18 Mar
Herniation Of My Disc
L4-L5: There is a large central, right paracentral disc extrusion extending 8 mm AP by 12 mm craniocaudal, image 6 of series 2. There is effacement of the ventral aspect of the thecal sac and narrowing of the central AP thecal diameter of 7 mm. There is severe left lateral recess stenosis with compression of the exiting left L5 nerve root. Moderate right lateral recess stenosis is also present.
What does all of that medical mumbo jumbo mean? I have a herniated disc.
FYI, none of the pictures of this post are my own, I found them on the internet. Would have been smart of me to take a picture of my own MRI results though wouldn’t it? That’s what separates the mediocre bloggers from the great ones.
But back to the herniated disc…
It’s a term you’ve probably heard before, but unless it has happened to you or someone else you know, you might not know exactly what it means.I love Steven Helper, MD‘s, explanation of what a herniated disc is and how it happens.
Discs, which act as shock absorbers for the spine, are located in between each of the vertebral body in the spine. Each disc contains a tire-like outer band (called the annulus fibrosus) that surrounds a gel-like substance (called the nucleus pulposus).
A herniation occurs when the outer band of the disc partially or fully cracks and the gel-like substance from the inside of the disc leaks out, placing pressure on the spinal canal or nerve roots. In addition, the nucleus releases chemicals that can irritate the surrounding nerves causing inflammation and pain.
While some disc herniations occur as a result of sudden stress, such as from an accident, most occur gradually, over weeks or even months. The risk factors that can contribute to the chances of a disc herniation, include:
- Aging. As we get older, discs gradually dry out, losing their strength and resiliency.
- Lifestyle choices. Poor choices include a lack of regular exercise, eating an unhealthy diet, being over-weight, and tobacco use contribute to disc problems.
- Poor posture, incorrect and/or repetitive lifting or twisting can place additional stress on the lumbar spine.
- Genetics
You mean I possibly have this herniation because I’m overweight and don’t exercise? I’m such an idiot! What was I thinking getting so fat that one time? Oh bother.
My favorite part of the appointment was when he brought my film out and put it on the lighted board to show me what my disc looks like. Isn’t it amazing to be able to look inside your own body like that? My herniation looks a lot like this one.
The difference between the appointment today and the appointment a month ago was substantial. Previously he tested my reflexes and muscle strength and talked about several months of physical therapy.
Today he walked in and said “Well, you are not crazy. You have a herniated disc.” Yeah for MD’s with a sense of humor! He apologized for bouncing me around and referred me to another Dr. in the practice who specializes in dealing with these situations.
It’s likely that I will end up having an Epidural Steroid Injections. I hate thinking about it because the thought of the needles and having someone in my back for 15 MINUTES makes me want to throw up. But it sounds like the most effective non-surgical option out there for situations like this. Of course I still need to meet with the Dr. who will actually make this happen, so it’s still just a possibility.
For right now, I’m just thrilled to have a diagnosis! I no longer feel like a whiny person who complains about a sore hip or numb legs, I’m a patient with a herniated disc. I feel a lot of hope now that I know what is wrong, where before I just felt like I was in an endless cycle of tolerance. Thanks for all of your prayers, well wishes, and copious amounts of e-love. I feel hope knowing that this can all be over soon.
I'm a farm-raised almost-crunchy stroller-pushing picture-taking lifestyle-blog-writing gastronomy-obsessed divine-seeking thrift-store-combing cheese-inhaling pavement-pounding laughter-sprinkling lover of individuality and taking chances.
I was waiting for you to post SOMETHING about your appointment! (I am an impatient person!) Wow- a herniated disc. So in all honesty, did it validate and make you feel relief about the pain you have been having?
I am so glad you have an answer to your worries! Now… on to making the pain go away! =o)
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Katherine (a.k.a. Sparkles) Reply:
March 19th, 2009 at 12:10 am
p.s. isn’t it funny how docs don’t believe you until they see something concrete in front of their eyes? (I work with these types ALL the TIME- Imagine how I feel??) duh there is something wrong. Can’t you see it in the patients eyes?
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Shaylene Rene(That Wife's sister) Reply:
March 19th, 2009 at 12:19 am
I have a roommate who is a total hypochondriac. She has now hit a point where she not only diagnoses herself with random diseases, but yesterday she came up to me and told me I probably had fibromialga.
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Do you think the accident in August was part of it as well?? Oh I hope not!!!!!!
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Jenna Reply:
March 19th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Hmmm, i hadn’t thought of that. I’ve been having back/leg/hip pain for over a year, so I don’t think it caused it, but it may have aggravated it.
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Also Dad had a herniated disc.
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3Oh, that stinks. Well, I mean about having a herniated disc. At least you know what is wrong! My dad had the same problem a couple months ago. He tried doing the non-surgical route, but it ended up not working for him so he had to have surgery. By the time he was able to get in to have the surgery his entire right foot was numb
I hope the non surgical route works out for you, recovery after surgery can take up to 6 weeks!
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kaitlyn Reply:
March 19th, 2009 at 7:29 am
Also, spine surgery can make the problems worse, not better. After that, there isn’t much hope of recovering. (Look at me being Debbie Downer! Sorry.)
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I’m so glad you’ve found out what’s wrong and can get the proper treatment now! Sorry bout the herniated disc though :\
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5I’m so glad you found out what it was! Try not to be too scared about the procedure - I can’t say for sure what it’s like, but I’ve had someone drill into my lower back for bone marrow, and it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. Plus you can’t see what they’re doing, which is good!
Mr vRS had had ongoing back problems - aches on and off - since we had a small accident in 2005. I hope they checked for this!
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6Progress at last! My Grannie has those injections for another problem but they are amazing.
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7Oh, no…. my FIL had a herniated disk years ago (but he’s one of the slimmest guys I know, so sometimes I think it just happens) and he was in _awful_ pain. I am so impressed by how you’ve kept your chin up through this.
Good news: he’s fine now, and he’s a very active guy. Not sure what they did for him, but it’s definitely something that can be treated.
Way to show the doctor he needs to LISTEN when people say they’re in pain. Sheesh.
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8Dang, well at least you know what’s wrong and hopefully how to fix it!! That’s such a leap forward. I kinda chucked when I read all the medical jargon in there because I have typed out all of those words in the reports I transcribe on occasion. It almost sounded word for word like things I type out over and over again. Good luck!!
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9Ooh, I’m sorry. My mother had a herniated disc this past year — she basically lived in her recliner for 3 months. It was pretty painful, but the injections DO help. Be prepared for the injection to be some of the worst pain you’ve ever felt, but the payoff is so worth it. Good luck.
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10As the member of a family with chronic back issues, I will tell you this: injections are the fear of my future- but they typically work like a charm.
I try and keep my whining to a minimum, but I like having a concrete excuse as well (scoliosis). I’m so glad that the doctor finally realized what is going on and you are going to get the proper treatment!
Also, thank goodness you’re figuring this out before you have a six-lb (or more) human being pressing up against your spine
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11My dad had surgery for this and we always referred to his disc as a donut because of the gel like filling. He couldn’t lift anything over 2 lbs for a couple weeks and we would always warn him, “don’t squish the donut!”
Also, I have had a slipped disc for years and for me, physical therapy was a god send. Good luck!
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12Good luck with the epidural steroid injections.
I’m glad that they figured it out so you can move one with treatment.
And on a little bright side at least when you are pregnant and it comes to chosing natural or an epidural you’ll definetly know which you prefer.
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13I’m so glad you have an answer and can move forward with that! Here’s to a speedy recovery!
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14yea for a diagnosis!!!! when I was in college I told the doctor that something was in my knee - he shrugged me off…6 months later I had to get a cyst the size of a softball removed. better to be checked out than wait until it is unbearable. i hope you can find a treatment that will make you feel much better soon!
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15It must be so nice to have an answer!! You wish injections weren’t the solution (why can’t they put it in pill form?
I had an epidural when I had my son and even though I kind of bothered me what they were doing back there, boy was it worth it. Hopefully the same will be true for you!
My husband has this constant, facial/sinus pain that he just can’t find relief for or even the root cause. He’s been to many doctors and tried different medications (which of course the side effects can be worse the original problem) - what a relief it must be to have some answers!!
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16Yay for knowing what it is! It’s oddly freeing, isn’t it?
I hope healing comes quickly!
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17It’s great that you have an answer!! knowing is so much better than feeling alone when the doctors don’t know what’s going on!
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18I am glad you have an answer. I am sure you are filled with so much relief. Everyone always has different thoughts and opions on these things. But I will say that it isn’t always caused by being over weight. So I don’t want you to think that about yourself. It can simply happen by pushing/pulling the wrong way. I hope the injections work for you! Your in Michael and I’s prayers!
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19So glad you found the cause. I felt the same way (happy to have a diagnosis and know that I wasn’t just weak) after my laparoscopy. I hope that your treatment goes well.
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20I’m so glad that you have a Dx.!!!! How exciting to know what has been going on and to finally give it a name. And now to get it taken care of. I think that despite your reluctance towards needles, you’ll take just about any root to take care of your problem. Am I right?
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21Hey Jenna,
Sorry about your back issues. Okay, I’ve been a little hesitant to say anything because I hate when somethings going on in your life and everyone has a solution for you, but I’m just gonna do it.
I had a major herniated disk. It was awful. I was in the hospital once and after Audrie was born I was in serious pain! I couldn’t take care of my kids the way I wanted - so terrible! I was in tears often because the pain was so bad. So…I found a few things that have completely changed my life! I still have pain, but I feel almost completely healed. It’s quite a list so let me know if you’re interested in chatting about it. Maybe you come over for lunch and we could talk. NO PRESSURE at all. I just wanted to throw that out there for ya. And feel free to completely ignore this and I won’t say a thing to you in real life. I don’t like being pushy especially because I believe the Lord inspires us to know how to handle our health. He knows how to guide us to be our best doctors.
Good luck!
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22Yay! ( I mean not really, but yay for finally knowing.) I’m glad it is figured out and you can start treatment.
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23There is so much comfort in having specific words to describe what’s going on with your body.
I also think it’s ridiculous that leaky fluid (or “gel-like substance”) can cause such ridiculous pain! The body is just a strange place.
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24I’m really pleased for you that you found the cause. Here’s to a swift and easy recovery!
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25Good luck, TW! Glad to hear you have a diagnosis and we’re all rooting for you here!
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26Ugh. Herniated discs are no fun! My FI herniated 2 in his neck last summer. He lost so much range of motion and strength it was ridiculous. Of course, what worked (and didn’t) for him doesn’t mean much for the next person, but in case the injections don’t do the trick…
Spinal decompression therapy has worked wonders for him (since unfortunately the steroid injections didn’t). It might be something you want to look into, but be warned it is expensive. We couldn’t have done it without good insurance.
Oh, and nowadays only 10% or so of herniated disc cases need surgery but not all docs have caught onto that (at least in good ol’ Wyoming.) That stat did a lot for my peace of mind. Hope it all goes well for you!
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27I’m so glad you know what you have now! The diagnosis process can be such a pain. In high school, it took my team of like 5 doctors 4 months to figure out I had scoliosis. My treatment was also shots in my spine. Just warning you now, it hurts. They made my leg and butt muscles twitch like crazy! Put yourself in a happy place… like knowing that it’s preparing you for childbirth.
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28I’m glad you have a diagnosis - and thank you for updating all of us.
I know when I found out what was going on with my back (also L4/L5), it was freeing. It allowed me to make my mind up to take action, and stick with physical therapy. Once I knew what was wrong, I knew what I was up against.
I think I said this before — but my advice for Physical Therapy is to keep trying until you find a therapist you like. I did not like my first one AT ALL, just felt like she was ineffective. I saw very few results.
When I moved to Elsie, well, everything changed. I think it was both her attitude and her approach. We clicked immediately. I had full faith in her and knew that she would help me. It made all the difference. She really made me want to get better, and made me realize that I WOULD get better. I just had to work it.
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29I’m so glad you figured out what it was… your knowing something was wrong and people telling you nothing was reminds me of when my appendix needed to be removed and the dr. said I probably just pulled a muscle!
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30Jenna,
How are ya? Lovin the blog. You seem to keep yourself really busy. How are things? Now I know about a herniated disc. Hope all is well. ShawnDawg
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31You’re right, it’s so good to get a diagnosis. When I hurt my back, people acted like I was being a baby. When the x-rays came back showing a jacked up hip, pelvis, and deformed sacrum (that’s when I discovered my birth defect) I felt so vindicated.
Best of luck going from here. Knowing really is half the battle
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32happy happy. that you have a diagnosis that is. and GO KICK SOME DISC BUTT! i hope it gets better soon. and take it easy
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33I am so happy for you, that sounds wrong but happy that you have an answer. I know what a relief it can be to finally have an answer. Good luck with treatment.
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34Oh, Jenna! I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through all this. I feel your pain! Though mine is in my neck, mostly, and lower back. It’s nice that you now have some direction and a plan for rehabilitation. Good luck with the treatments. I’ll be thinking about you and praying that you are pain-free soon! XOXO
P.S. Thank you for your sweet comments.
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35Hey Jenna, I’ve been going through the same thing for the past 6 months. My herniation is in the same place as yours. The most helpful thing for me was a short course of oral steroids, combined with PT of course. I may need surgery soon if it doesn’t get any better on its own, but the surgery is pretty minor and gladly the pain is a whole lot better now than it was at first.
Anyways, it’s really validating to hear that another young, otherwise healthy person is going through this also (not that I’m glad you’re injured, of course!!). I hope you feel better soon and I’m glad you finally have an answer to what’s going on.
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36As a 25 year veteran of scoliosis and disk problems (47 years old now) I can honestly say, THE HELL WITH THE EPIDURALS!
They don’t work, hurt like hell as the medicine is injected into the existing thecal sac (think of a car’s closed, pressurized coolant system. Pressure, LOTS of pressure), and no pain medicine during or after. AND you have to have a series of 3 of them if the first and second don’t give any relief.
See if you can try Radio Frequency Ablation, which burns the pain covering off of a nerve (think of stripping a wire) with heat generated by radio frequency. It doesn’t hurt at all except for a minor pin prick and usually one does the trick. They usually do one at, above and below the injured area because that sneaky little pain monster creates new routes above and below the injured area. Honest.
Sorry to scare you but, take it from one whose had a great amount of experience in this matter, from cervical to lumbar.
It’s all that’s ever worked for me except for one of my two surgeries. 50/50? Not bad. But who wants surgery?
Good Luck!
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37How is your herniated disc. What did you do to heal?
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Jenna Reply:
January 24th, 2010 at 1:04 am
I have had absolutely no back pain/problems since my surgery, even now that I’m 7 months pregnant. I can’t say I did anything special, I really wasn’t that great at following my physical therapy routine.
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I have had a lot of steroid injections, by Drs. saying that that was what was going to help me. OhOh ,it did alright.. It like to have helped me to my death, I gained about a 100 lbs. and it enlarged my heart. So for any of you out there that are thinking about steroid injections be careful, only take 2 to 3 injections a year. I am messed up , plus I have had 3 surgeries and am fixin to have another 1.
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39Hi!
I’ve got a herniated disc too and was wondering when you decided to get the surgery and was it effective. I’ve been improving (less pain) for the past 5 weeks but have a 7mm protrusion on L4/L5 and 3mm protrusion on L5/S1. I am young (30) and think that chiro/physio/ and stretching will get me back - but only time will tell!
Thanks.
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