Paola, i feel for you, i have been there. Be careful what exercises your physio makes you do. Push for the mri scan as you will not know the exact problem until then, add me on facebook if you want to talk about it or need any advice whatsoever as i have the greatest sympathy for anyone that has back problems or leg pain. i was at rock bottom, and i am happy to help. search Thomas Moloney in. i hope you get well soon.

I had a phonecall off my surgeons secretary today saying they can fit me in for surgery next tuesday, and if i dont have it then there is a possibility of a long wait. (i am being treated by the NHS as im from england) My pain got to the debilitating stage quite a while ago. I ly in bed most of the day and time drags like hell. i was relying on my next epidural just to keep me going but the surgeon said any more than 1 makes it harder to operate. i have decided to go with the surgery as i feel as though i could be losing some of the best years of my life if i carried on without the operation and waited for it to heal on its own, with the possibility of re-injuring it again if it ever did heal. I’m very nervous as im being submitted into hospital on monday, with the operation the following day. I just pray to god it works! the surgeon tells me it wont get rid of much back pain but mainly the leg pain, which im willing to accept as most of my pain is in my left leg. my grandfather had this operation 20 years ago and my mom suffers with back pain too so im guessing its heredatory. quick question, how long was your recovery after surgery? my football team birmingham city that i have supported all my life, have got to there first major cup final since 1956. i have tickets for the game in a couple of weeks. im guessing thats COMPLETELY out of the question for me to go?

Im glad to hear you recovered well. its always nice to hear a happy ending

thanks again for your reply. its great to speak to someone whos been in a similar position to me. everyone i talk to with pain problems too or back pain i end up talking about different pain killers and all sorts forever…lol

My Dad took me to an orthopedic doctor in June who diagnosed it as a compressed disc. They didn’t have MRI’s back then, but he didn’t need one to see what the problem was. He prescribed a nerve block, which was just a shot of Novacaine into the affected area. That did absolutely nothing. Next, he put me in the hospital for 3 weeks of traction, where they had a harness that went around my hips with a weight on a pulley attached to the harness. I laid in bed in the hospital and eventually the pain subsided somewhat. (Can you imagine today’s hospitals and insurance companies allowing you to spend 3 weeks taking up bed?)

The muscle around my sciatic nerve was still very much in spasm so the doc took me to the operating room, knocked me out and proceeded to stretch my leg in every conceivable direction. I woke up and felt much better and could walk without limping. There was still some pain and the doc told me to get a pile of magazines and each day try to remove another magazine from the stack while bending over with my knees locked. The best I could do was to reach my knees.

I returned to campus and proceeded to try to enjoy a normal life. But running around, playing ball and doing fraternity pranks eventually caused the disc to blow out again. But this time it was so severe I was nearly paralyzed with pain.

My fraternity brothers took me to the infirmary where they took one look at me and referred me to an Orthopaedic Clinic. The doc there had me bend over and he took his hand, karate-chop fashion, and hit me firmly in the lower back. Hurt like the dickens. He said, “son, you’ve got a ruptured disc in your back and if I were you I would have it operated on.” I told him I was ready whenever he was. That was Friday, September 29, 1972. On October 3rd I had the surgery. I woke up and it felt like someone had a knee in my back. Ten days in the hospital and I had gone from a muscular 195 lbs in March to 158 lbs of bones and skin now. I went back to see the doc twice after that and in late November he told me he wanted me to start some light jogging and stretching. I did as he instructed and on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 1972 I touched my toes for the first time since March.

I am now 59 years old and still lift weights, run, and still play baseball in the Men’s Senior Baseball League. I am always aware of my back and take great care to work its muscles but I also protect its bones and discs from stupid movements. Life is good.

The reason I go into all of this for you is this: sometimes you can try the conservative treatments and they will work. Sometimes ruptured discs can resolve themselves and you can return to full activities without a problem. But sometimes they won’t. The conservative path is always the best path to try first. Once you have back surgery your back is never quite the same. I have to diligently keep the gut off and absolutely cannot sleep on my stomach or else my spine will start acting up. But in my case the pain had become so unbearable that it was time to ratchet the treatment up to the next level.

If you’re at the end of your rope and the pain is debilitating, consider having the surgery. If you can avoid it and heal up naturally, that will take significantly longer, but the end result will likely be better. Surgery is simply a means of attempting to fast-track the healing process that the body will undertake itself. You need to decide if you are at the end of your rope. Can you wait two years for the body to heal itself, while being basically unable to participate in the physical activities that you enjoy?

Take the example of a professional baseball pitcher who is facing shoulder problems. If he simply waits it out, the body will eventually heal itself and he will be alright. But while he is waiting, his career is ending. So he opts for the surgical route to get him back in the game quickly.

Best of luck. It is a hard decision for some, and an easier decision for others. The pain and frustration of inactivity and the prospect of an even longer wait may well lead you to “git ‘er done.”