19 Year old with Herniated Disc- L5; What to do?

Question:

I am a 19 year old male with a torn, herniated disc in the L5 section of my spine. I've been dealing with the bulging disc for about 2 years and a few months ago they found out it is now torn. I have done extensive physical therepy, tordol shots, all kinds of medicine. My current instructions from the docotor are take it easy, no lifting, bending, pulling, ect. I also have to stretch, do a set of excerises every day, and take an innflamtory. My syptoms include weakness in both legs, numbness, pain in hands, legs and arms, weakness in right arm, and lower back pain that is becomming more and more constant. I am getting my first epidural later this month. We are trying to avoid surgery because I am so young and the doctor says I will have to get surgery several more times in my life if I do it now. I am tired of having restrictions on what I can and can't do, I'm an active person. My question is; What are my options? Are there any suggestions you have to healing faster?

Answers:
i am a chiropractor and specialize in spine related injuries. the disc acts as both a cushion and a spacer between each vertebrae. if a disc is bulging/herniated, that bulge can put pressure on the nerves exiting between each vertebra which causes a "pinched nerve." also if the disc is wearing out (getting thinner) you lose the space between the vertebra, which leaves less room for those nerves to exit--and again can pinch a nerve. those nerves in your low back form the sciatic nerve which runs all the way down your leg. if any are "pinched" they can cause pain, numbess, tingling, weakness from your low back to the foot.

as a chiropractor i see this type of scenario on a daily basis. for those who have degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, disc bulging, etc.--normal chiropractic care can usually help with those problems. but there are also many people out there that have had this problem for many years and can't find relief with anything they try--including chiropractic.

but now there is a treatment that is perfect for your situation and the best part is: it's non-surgical and non-invasive. if you haven't heard of it yet it is called spinal decompression. this type of treatment focuses on disc injuries and the problems they cause. i use the DRX9000 spinal decompression system in my office and it works wonders for people with these types of injuries (approx. 90% successful). the DRX9000 is fda approved and is the best decompression system available (there are cheap knock-offs that don't give the same results).

my recommendation would be to see a chiro, especially if you've never tried it before-just to see what they have to say. also do some research on this treatment and then contact someone (usually a chiro) who uses it in their office. i would just google "DRX9000" to find info on it and doctors in your area who may have it. this treament is able to encourage the disc to go back to it's normal orientation and also rebuild its height--which then takes the pressure off whatever nerve it is compressing. pain meds, cortisone shots, epidurals won't do anything to solve the problem--all they do is cover it up and they become less and less effective over time. surgery AT BEST is 50% successful and usually doesn't solve the problem either.

this treatment is extremely effective for degenerative disc disease, disc bulging, herniation, etc. and also sciatica type of cases, especially if you haven't had surgery yet. i've had many patients who were scheduled for surgery, tried this treatment as a last resort, and then ended up cancelling their surgery altogether after treatment was completed. it really does work and that's what my recommendation would be for you. good luck and hopefully this gives insight to others experiencing similar problems--there is a solution!!

The doctor is right to avoid surgery at your age, you should be able to heal. It will take TIME though. The epidurals will help relieve the pain, but will not help you to heal. I had a herniated disc at L5-S1, 7 years ago. I had to modify my lifestyle to allow it to heal. I had to change careers, stopped skydiving, no riding rollercoasters, no ice/roller skating, no jogging, no aerobics, absolutely NOTHING that would cause unnecessary impact or stress upon my low back. I still can sit , stand or walk for long periods of time. I was 32 when diagnosed, and at 32 I had no hope of building new tissue in the disc, I could only hope to heal and strengthen what was left. At 19, you still have the opportunity to rebuild new tissue but you WILL have to modify you lifestyle. It sucks but it would be well worth it to avoid surgery. I didn't take anything stronger than ibuprofen for the pain, which was paralyzing at times. But pain is your bodies way of saying "HEY! SOMETHING IS WRONG!" You have to listen to what your body is telling you.
I am only guessing that you did something to cause the disc to herniate, it's like popping a balloon. Or squishing a jelly donut. You will have to stop and give your body time to heal. And that could take 6 months or more.

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19 Year old with Herniated Disc- L5; What to do?

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