herniated disk - success WITHOUT surgery?

There's a long thread on here about folks who had microdiskecktomy (sp?) surgery on their back. I'd love to hear from folks who herniated something and recovered without surgery. I blew out my L5 two weeks ago and am in PT for it. I need some basis for optimism that my climbing days are not over.

I've had a discectomy, but also managed other herniated discs with corticosteroid injections and PT.  I've deadlifted 3x bodyweight and flashed v10 since, as well as did the entire guide program.  

Don't sweat it, it'll take some time but if you want to keep climbing you can, it just takes some discipline.

I herniated a disc in my neck- C6/C7 - Still some tiny symptoms, but I'm back to 100% in terms of activities. All depends on your level of herniation- Mine was a level 2, bordering on level 3, and the doctors were confident I could get back to health with PT. Buy your PT a nice bottle of wine from time to time and take your time. Pulling for ya!

DPT student here with a history of herniated L4/5 disc. Surgery is not necessary unless there is spinal cord compression (in which case you wouldn't be able to walk). Your PT/MD would have checked this out already. If you got medical imaging (MRI/x-ray), it frankly doesn't mean much. Tons of people who have "positive" findings of disc bulges on MRI don't have symptoms, and a bulging disk might not even actually be the pain generator in the first place. "The prevalence of disc bulges in asymptomatic populations ranges from 20% in young adults to 75% in patients older than 70 years of age" (Brinjikji et. al. 2015). If your PT has you performing repeated movements (exercises in one specific direction that improves your symptoms, maybe combined with core strengthening), your pain will go away, and you will get better. It will take some time but our bodies are well-equipped to handle this type of pathology. You're much better off committing to PT and religiously doing the exercises (even if it takes a while). The odds of something going wrong when a surgeon cuts you open are WAY higher than the odds of you not getting better with PT. Long term outcomes in low back pain (whether it's a disc bulge or something else that is not moving correctly) are better with conservative measures (PT) than invasive (surgical) measures. And the statistics are on your side -- I am not sure about the source on this statistic, but over 80% of patients with low back pain improve within 4 weeks regardless of treatment, and over 90% improve in 2 months. PT is the key to getting better faster and preventing an injury from reoccuring.

Edek - thanks, that's the sort of thing I'm longing to hear. I did have an MRI and there are indeed bulges higher in the spine that are not causing any problem. But L5 is a mess, with a 7x13x22mm extrusion, and 'fairly severe right foraminal stenosis" (consistent with my pain/numbness/weakness).

I've got the same issue in L4/L5 which has laid me up for 8 weeks this year.  PT is more aggressive after the second time, more stretches to open the area and stretches to allow the rest of the spine to move.  Good luck.

Consider going to a doctor of chiropractic .  It’s literally their job to treat low back pain... and other neuro musculoskeletal complaints, including discogenic pain.  Like any other physician do research and find a good one.  A smart, qualified physician will help you help yourself conquer this issue better than any mp banter. 

I was informed by my GP based on my MRI's that I would never walk normally again, much less climb, without the micro or a more invasive procedure.  Six months of exploring alternative healing methods, strengthening and PT had me normal pretty quickly, then back to crushing by a year. My experience was that changes in my movement patterns and training proper mechanics helped things a lot.  Hold off, it can happen on it's own. Feel free to contact me to talk more.

I went 10 months before I got surgery. If I had a do over, I would have gotten surgery on day one.  I feel like I have my life back after it was taken away from me for 15 months of injury and post op recovery.  

Years ago I had a herniated disk and a bulging disk in my thoracic; one of them was T5, can't remember the other.

It really got me down for a year or so, I completely shut down. It took me out of the climbing game for a long time... I starting swimming and that, along with PT and training smarter, got me where I am today: climbing better than ever. Wish I was smarter in my 20's but such is life!

    

Update - I'm 90-95% of the way back after 2x/week PT and loads of stretching at home on the other days. I'm climbing in the gym once again (outdoor rock season is done) and it feels good. I'll be easing into the ice season, as weather dictates.

Luna Luna wrote: Consider going to a doctor of chiropractic .  It’s literally their job to treat low back pain... and other neuro musculoskeletal complaints, including discogenic pain.  Like any other physician do research and find a good one.  A smart, qualified physician will help you help yourself conquer this issue better than any mp banter. 

I have low back issues. I was initially seeing a chiropractor for over a year with no real improvement. He insisted I had "subluxed facet syndrome" and that if I was adjusted often enough (visited and paid him), it would improve. It never did, in fact, it made it worse. I quit going after feeling awful after an adjustment and being laid up for days. In hindsight, the treatment was probably inappropriate for my condition (bulging discs and sciatica), and all the wrenching and twisting was bad for me.

Quitting the chiropractor helped, but I still wasn't 100%.

So I started serious PT and that did the trick. With a proper diagnosis and coaching, I was on the right track. I currently manage it with the occasional flare up, where it was previously a major part of my life.

I share this story to encourage people to not take the easy way out, by simply having someone adjust you over a few 15 minute sessions a week. You have to put in the work, strengthening and stretching. Do it religiously or it will flare up again, eventually. The idea of paying a professional to do the work for you is appealing, but it won't work long term.

Obviously, I've been influenced by my experience, but in my opinion, chiropractic is quackery. It boils down to a combination of the placebo effect and the endorphins that get released when you're adjusted that might make you feel better, but these don't address any of the fundamental issues.

You've just experienced a life-changing event--and that, in spite of the pain that you're probably enduring at present, is probably a good thing. Very few injuries of the type you're describing are traumatic; your symptoms are much more likely to have originated in chronic misuse or disuse. Now, and for the rest of your life, you are going to have to be an educated and actively interventionist owner of a spinal cord. Far from being the end of your athletic pursuits, this new phase of your life, with its necessary and constant attention to strength and flexibility training, its attendant knowledge of the neuromuscular system and the management of pain, may well be the phase in which you eventually exceed your current ability. Since the long-term outlook is the same in either case--being born again into a new world of self-care--the only reason to exercise the surgical option would be if you are, short-term, in intolerable pain. In short, you're not only going to be okay, you may ultimately be better than ever. You're just going to have to remember to always keep working at staying that way.

Paul Morrison wrote: You've just experienced a life-changing event--and that, in spite of the pain that you're probably enduring at present, is probably a good thing. Very few injuries of the type you're describing are traumatic; your symptoms are much more likely to have originated in chronic misuse or disuse. Now, and for the rest of your life, you are going to have to be an educated and actively interventionist owner of a spinal cord. Far from being the end of your athletic pursuits, this new phase of your life, with its necessary and constant attention to strength and flexibility training, its attendant knowledge of the neuromuscular system and the management of pain, may well be the phase in which you eventually exceed your current ability. Since the long-term outlook is the same in either case--being born again into a new world of self-care--the only reason to exercise the surgical option would be if you are, short-term, in intolerable pain. In short, you're not only going to be okay, you may ultimately be better than ever. You're just going to have to remember to always keep working at staying that way.

100% echo this. I had a really bad L4/L5 injury to the point where I could barely sit or sleep for 2 months. I had shit insurance at the time so toughed it out, made friends with a PT at the gym and rehabbed it on my own. Along with a good PT, the book "Spine Mechanic" by Dr. Stuart McGill is as good as gold. It was a ton of work, but I feel like I totally rediscovered my body in the process. It took the better part of the year, but I'm now significantly stronger than before, my posture is miles better, and I'm much more "in control".

Good luck, but definitely take it easy getting back into it! It's sooooo easy to reinjure yourself and fall back into bad patterns once the pain fades. Also be careful first thing in the morning and after any period of prolonged sitting - my rule is to be on my feet for 1hr prior to any hard physical exertion. 

Inversion chairs (NOT tables) are amazingly helpful things.

I should replied earlier. Blew L4 and L5 years ago. No surgery - surgeon said he could not do the stuff I did on normal day while i was recovering. Did three rounds of shots. What keeps me going? Doing pilates twice a week on fairly regular schedule. So my advice, find a good pilates studio and start going. My other half does it too.