and started having back and neck problems at 20. Like you, my neourosugeon told me to not quit what I loved with the precaution that at some point I would have to have surgery. My advice to you is to listen to your body and give it rest when it is telling you to quit something. Watch the heavy lifting and lift with your legs. If you start to get nerve symptoms like tinkly king, numbness or weakness see the surgeon again. I had a very numb left hand that was getting worse and worse, I continued to ride. After an additional MRI it turns out that the disk was significantly into my spinal cord. I was told to immediately stop riding and put on disability until I could have surgery at the end of the week. The disk was so bad that the surgeon was worried that if I did something stupid like trip and fall I would be paralyzed.
Just remember, you only have 1 body, be kind to it
I had a herniated disk back in May. It was not your typical lower discs, but up higher. I think my back was trying to tell me something way before I finally did myself in by just sneezing, which knocked me to the ground. I was in agony, and had to finally take Loracet. I agree with Chaotic Chloe, don’t do surgery unless you have to. I went to a specialist who thought rest and careful pt would work. It did and the only residual issue I have is there is numbness from my hip down to my knee. I am used to it now, but it is a weird sensation. The doctor said the disc compressed the nerve so much, that it would take possibly a year to recover. I am 48 and always considered myself super fit. It was a blow to me that I could not pick up where I left off for a while. I do a lot of lower back work, and am very careful how I lift and move. I am riding again with no issues. I feel I have learned a lot from this, and take nothing for granted. Good luck, I know what it felt like to be in such pain.
Low back pain that is characterized by pain in the L4, L5, S1 region means that you need to have your psoas muscle lengthened. The psoas muscle attaches from the lumbar area (i.e., L4, L5, S1) to the upper thigh region. Few people know about the effect of the psoas muscle on low back pain. And fewer people know how to lengthen the psoas when it becomes contracted. The best method is through Active Isolated Stretching therapy (also known as AIS).
[QUOTE=Voldemare;5485772]
I was thrown from a horse at age 12 and ended up with 3 ruptured disks (L3, 4, 5) That summer I was bedridden. I eventually resumed normal activities but my lower back lacks mobility. Every 10 years I’d have a major episode of excruciating sciatica & was hospitalized once for several days. Now I can tell when I “tweak” my back and start to get crooked & can stave off an episode. There is an interesting theory by Dr. John Sarno that lots of people have degenerative disk disease but not everyone suffers symptoms. I read his book (Healing Back Pain) and FWIW have not had any problems since. I have run 8 marathons, countless shorter races and triathlons, and ride horses at least 6 days a week without any back pain or sciatica.
I think there are lots of options for disks these days & would not do surgery unless as a last resort. Once you remove a disk you affect the rest of the spine. My opinion.
Good luck![/QUOTE]
I have to give a shout out to John Sarno’s book as well. I had back surgery that I did not recover well from. I read his book and in 6 weeks I went from wondering if I could go to work in the morning to riding horses. That was 16 years ago and I have not looked back!
Bulging discs commonly occur as the body ages and the intervertebral disc degenerates.While majority of people with bulging discs do not experience debilitating pain, there are a few cases when patients suffer severe and persistent low back pain caused by a bulging disc, which hinders their normal activities. The good thing is most cases of bulging discs do not require surgical treatment.To help reduce inflammation, your physician may recommend that you limit your activities and get some bed rest.Physical therapy for bulging disc is also one of the recommended ways of treatment.
All the posts are very informative. I hope all these are helpful for the herniated disk problem. Thanks to all…!!
I have bulging discs at C6/C7.
This “Pneu Neck” decompression device was assessed and recommended by my chiropractor:
http://www.overstock.com/Health-Beauty/Regular-sized-Pneu-Neck-Collar/6011903/product.html
There are other sources for this but the price here was significantly better.
It is helpful in conjunction with regular chiropractic adjustments and added laser therapy, but improvement is gradual and incremental over time, not instantaneous.
I injured my lower disks at age 30 picking up a jump standard. LOTS of pain for about ten years, but I still rode. There were times I wanted to ride and the pain was too bad, and I began to get mildly depressed. I had some pain type medicines, come chiro, some therapy…but nothing really worked.
Fast forward to last year…I turned 40… bent over to cut the strings from a bale of hay and severely ruptured one of the injured disks. I was immediately crippled…the pain was so intense I can’t even explain it. Went to the hospital…the disk had ruptured so badly as to be pressing on my spinal cord as well as my siatic. I can’t even relay the amount of pain I was in. Immediate emergency surgery…surgery was easy…recovery was LONG and dull. I listened to everything they said to do though…basically laid on my back drugged for about three months.
Today…I am so happy that I had the surgery that I wish the disk had ruptured earlier. I feel as if I wasted my entire 30’s being in needless pain. I ride now again every day. I still have some amounts of mild pain and stiffness, but I can totally live with it compared to the previous pain I had lived with for ten years and, obviously, the pain I had once it ruptured. As long as I keep moving, I am fine…only when I sit or stand for long periods of time does it begin stiffening up.
Sorry you had this happen, but my advice is to not fear the surgery if you need it. I wish I had insisted on it much earlier in my life. I had people tell me not to do the surgery and all sorts of bad things that could happen. Once I ruptured the disk so badly, there was no other option and I was begging for surgery because of the pain. I just feel as if I wasted ten good years of my life in hindsight.
I just saw the more recent posts on this thread. They are all very informative.
Overall, I am still doing much better than this past spring and mid-summer. This past semester I was working out 5 days a week. There were only a few really bad days. Ice helps a lot and there are a lot of nights where I end up sleeping on an ice pack. (Heat seems to make it worse). In general, I think working out helps me a lot, as long as I don’t over do things that agrivate it.
At the end of the semester, during finals week, it was really bad. I think the problem was that not only was I not working out, I was sitting down for 18+ hours a day at the library (on their hard as rock wooden chairs). To top it off, the day after finals ended I had to sit in my truck for 15 hours as I drove home. The last 3 hours of the trip I was literally in tears because it hurt so bad. I couldn’t stand up straight, it hurt while I was laying down, etc. Once I got home I loaded up on ibuprofen an ice. I really thought about going to the ER but I didn’t know what they could really do. Luckilly the next day it felt a good bit better… and since then I only have the occasional flare up.
Thanks for the encouragement / wise words. I hope those of you with back issues have relief too.
Four years ago I fractured L-1 obliterated L-2 fractured L-3 tipped L-4 and 5 to a right angle rotated them 45 degrees forward and everything above L-1 is tipped to the left a 1/2 inch. Had surgery to repair L-2 they left 1 and 3 alone.
Was never told that my spinal canal had been compramised. Didn’t know that till this past summer. was told that calcium will develop on the bulge on L-2 and will interfere with my spinal cord. That any muscle weakness or tingling in my lower abdoman, hips or legs repeatedly I have to report right away.
My chiro specializes in sports med and he is doing awsome with me. He is why I can function as well as I do as just standing up, getting out of a vehicle, getting out of bed can throw my back out and be in severe pain for days on end. I can not do PT as the lower back muscle turned to jello when accident happened. I can not really bend over or twist to much so I can not strengthen that back muscle back up. To top that off 18 yrs ago I had complete bowel obstruction surgery. All the disks and nerves in my back that are messed up also help to control bowel function.
After working full and part time for 25 plus years having a family a farm and horses I have resolved myself to reading, computer stuff, digital scrapbooking and some light gardening. Major ptsd and depresion but I fight through it and have survived.
Any type of back problem just sucks. I never ever had back trouble till my accident. Now I live with intense pain every day and every night.
[QUOTE=gdolapp;6069263]
…
My chiro specializes in sports med and he is doing awsome with me. He is why I can function as well as I do… [/QUOTE]
Mine too!!!
Keep at it, OP, there is a light at the tunnel.
