• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Back surgery

cr2000xj

NAXJA Forum User
I know this is off topic, but does anyone else on here have trouble with their back? I recently found out I have a severe ruptured disk between S1 and L5 as well as a bulging disk between L5 and L4. I am having surgery next week to hopefully help the rupture (a diskectomy). Has anyone else had this procedure and will I be able to get back to wrenching anytime soon? I'm pretty nervous and don't really know what to expect as far as recovery time and whatnot. I am going to school full time this semester as well so I hope I can keep the pain meds to a minimum so I can actually pass my classes.

Sorry for the rambling, its just been heavy on my mind lately.
 
Nothing like what you're going through just occasional muscle spasm's that have me laid out for a while. I wouldn't push it on the wrenching as you don't want to injure your back again. Pain meds shouldn't cause you to much problem with your classes unless you keep yourself doped all the time so just take it easy on them and you'll be able to get by.
 
dang that sucks. my dad had 3 back surgerys and even a pain management box and still nothing fixed. hes supposed to have the box taken out the 25th. take care of it as much as possible. my dad is stubborn, well you can guess he still does stuff on his own. hope all is better for you.
 
Yea I've been having trouble with my left leg going numb below the knee and feeling like it is on fire on my hamstring for too long it is worth the recovery I am thinking

I just wish I could have made it a little longer than 21 years old before dealing with this
 
I had the same thing 4 years ago and still going strong with only minor muscle pain after surgery, my S1-L5 and L5 -L4 were both ruptured talk about some serious pain. I had a great doctor and super physical therapist and never had to take pain pills:(. My doctor said this is only a repair and if I do something stupid I will be back under the knife. Good luck and everything will workout, I just needed to alter my life style a little.
 
dang man... hope all is good. I seen your xj at the shelby center this past week.

we need to meet up and talk jeeps again.
 
dang that sucks. my dad had 3 back surgerys and even a pain management box and still nothing fixed. hes supposed to have the box taken out the 25th. take care of it as much as possible. my dad is stubborn, well you can guess he still does stuff on his own. hope all is better for you.

The "box" sounds like a Spinal Cord Stimulator. This is kind of an end of the road attempt at pain control. Usually they'll to a trial to see if it is effective prior to implanting the stimulator under your skin. I hope this isn't a choice for a 21 yr old with first back surgery.
 
The "box" sounds like a Spinal Cord Stimulator. This is kind of an end of the road attempt at pain control. Usually they'll to a trial to see if it is effective prior to implanting the stimulator under your skin. I hope this isn't a choice for a 21 yr old with first back surgery.

dang that sucks. my dad had 3 back surgerys and even a pain management box and still nothing fixed. hes supposed to have the box taken out the 25th. take care of it as much as possible. my dad is stubborn, well you can guess he still does stuff on his own. hope all is better for you.
 
I had the same thing 4 years ago and still going strong with only minor muscle pain after surgery, my S1-L5 and L5 -L4 were both ruptured talk about some serious pain. I had a great doctor and super physical therapist and never had to take pain pills:(. My doctor said this is only a repair and if I do something stupid I will be back under the knife. Good luck and everything will workout, I just needed to alter my life style a little.

I would be a physical therapist, worked at The SpineCare Center for 9 years. Wondering what procedure was done? sounds very effective. But understand, surgery is to resolve the immediate emergent problem. It is not a CURE for low back pain. At 21 yrs old, it is vitally important the you get a good education in Lumbar Spine mechanics, body mechanics, and the "care and feeding" of a lumbar spine. I've got a Spondylolisthesis...big word that means my L3 vertebrae is broken in half, front half and back half. Happened 17 yrs ago. I've been "managing" it well for years. It occassionaly gets angry with me, but for the large part doesn't bother me at all (currently no pain as I type this). The prior "Emergent" problem, if your nerve is getting compressed by your disc material, you need it decompressed (usually meaning surgery). The longer it is compressed (between the disc and the bone) the more likely you are to get permanent changes, permanent numbness, weakness, pain, etc.
some useful info:
http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=56049
http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Media&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=54608
This is NOT where I worked, but looks like valid info:
http://www.spinecenter.com/rehab.asp
This also looks like some good inft:
http://www.spinalneurosurgery.com/lumbar discectomy.htm
http://www.orthogate.org/patient-education/lumbar-spine/lumbar-discectomy.html
Let me know if I can help:D
 

dang that sucks. my dad had 3 back surgerys and even a pain management box and still nothing fixed. hes supposed to have the box taken out the 25th. take care of it as much as possible. my dad is stubborn, well you can guess he still does stuff on his own. hope all is better for you.

Yup, I read it, and I wasn't done.:twak::cheers::sunshine:
 
I've never had back trouble, God blessed me with a strong one and I need it since I carry most of my co-workers everyday! LOL!!

I do know that when someone at work has to get back surgery we never see them again:eyes: The ones that I have kept up with are on disability and not living the good life as disability does not pay very good.

I do not know anyone that has gotten better after back surgery. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this is my experience with it.
 
My brother had to have back surgery right at the base of his spine. I guess several disks had worn severely. He had surgery and was stiff for a while. Now, several years later, you would never know about the surgery. He never complains of pain. He was also young when he had the surgery. So there is hope.
 
I had lower back issues after I sprained my ankle. I couldn't run or lift heavy things because my back was scream in pain. Took the breath out of me.

Once I fixed the cause of my back pain (ankle weirdness) my back pain basically went away.
 
I had lower back issues after I sprained my ankle. I couldn't run or lift heavy things because my back was scream in pain. Took the breath out of me.

Once I fixed the cause of my back pain (ankle weirdness) my back pain basically went away.

I was wondering how that was going:yelclap:
 
Back is much better, though my ankle still acts up from time to time. I just have to keep stretching the ankle. Otherwise, I'm much much better.
 
Yea I figured my lifestyle would have to change some to take care of it, I just didn't see this coming I guess. Thanks for the encouragement and advice everybody. It just helps to talk about it even if it is just over the net haha.
 
I played football in high school which is probably where this all came from. I did not even try to play in college because I already felt like i was falling apart, so I guess I am. Now I still was doing a fairly good bit of weightlifting which I'm sure was not helping if this had already developed.
 
I have what the Dr. called Degenerative Disc Disease. The bottom two discs are totally gone the the third one is on it's way out. I had a steroid injection in the spine and it really helped my pain. I can have 3 injections within a 6 month time frame from now on if I need them. The Dr. said that in time the vertabrae would fuse together thus ending the pain. I'm waiting...

I hope all turns out well for you. Nobody likes to hurt.
 
Back
Top