prolapsed disc

[skyhuck]

Best thing to do would be to try and get an mri scan, there's a place in Cheltenham (charity) that charges £220 for a scan and a diagnosis, if it is badly pressing on the nerve you might need a microdisectomy - sounds worse that it is, all they do is make a small cut in you back and remove some of the disc that is pressing on the nerve, i had one done last year and was back to light work the next day - the surgeon didn't think that resting it would have improved the healing process.

 

Resting your back is a big mistake, IMO, better to take painkillers, wear a weight lifting belt and carry on.

[WoodMouse]

Dude, i feel your pain. I tore my ribcage off one side of my spine in a motorcycle accident. I have since been a commercial diver, motorcycle courier and worked with boats without issue. But i'd say your in for at least 6 months on your ass. That in itself will weaken your core strength, so you'll have to be SO SO CAREFULL! (cant iterate that enough) until you get your strength back. But yea, it'll never be the same again, but most people abuse their back's imo, lifting badly, wrenching thing etc anyway, you can still do alot but dont ever take the piss out of your back again. Do the physio, you'll find your limitations there in a supervised environment and don't push it.

Edited October 22, 2012 by WoodMouse

[WoodMouse]

Resting your back is a big mistake, IMO, better to take painkillers, wear a weight lifting belt and carry on.

 

Risky, you wont lose so much core strength this way, but by taking painkillers your going to be in danger of pushing yourself too hard. Your body hurts for a reason, listen to it.

[skyhuck]

Risky, you wont lose so much core strength this way, but by taking painkillers your going to be in danger of pushing yourself too hard. Your body hurts for a reason, listen to it.

 

Even when taking painkiller you will not be able to do yourself an further damage, it will still hurt a lot, but will take the edge off (unless you take the sort of painkillers that would prevent work with power tools anyway)

 

As for core strength, I'm only talking about using the belt until your recover.

 

I have had slipped disc's in the past and found that keeping going speeded up recover, I also had physiotherapy and did exercises to add recovery.

 

As always I can only speak from my own experience

[WoodMouse]

Even when taking painkiller you will not be able to do yourself an further damage, it will still hurt a lot, but will take the edge off (unless you take the sort of painkillers that would prevent work with power tools anyway)

 

As for core strength, I'm only talking about using the belt until your recover.

 

I have had slipped disc's in the past and found that keeping going speeded up recover, I also had physiotherapy and did exercises to add recovery.

 

As always I can only speak from my own experience

 

The painkillers i had for my injury were spectacular. Power tools would have been right out of question, i couldn't even control my drooling. lol

[Rock Monkey]

Keep moving, working if you can. I had a discectomy in 2005 on my L3/L2 discs, didnt start tree work until 2006 and can work fine. It goes once or so a year, in fact I have just had the MRI results from the last episode and they have confirmed that I still have a slightly prolapsed disc. The last time it went it was pure agony and I thought I'd done some serious damage again, but after some painkillers and a day on the sofa I was back climbing 2 days later, just small stuff, nothing to strenuous. Sitting around is def the worst thing you could possibly do.

[Stereo]

I suffered with my back for many years until I went down like a sack of spuds at home and was prescribed serious pain meds to get off the floor. I used to get this pain that would be like being shot. I would just hit the floor no matter where or when.

 

I finally dragged myself to an HNS physio and she has changed my life really. She made me do some excersizes and then promptly told me it was all in my head. I do have a dodgy back but she said my brain is putting it into lockdown every time things move a little further than they should. The last time it went I was stepping over a baby gate. Apparently I'm 'hyper-mobile' which means sometimes my joints go a bit further than they should.

 

She told me about breathing and forcing my back to relax and also that the best thing is to get a good walk and move your arms and back in a natural way. She said a belt would be good if I had to do any heavy work but to carry on. I staggered into see this lady feeling like i was about to collapse in agony at any second and i strode out perfectly normally. No meds or anything.

 

I also got a really, really, really good book called 'treat your own back' by robin Mckenzie. Highly recommended for those who generally suffer with a weak back.

 

Obviously I am no expert and if you have real damage then you must take your docs advice but sometimes I think that laying flat out for days is not the answer. I think for many back issues posture, breathing and movement are the way forward.

[Trigger]

In May 2008 I prolapsed a disc which was trapping my sciatic nerve, which stopped me from working for 6 months, i could'nt stand up let alone walk. I had two injections into the disc to relieve the pain and to shrink the prolapse. After the injections i had 6 weeks physio, then started back to work part time. After a month I started working full time, I can't climb as much as I used to but I now do a lot of work out of a mewp. You have to keep your core muscles strong.

[Jamie M]

I prolapsed one disc and the other was protruding last year and I was well and truly stuffed. That said, 'Treat your own back' by Mckenzie and Pilates now mean I am back climbing every day. I can't really suss out the Pilates as you think 'How can these small easy movements be so effective', but they are. I thought my climbing career was over but actually now feel my back is as good if not better than before (the odd niggle here and there apart).

Mr Logbaron - everyone can tell atale about a bad back but when you've stuffed it through prolapse you well and truly know so. Don't lose hope and try to keep moving as much as you can even if its only a little bit each time. Mr and Mrs both try to be positive and work through this together.