Herniated discs cervical

[ike29]

looking for feedback from people who have had problems bet there 5-6 , and 6-7 . just spoke to doctor and i have 2 herniated discs, pain was shooting down my arm, but has subsided, but the problem now is i have lost strength in my left tricep. was wondering if anyone had theis happen to them, and if so what action did they take to alleviate this problem. any feedback would be appreciated..
also if people had the surgery, i would like to hear who the rehab went.

 

[ike29]

help

 

[nuh_mizer]

I'm just getting over the same thing. It's been almost 6 months. Tell your doctor to give you prednisone. It helped me. Also, ask him about an epidural injection.

 

[akrama]

I had a bulging disk surgery a year and half ago. L5 disk. Before the surgery, I had pain in my right butt and my toes were numb. The surgery wasn't bad as they put me to sleep. However, the result was phenomenon. The pain is gone and the recovery is ongoing. However, squats were a little hard for a long time until I got on some good cycle.

With surgery, I would say it's worth it and the recovery will take over a year or so.

Good luck

 

[Zyglamail]

I'm just getting over the same thing. It's been almost 6 months. Tell your doctor to give you prednisone. It helped me. Also, ask him about an epidural injection.

No offense but I have to ask why prednisone, why any anti-inflamatories at all? Why is everyone trying to reduce inflamation when inflamation has been PROVEN to be ESSENTIAL in the healing process?

If you have herniated disks its likely not the problem, but a symptom of the problem, cutting you oepn and chipping disks etc is treating a symptom. Far too many people use pain as a gauge for health. If pain, or more accuratly lack of pain is an indication of weather or not you are injured then how come they can numb you up and proceed to chop you up, you dont feel pain so you muct be ok by your reasoning.

If your disks are bulging/herniated its likely do to laxity in the tendons/ligaments that supprt the spine and that is the actual problem, the disk issues are a symptom of that problem. Taking anti-inflamatories greatly reduce the bodies natural healing cascade and over time healing can actually be suspended, leaving you in a weakened state and prone to further injury.

 

[RLARG]

I had two discs, 5+6 operated on. They fused them and put 3 titanium plates in there. That was two years ago and I am 45 now. I lift heavy but know what I can and cannot do. The rule is if it is uncomfortable, don't do it. Your body will let you know.

 

[nuh_mizer]

No offense but I have to ask why prednisone, why any anti-inflamatories at all? Why is everyone trying to reduce inflamation when inflamation has been PROVEN to be ESSENTIAL in the healing process?

If you have herniated disks its likely not the problem, but a symptom of the problem, cutting you oepn and chipping disks etc is treating a symptom. Far too many people use pain as a gauge for health. If pain, or more accuratly lack of pain is an indication of weather or not you are injured then how come they can numb you up and proceed to chop you up, you dont feel pain so you muct be ok by your reasoning.

If your disks are bulging/herniated its likely do to laxity in the tendons/ligaments that supprt the spine and that is the actual problem, the disk issues are a symptom of that problem. Taking anti-inflamatories greatly reduce the bodies natural healing cascade and over time healing can actually be suspended, leaving you in a weakened state and prone to further injury.

After 5 months of suffering I asked my Dr to give me predisone and that has been the most effective treatment. Any pain is gone and my strength is rapidly returning. When the disc swells, it puts pressure on the nerves that run out of the cervical area at c5,6,7. As long as there is pressure on the nerves, he's going to go though what he's going through now. The only way to get rid of it is surgury or hard core anti-inflamitories.

 

[DocTodd]

Hey Zyg.......prolotherapy wont work here. If the disc actually herniated, which means the interior "jelly" of the disc is now outside the place where it should be, it can cause a chemical reaction which the body will react to by inflammation, which can cause chemical as well as mechanical irritation of the nerve roots.

Treatment....sure, oral prednisone can be taken, but a very small percentage of the prednisone will get to where it needs to be due to the digestive process. Worse is that you get all the side effects of the prednisone, which usually includes weight gain and lots of fluid retention. I do cervical epidurals and inject triamcinolone(another type of "prednisone") directly onto the nerve roots. I also recommend traction by a certified physical therapist if it is early enough. If the symptoms progress, then surgery is most likely what needs to be done if the herniation is mechanical and is touching the spinal cord or the C7 nerve root, which supplies the tricep. Bowel or bladder incontinence is also a direct line to surgery. Other treatments include nucleoplasty or disctrode, which removes some of the disc material by a needle. This is usually done in the back because herniated discs are more common there, but some guys with lots of experience will do the neck too.

Good luck.

T

 

[newpump]

Hey DocTodd - are you located on the East Coast? I've had "degenerated disk disease" for quite some time... I'd love to actually see a doc that has GOOD ADVICE FOR BODY BUILDERS!!!!

 

[Zyglamail]

Hey Zyg.......prolotherapy wont work here. If the disc actually herniated, which means the interior "jelly" of the disc is now outside the place where it should be, it can cause a chemical reaction which the body will react to by inflammation, which can cause chemical as well as mechanical irritation of the nerve roots.

Treatment....sure, oral prednisone can be taken, but a very small percentage of the prednisone will get to where it needs to be due to the digestive process. Worse is that you get all the side effects of the prednisone, which usually includes weight gain and lots of fluid retention. I do cervical epidurals and inject triamcinolone(another type of "prednisone") directly onto the nerve roots. I also recommend traction by a certified physical therapist if it is early enough. If the symptoms progress, then surgery is most likely what needs to be done if the herniation is mechanical and is touching the spinal cord or the C7 nerve root, which supplies the tricep. Bowel or bladder incontinence is also a direct line to surgery. Other treatments include nucleoplasty or disctrode, which removes some of the disc material by a needle. This is usually done in the back because herniated discs are more common there, but some guys with lots of experience will do the neck too.

Good luck.

T

Great info DocTodd, a question for you, what is the most reliable way to tell if a disc is herniated? Is there a way the injured person can tell the difference between a herniation, a bulg or simply strains/spraings? As a patient we often trust our docs to do whats best for us, but I have found that they often simply do what they know, the gen practitioner may simply tell you to take anti-inflamatories and take it easy, another may prescribe prednisone, another an MRI and surgery. Is there a way, as a patient, to tell just what has been done.

In other words, if I came into your office and said I hurt my low back, it was strange, it was a light workout day and I unracked the bar to do shrugs, got a sharp pain in my lower back and its benn there ever since. It has subsided a little and it stiffens up after having been standing still or sitting for a while. I get a sharp pain when I inhale deeply. I can feel the area that is sore when i stand and lift one knee off the gound. How can we as patients make a semi educated decision as to weather or not the Doc we are seeing is persueing the ritht avenue of treatment?