Sciatica, Leg Pain, Radiculopathy
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Wed, 07/01/2009 - 21:33
Husband possible herniated disc or discs?
My husband spent the afternoon in the ER yesterday with horrible back spasms. I called an ambulance because he was laying on his stomach on the bed first and it took him 2 hours to wiggle his way over to put his feet on the floor and then he was stuck in that position for an hour and with each movement screaming out in pain.
Then I told him he could not just be there all night with his upper body on the bed and his knees on the floor so he managed to get his body down on the floor laying on a comfortor I had put down for him and he laid on his stomach. He could not turn over without screaming out in pain and would end up back on his stomach. He was laying there for 8 hours before I finally got him to agree that I was going to call an ambulance because he was just not able to even roll over.
So then they got the pain under control at the ER and now he has pain in the front of his left left leg the thigh. Then in the past he has had pain in the back of his thigh after having similar episodes with back pain but never this extreme. Doesn't that mean that more then one disc is effected since he has had problems in the front and back of his upper leg thigh area. Or can you have just one herniated disc and it will effect both front and back of the upper leg.
When my L5-S1 disc herniated it just effected the back of my leg all the way down to my toes but it ran down the back.
_____________
Microdiscectomy L5-S1 in 2005
Microdiscectomy L5-S1 May 21 2008
Disc reherniates ESI= Epidural Steroid Injection June 2008
Improving and back to walking and bike riding end of June 2008
PT is going well. I am off of all prescription pain meds. I'm also off all over the counter pain meds. The things that helped me the most after my disc reherniated were the ESI and taking Neurontin. Those two things got me back on my feet and walking every day and also gave me the ability to start physical therapy which has helped me a lot. See there is life after a microD and a reherniation.
38 years old
I'm released from physical therapy and joined a gym. I'm now on my own with the PT exercises, still going well. I do treadmill no incline, exercise bike, weight machines, exercise ball, exercise bands, swimming. All weight machines and ball and band exercises I was trained by my PT to do properly. I also cannot just do any weight machine. Some are not safe for spineys.
Update July 2009 still doing great!!
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Anything is possible with herniated disks. the disk could be so far herniated that its touching more of the nerve. I just had a laminectomy because of a pinched nerve. I can relate to hubbies pain. I also went to the Er a few times to control pain. Is he going to have surgery asap?
6/9/09 cervicial laminectomy C3
1/13/06 cervical fusion C4 through C6.
1/23/08 bunionectomy
11/23/06 L3,L4 discectomy.
We are still waiting the for him to get an MRI stage so we are at the early stages of figuring this out with him. Today they were supposed to set up an appointment for an MRI but our insurance company wants to talk to the doctor before approving it. I guess they have been getting more picky about what they will pay for. I'm sure once the doctor talks to them they'll approve it.
If anyone needs and MRI it's him. He's been having these back problems for 10 years and has never even gone to the doctor for it and now it's just totally out of control with the pain and his inablility to walk now because of leg pain. He says the leg pain is getting worse tonight and it's getting excruciating to just walk down the hall.
Microdiscectomy L5-S1 in 2005
Microdiscectomy L5-S1 May 21 2008
Disc reherniates ESI= Epidural Steroid Injection June 2008
Improving and back to walking and bike riding end of June 2008
PT is going well. I am off of all prescription pain meds. I'm also off all over the counter pain meds. The things that helped me the most after my disc reherniated were the ESI and taking Neurontin. Those two things got me back on my feet and walking every day and also gave me the ability to start physical therapy which has helped me a lot. See there is life after a microD and a reherniation.
38 years old
I'm released from physical therapy and joined a gym. I'm now on my own with the PT exercises, still going well. I do treadmill no incline, exercise bike, weight machines, exercise ball, exercise bands, swimming. All weight machines and ball and band exercises I was trained by my PT to do properly. I also cannot just do any weight machine. Some are not safe for spineys.
Update July 2009 still doing great!!
hi!
it just really is not possible to tell what happened without an MRI. 
once the doctor reads it and gives your husband an evaluation, then he can make plans for recovery.. 
good luck and i hope your husband is feeling better soon. 
Jenny 
Double laminectomy L4-L5, bulging discs, DDD, Bone spurs, nerve damage in left leg and hip, DJD, and that to familiar visitor,arthritis
Thank you I hope they call us soon here his leg pain is getting worse. At least he's able to fall asleep most of the day basically so at that time he's not in pain. I did call the doctor again and tell them his leg was getting worse. I'm sure they are waiting too for the insurance company to call them like they said.
Microdiscectomy L5-S1 in 2005
Microdiscectomy L5-S1 May 21 2008
Disc reherniates ESI= Epidural Steroid Injection June 2008
Improving and back to walking and bike riding end of June 2008
PT is going well. I am off of all prescription pain meds. I'm also off all over the counter pain meds. The things that helped me the most after my disc reherniated were the ESI and taking Neurontin. Those two things got me back on my feet and walking every day and also gave me the ability to start physical therapy which has helped me a lot. See there is life after a microD and a reherniation.
38 years old
I'm released from physical therapy and joined a gym. I'm now on my own with the PT exercises, still going well. I do treadmill no incline, exercise bike, weight machines, exercise ball, exercise bands, swimming. All weight machines and ball and band exercises I was trained by my PT to do properly. I also cannot just do any weight machine. Some are not safe for spineys.
Update July 2009 still doing great!!
Hubby is starting to improve some. Today he has been able to walk around for a few minutes before it starts to hurt and then he took a shower on my shower chair I had when I had problems last summer. He possibly could have stood in the shower but I didn't want him to risk it. He's been able to sit on our recliner chair in the living room. They are leather chairs with good back support. He's going to try taking just a half of a percocet here the next time along with a flexeril and see how that goes.
Microdiscectomy L5-S1 in 2005
Microdiscectomy L5-S1 May 21 2008
Disc reherniates ESI= Epidural Steroid Injection June 2008
Improving and back to walking and bike riding end of June 2008
PT is going well. I am off of all prescription pain meds. I'm also off all over the counter pain meds. The things that helped me the most after my disc reherniated were the ESI and taking Neurontin. Those two things got me back on my feet and walking every day and also gave me the ability to start physical therapy which has helped me a lot. See there is life after a microD and a reherniation.
38 years old
I'm released from physical therapy and joined a gym. I'm now on my own with the PT exercises, still going well. I do treadmill no incline, exercise bike, weight machines, exercise ball, exercise bands, swimming. All weight machines and ball and band exercises I was trained by my PT to do properly. I also cannot just do any weight machine. Some are not safe for spineys.
Update July 2009 still doing great!!
I just wanted to give an update on my husband. The MRI shows a large herniation at L4-L5. The doctor called today. She asked if he would want to have a Epidural Steroid Injection. I said yes but when I talked to my husband he said no. He's getting quite a bit better already and wants to see if he recovers completly without it.
He's back to work and off percocet and is just taking flexeril a few times a day just as a precation against back spasms don't want those back again and then he took 1 ibuprofen this morning and said he's not having any pain. Very odd I have to say. Yesterday most of his pain was in his knee so it's moved down his leg to his knee. His knee does feel a little weak. So he's taking the elevator at work when he needs to go upstairs.
He has been able to sit without any pain it usually only hurts when he stands on that left leg. And as of 2 hours ago it wasn't hurting him. I bet as the day goes on it will start hurting again but he has improved greatly compared to last week when being at the ER.
Microdiscectomy L5-S1 in 2005
Microdiscectomy L5-S1 May 21 2008
Disc reherniates ESI= Epidural Steroid Injection June 2008
Improving and back to walking and bike riding end of June 2008
PT is going well. I am off of all prescription pain meds. I'm also off all over the counter pain meds. The things that helped me the most after my disc reherniated were the ESI and taking Neurontin. Those two things got me back on my feet and walking every day and also gave me the ability to start physical therapy which has helped me a lot. See there is life after a microD and a reherniation.
38 years old
I'm released from physical therapy and joined a gym. I'm now on my own with the PT exercises, still going well. I do treadmill no incline, exercise bike, weight machines, exercise ball, exercise bands, swimming. All weight machines and ball and band exercises I was trained by my PT to do properly. I also cannot just do any weight machine. Some are not safe for spineys.
Update July 2009 still doing great!!
That was my experience also when my disc had herniated well several times sitting was the most painful thing and the last thing to be able to tolerate. It must be a different nerve that runs down the back with L5-S1 and the L4-L5 runs down the front so that's why it doesn't hurt to sit. It effects his hip and front of thigh and knee. I wonder what nerve it is that runs in the front. I know the one that comes out of the bottom disc is the sciatic nerve.
Microdiscectomy L5-S1 in 2005
Microdiscectomy L5-S1 May 21 2008
Disc reherniates ESI= Epidural Steroid Injection June 2008
Improving and back to walking and bike riding end of June 2008
PT is going well. I am off of all prescription pain meds. I'm also off all over the counter pain meds. The things that helped me the most after my disc reherniated were the ESI and taking Neurontin. Those two things got me back on my feet and walking every day and also gave me the ability to start physical therapy which has helped me a lot. See there is life after a microD and a reherniation.
38 years old
I'm released from physical therapy and joined a gym. I'm now on my own with the PT exercises, still going well. I do treadmill no incline, exercise bike, weight machines, exercise ball, exercise bands, swimming. All weight machines and ball and band exercises I was trained by my PT to do properly. I also cannot just do any weight machine. Some are not safe for spineys.
Update July 2009 still doing great!!
My father-in-law has a bulging disc at L5 L4 and he also has pain when standing but not sitting. In my case, the bulging disc at L5 S1 caused pain when sitting and standing. It is interesting.
good luck on your husband's recovery.