Viewing 6 posts - 43 through 48 (of 74 total)
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  • seb_nied
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    Post count: 24

    Thanks both for your comments.

    The opinion I received from my doctor was similar to what Dr. Corenman answered. The T2 image shows the herniation has a white interior and my doctor said it might dehydrate spontaneously and we will check it again in 6 weeks with an MRI. He also suggested to avoid any activity in the meantime (don’t do even PT) to not put any unnecessary loading on the spine. If it doesn’t reduce it will calcify and a second microdiscectomy should be considered to remove it as it will keep causing partial nerve compression.

    In my case the new herniation is much smaller than the first one, the nerve looks to be partially free but I still have occasional flares and a dull feeling in my leg (strangely mostly in my knee). I’m doing only walking now and I noticed the more walking I do the more my leg feels tired in the evening causing me discomfort. Usually laying reduces my symptoms.
    I think the symptoms are probably due to a combination of inflamed nerve from the previous herniation and surgery and a light compression from the new herniation activated only with certain activities that cause certain nerve movements. For example this morning when I moved my foot up I felt tingling in my three last toes which I figured it must have been caused either by a nerve stretch or movement that was causing the nerve to touch the herniation.

    From how I understand it now, if the new herniation doesn’t dehydrate and it calcifies, it will not reduce in size and it will still be causing problems even if minor. I’m not sure now how much PT could help after that happens, as I see it more as a solution to reduce the loads on you spine by strengthening the supporting muscles and correcting your posture, but if you have a hard piece of disc protruding, PT will not remove it. Is then another surgery the only solution?

    I’m surprised that my doctor didn’t recommend PT to treat the recurrent herniation at this early stage. Maybe this dehydration mechanism is unknown and as Dr. Corenman says no one knows if it will happen and how long it will take. I’m challenging the fact though that if something can be done to reduce loads on the spice in this early healing stage then probably it should be done?!

    george
    Participant
    Post count: 10

    You didn’t mention how many weeks have past since you had the microdiscectomy.
    As you said you might still have symptoms from the first herniation and the surgery.
    Maybe is too soon for PT as your surgeon told you.
    Iniitially my doctor recommended to start PT two weeks after the surgery, but then telling him that I still have bottock pain and leg pain he told me to wait, then when it was one month after the surgery and I made the MRI he saw the new herniation and he told me that I can start PT if I don’t have intense pain, because I’m not at risk…
    Same as you, I have doubts about how PT could help in this kind of situations, I always had then even before the surgery especially because for me it didn’t work before the surgery…
    I never had an epidural, have you? As dr Corenman said, it might help.

    seb_nied
    Participant
    Post count: 24

    Hi George,
    I had the surgery on the 30th of December so I’m hitting now the 6th week. The second MRI was done 4 weeks after the surgery and the doctor told me to wait for another 6 weeks from the recurrent herniation, meaning in total 10 weeks after surgery. I’m now 2 weeks after the recurrent herniation and I’m not in extreme pain, on the contrary, some days when I keep it easy I am almost pain free.
    I’m kind of scared to start anything that might compromise my recovery but as I’m a very active person I also don’t want to lay down and just wait.
    A lot of friends are telling me that PT helped them a lot that’s why I’m staring to seriously consider this option as I’m hitting now my 6 weeks after the OP.
    I haven’t tried yet injections, the doctor at the hospital said this could be an option if the pain persists for weeks after the re-herniation.
    Tomorrow I have a consultation with another doctor to review my two MRIs and my current situation. Will keep you posted!
    Sebastian

    seb_nied
    Participant
    Post count: 24

    Hi,
    A brief update from the visit with the new neurosurgeon yesterday.
    He was very clear that there are 2 options, the conservative one and the surgery if the conservative one doesn’t work.
    He proposed to go ahead with 3 cortisone injections (one every month) together with medications and physio. Medications consist in 3 days of cortisone pills (Fortecortin) and a cycle of nerve pain medication (Neurotin). If it comes to a situation that in one or two months I do not see any improvement and if the 3rd MRI that I have scheduled in 4 weeks doesn’t show any reduction of the new herniation I will probably discuss a revision microdiscectomy.
    In the meantime he strongly suggested PT and try to move as much as possible. Double check with the therapist what kind of movements and exercises are recommend and start training my leg which is currently badly in atrophy.
    I will continue with this plan and let know how it progresses.
    Cheers,
    Sebastian

    george
    Participant
    Post count: 10

    Hello Sebastian,

    Thanks for the update.
    How bad is your pain on a scale 1-10? Mine is a 4.Do you have pain when walking or when sitting or after sitting? When you say your leg is badly in atrophy , what exactely does that mean, do you feel it tight when walking?
    I’m asking you because a lot of days during my recovery/after reherniation, especially when walking I felt this way, my leg was feeling like it was shorter, and something was keeping it tight in my bottock(I don’t know how to explain this better).Now it’s better but I still feel it that way sometimes.
    I’m also considering cortison injections, please let me know if you feel better after the first one.
    After you check with the therapist could you please share with me what kind of exercises he ore she recommended you?
    I wish you well and let’s hope your situation will improve.

    seb_nied
    Participant
    Post count: 24

    Hi George!
    Thanks for your message and for sharing your conditions. I’d say that my symptoms are pretty much what you described. I have a 3-4 out of 10 pain, really tight muscles in my calf and thigh, sometimes a cramp feeling mostly in the calf, high discomfort if my press with my knuckles on my buttock muscles and a loss of sensibility against temperature on my calf, my last three toes and bottom of my foot.
    By atrophy I mean the size of my leg. I lost quite a substantial amount of mass from my calf, hamstring and buttock. That’s probably where the leg weakness is coming from. I think it’s slowly getting better as I’m able to do more calf raises without feeling cramps in the muscle.

    I generally feel good during walking and laying, I’m feeling higher discomfort after sitting and standing for a longer time and also during the evenings if i do too much walking and standing. I’m thinking that my back muscles give up after a certain point and my leg pain gets worse. I found my sweet spot by doing 3 to 4 20/30-minute walks per days. If i do this sometimes I’m pain free.

    I think this sounds like we are pretty much on the same boat! I will let you know my developments of course ;)

    Cheers,
    Sebastian

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