Has anyone ever had back surgery?

[1FasterBlaster]

  The results came back from the MRI. The accident left me with two herniated disc in my lower back and two in my neck. I'm going to see the back specialist because the injury is pretty severe and painful.
   My Chiro says I might need surgery. I was wondering how painful it is afterwards and how long the healing process is. Will I ever ride again?

[trx#9]

 I had many back problems in my live which side lined my racing career. I never had surgery though, I help my lower back pain with a lot of stretching and vertical hanging. I wish I tried it years ago. Give it a try, and massage rehabbing works well too.
 If you need a lawyer let me know. I'm been working for a real good lawyer. I just finish the marble in his house. 7 million dollar house!!!!

[FishaHallic]

Yes, I have had back surgery.  In my case I had a herniated disc in my lower back which I lived with for around 5 yrs.  I had several epidural which helped the first few times but the last time it did not.  I don't know how bad your back is but most of the time they want to start off on the least of the possible fixes, like rehab, shots, massage and others.  Now with you being in an accident might be different because I hurt mine lifting.  But if you do get the surgery I feel it worked for me but I also am still very, very careful about lifting or stretching the wrong way and at times I am still taking muscle relaxers and even pain pills.  BTW, it has only been about a year since my surgery and I have ridden since then several times with a little discomfort when I got home but nothing some pills would not cure.  Good luck

[SWAMP_DONKEY]

Yes, I have had back surgery.  In my case I had a herniated disc in my lower back which I lived with for around 5 yrs.  I had several epidural which helped the first few times but the last time it did not.  I don't know how bad your back is but most of the time they want to start off on the least of the possible fixes, like rehab, shots, massage and others.  Now with you being in an accident might be different because I hurt mine lifting.  But if you do get the surgery I feel it worked for me but I also am still very, very careful about lifting or stretching the wrong way and at times I am still taking muscle relaxers and even pain pills.  BTW, it has only been about a year since my surgery and I have ridden since then several times with a little discomfort when I got home but nothing some pills would not cure.  Good luck

 What about all the spinal fluid and grey matter you lost during the surgery   lol

[1FasterBlaster]

  It's very painful now. It scares the shizzit out of me thinking about surgery.

[digginfool]

I've never had back surgery but I know people that have.  DO NOT GET SURGERY without giving physical therapy a chance.  It can take 6 months to a year to rehab after an auto accident.  With the back surgery, you stand equal chances of being worse off, no change or improving.  Improvement can be anything from slight to substantial.  I know the agony of back pain.  I have a bulging T-1, herniated C5-C6 and bulging C6-C7 from an auto accident.  It took nearly a year but it worked.  I ride every chance I get, coach my son's baseball team, swim and weight lift.  I do get pain radiating down my arm from time to time but it's at a level I can deal with.  There are so many doctors that are knife happy.  You don't want to do it if you don't absolutely have to.  My friend that had surgery to his back lives in misery.  He wears a body brace, has a morphine pump and also uses patches as well.  His life is destroyed because he opted for surgery (he's been this way for nearly 15 years).  He would tell you the same thing; don't do it unless you positively have to.  Talk to QT.  I'm sure she would agree.  At the very least, go to another doctor and get second, third and fourth opinions.  You are gambling with the quality of life you will have for the rest of your life.

[greenmachine]

Check out the Bonati Institute in Hudson if you decide to take a chance. They do arthroscopic back procedures for all the pro athletes. Not very well know, they dont take insurance. If you are in a lawsuit then it may pay for it. Between 10K-20K & you walk out the same day. I know one person who did it & he said he could literally feel the pain go away when he woke up. I too have back problems. Degenrative disc in my thoracic area. Unfortunatley insurance only pays for Dr's to give me meds or shots.
Good luck man, back pain is the worse thing in the world & sometimes chiros(no offese qt) can cause more damage. That was my case. The chiro kept saying oh you are just having "muscle spasms caused by a subluxation", now after 3yrs of weekly "manipulation" I also am blessed with spondilitis(to which there is no cure!) in the exact 2 areas where he "manipulated" every M-W-F. Thanks Dr Tad you f'd up my life.

Oh yeah, this all started with a car accident, my insurance paid for the treatments for 3yrs & then according to my chiro I was finished with treatment. The pain is worse now then it ever was & now I have kids who want to play football & baseball & sometimes dad just cant do it, but then again sometimes I can thanks to chemical science. The guy I went to was very well respected in the chiro field.

[1FasterBlaster]

  I'm scheduled to see the back specialist on the 21st. I'll see what he says. I'm in a lot of pain now. I even had to quit my job because my neck froze up in pain. Driving my car feels like I have a knife in my back.

[SWAMP_DONKEY]

  I'm scheduled to see the back specialist on the 21st. I'll see what he says. I'm in a lot of pain now. I even had to quit my job because my neck froze up in pain. Driving my car feels like I have a knife in my back.

 Good Luck brother...I pray you dont need surgery.

[IXIswamperIXI]

A few years ago I hurt my back, I didn't know what the hell was wrong, I couldn't sit,stand, or walk right.  I had pain down my butt and into my leg.  Well now I know after meeting all the doctors and chiro. I now know it was my sciatic nerve.  I had my MRI and the doctor said "You have the mother of all herniated discs" I said "oh crap" what now... I was young and so my doctor told my to go to therapy and start working on my abbes (they are as important as your back muscle) I have not had surgery but how it was put to me (in my case) it was the least invasive surgery he does.  The fluid in the disc pushed out and was sitting on my sciatic nerve.  Well the way it was put to me the doctor would just scrap off the excess fluid and thats it, no more pain.  He would do nothing to the disc itself (ie replace it) BUT the problem was and is my back is weak and will stay weak even after the surgery, the surgery would only fix the pain it would not fix my weak back to help support my spin.  His honest advise to me was if I could live with the aggravation of the back pain, it would help remind me my back is not 100% If I had the surgery he said I would "feel" wonderful but I would be no better off.  After about 4 years I am just now going a few days at a time without pain.  It seems to my the more active I am the better it feels but I often get my little reminder not to over do it.  I could go on and on but I won't.  My advise, this is going to sound strange, "Listen to your body" no more working through your pain, stop what you are doing and rest.  I personally think that (working through pain) is what put me in this whole situation.  Anyway good luck.  

[IXIswamperIXI]

Also I think your case is a lot worse than mine, so all my rambling may be for nothing LOL

[susieblazer]

Better get more than 2 doctor opinions..........a girl at work had back surgery ......not good .........she is on complete SSI now and  racked with pain still... when you mess around near the spinal cord you never know...

[SWAMP_DONKEY]

I just got off the phone with a buddy who had neck surgery last week and is doing great!!! Very stiff but no pain...You will be fine man, but dont be like me... LISTEN TO THE DR.!!!

[1FasterBlaster]

  I'm scared shizzitless!! I'm in a lot of pain now. If I have to live with this kind of pain, life is gonna really suck. I hear two sides of a 50/50 chance. It can turn out well, or very wrong.
   I guess I can only wait and see what happens.

[TNTaylor]

Good luck to you man.  My wife has had 3 back surgeries and she still lives in constant pain and takes a lot of scrip meds.  She's still able to function but her days are filled with pain which has also led to depression.  My prayers are with you brother.

[IXIswamperIXI]

I think it really makes a difference as to exactly what it is causing your pain (I know this sounds stupid but its really true) I my case it was just fluid on my nerves... your case it might be bones rubbing together (I don't know the clinical term) Is the surgery going to fix the pain or fix your back, WAY to different things. I would have the doctor explain exactly he has to do in surgery, then make a decision as to wither or not to do it.  If it was said to me they HAD to replace a disc, then you might have to do it.  If surgery is only going to fix the pain and not your back I would look for other means of pain relief (ie: chiro)

[DRWalum]

  I'm scared shizzitless!! I'm in a lot of pain now. If I have to live with this kind of pain, life is gonna really suck. I hear two sides of a 50/50 chance. It can turn out well, or very wrong.
   I guess I can only wait and see what happens.

of course you're SCARED !!!  I told you yesterday , give me a shout when you get a chance. i'll fill you in on every thing. the



  Don

[budman]

Everybody will have differing opinions on this, me too. First off, let me explain that I have TOTAL MISTRUST for the medical profession. There are too many horror stories for me to list as to why I feel this way. Perhaps it has something to do with getting 7 different opinions I got for 1 surgery. 7!!! Out of 8 doctors!!! I have had back problems for about 30 some years. Contemplated surgery because I just could'nt take the pain. I have been going to chiroprators since I was 17, with a good deal of relief, butnever enough, but I still swear by them, although they also have limitations. About 15 years ago, I was recommended to a "different" type of chiropratic method. Now I had been to at least a half dozen chiro's by then, and his approach was very different. After consulting and a question and answer period, his approach made sense to  me from a "mechanical" point of view. The method is called "The Gonstead Method" and is practiced by fewer chiros than the other way. I also have been relativly "pain free" most of the time. I always have back pain, but it is very managable. The reason I am bringing Gonstead into this, is when I am out of town and need some adjusting, one call to my chiroprator, or I arrange before I go, and he will hook me up in most cities with another Gonstead guy. If you like, I can find out if there is one in your area from my Dr, and hook you up for a second, third opinion.

[DRWalum]

No wonder your back hurts, sitting on that BEER cooler all the time is not goog posture !!     

DR Walum

[1FasterBlaster]

 As far as I know right now, it's the jelly substance pushing on my nerves causing all the pain. But, their pushing real hard. It was explained to me that the excess substance would be cut out leaving nothing to push on the nerves, but my back would have less cushion for the future.
   It pisses me off more and more just thinking about it. Old people should have to pass extensive stamina driving test. I have to think this over that will affect the rest of my life. A crap load of money won't compensate for this if I can't ride the way I like!!
   Do you think I want a utility quad with a Beer cooler on the back?? Just kidding...the Beer cooler isn't a bad idea!!

[budman]

I would get more opinions from whoever. Taking pieces out of your body is a big step. One to be considered "Life Changing". Good luck with whatever road you take.

[JackL]

I have had three now for about ten years. During my physical therapy and WC vacation I met many people who had the surgery and told me if I did it I was a fool and would never be right again with constant problems.

When I went to see the doctor who initially read my first MRI about six months after the accident he was amazed I was out working, let alone even walking. It did hurt pretty bad at the time and big time down my leg.

To be honest with you I am glad I opted to skip it, because while I have some occasional pain and bad days I can do everything I ever could do before with no problems unlike my fused disk friends. The back surgeon explaining the ramifications of some of the fluid leaking during the procedure would have made me say no no matter what anyway even though it got me a substantially smaller settlement.

Good luck brother, maybe they have got better at it. Mine has been a while now...

[1FasterBlaster]

  I go to see the specialist on the 21st. I' ll try the therapy for a while to see if it helps before I think on surgery. Right now, I'm in pain all day long. I get migraines that even make sunlight irritating.

[IXIswamperIXI]

Just to let you know that is exactly what is wrong with my back (jelly or fluid touching the nerves) I was told that it will actually suck back into the disc over time.  Did they put you on a Z-Pack of steroids?  That helped my a lot, it got rid of the swelling which also made it a lot worse.  Basically it was told to me everytime you feel it you are aggravating it which causes swelling (in a place where a millimeter can paralyse you) so it helped.  It took a lot of rest, steroids, pain killers, and stretching, and a few years.  But I think it was better than surgery.  Now I take nothing at all, I personally don't believe in popping pills everytime your head or back hurts.  I try to let my body handle it.  Thats where I was saying let your body tell you what it can or can't do.  Anyway good luck. 

PS I would get a hard copy (one you can hold up to light and see) of your MRI and keep it for your record.  If you are ever in a car accident again and knocked out, someone can bring it to the hospital you are at.  I think it might save time.

[JackL]

  I go to see the specialist on the 21st. I' ll try the therapy for a while to see if it helps before I think on surgery. Right now, I'm in pain all day long. I get migraines that even make sunlight irritating.

Wow, I never had that with the migraines. That was one of the things the surgeon said I could have forever if anything leaked during the surgery.

In the very beginning I could not even get off the floor to make it to the toilet. I was rolling to a side door and pissing laying on my side for three days straight before I could even crawl. On the fifth day I could finally hobble all sideways. My neighbors were happy about that.

Twice I had them shoot cortisone in there, first one did basically nothing and second time they missed somewhat which made me not able to walk for three weeks. Never again on that! I found regular old Tylenol helped greatly, but using it takes away the pain and can make you do things that aggravate it for later. I found it best to just tough it out.

The traction and electrostim therapy 3x a week made it seem to feel pretty good quick. I also started hanging from an innertube in the pool for hours on end and it took away a bunch of pain. After about six months I was pretty much good and started riding and heavy lifting again.

One thing I learned quick, NEVER lift with your back....always your legs. After a few times it will become second nature.