Have a L4,L5 Slipped disc, need surgery?

[wilsonljx]

I would say my lower back is giving me problems for around a year or so but at that time i thought it was muscle tear as I am someone who work out in the gym frequently. However, the pain doesn't goes off and I continue to work out in the gym thinking that it is just a normal muscle tear.

Just a few weeks ago, I decided to go for MRI as now my left leg couldn't even stretch straight and there will be a sharp pain from the left side of my lower back to my the whole of left leg. I have diagnosed with slipped disc L4 and L5 and the disc is pressing my nerves which is why causing the pain.

I have been going for physiotherapy for around 3 times and i spent around 10 mins doing some stretching that will strengthen my lower back but the pain doesn't seem to go off. I still couldn't stretch my left leg straight. Is it very severe and I have to go for operation? I am just 21 years old and I do not want to go for operation if it can be avoided especially it's at lower back. Would need some advice!

 

[Zivic]

I'm not a doctor, but at 21 yrs old, no f^cking way Id let them operate on my back... not a chance. find a good doctor/chiro/whatever.

 

[Koing]

Give it time.

I did 9months of rehab with a chiro. After about 3months I got my mobility back but the pain was there.

My pain disappeared after 9months on a magic weekend so that is no good for you.

Koing

 

[Tea Bag]

Desk jockeying and training ignoring the warning signs unfortunately put me in some BAD back / sciatic pain in May pretty much how you're describing it (left side). I received the exact same diagnosis after trying to deal with it on my own and finally got an MRI for a starting point, or what I believed was a starting point at the time.

I spoke to a friend of mine who's a PT who strongly recommended someone who was McKenzie certified, or at least implemented the McKenzie method to treat specific back pain. The PT I saw was and basically implemented most of the exercises in this book.

I believe there's a back thread floating around here where this book was recommended as well, but for the price it is WELL worth giving this book a shot assuming your sciatic pain is due to the disc herniation alone, since what you're describing still sounds like it's still in fairly acute phase.

Other stuff from my experience: Stay as active as you can, but obviously quit whatever you were doing that aggravates this. If you sit frequently all day, it's now a priority in the rest of your life to keep your posture correct. There are a number of stretches/exercises online for that as well.

One other thing to consider, especially since you're in PT and may be doing the exercises and the pain is not subsiding - that there's a percentage of the population that would have disc herniation show up on an MRI, but are asymptomatic. Is your left glute considerably tight? You may have some fairly stiff muscles, namely your piriformis - which can irritate the sciatic nerve. My back pain has subsided, but I'm still dealing with my piriformis locking up after front squats or one legged squats in my rehab protocol, but foam rolling and stretching it frequently helps greatly and I'm back to training + rehab back to squatting 'full time' again. Just something to consider.

TL;DR: Be patient, take your time, consider the book above, and perhaps include glute +piriformis stretching / exercises if you haven't already. You're too young for surgery.

Good luck.

 

[Sixguns]

At 23 (27 now) I had a fusion of my L5, S1 and my life has been 1000x better. I had done the PT, injections, meds and everything else over a 5 year course and surgery was the last option. I went with it and am so glad I did. My mobility is way better than before also. I might have been a lucky case but I am thankful I went through with it.