How long should you have pain after a herniated disk?

Question

I had surgery for a herniated disk at L4-5 last February. I'm still off work because of pain & difficulty sleeping. I've been looking for work in my field in the last few months with no luck so far. During a blizzard & cold snap this week my pain has really increased. Last night I only slept for 5 hrs & then only dosed off after that. How long have others been struggling like this after herniating a disk?

I had surgery last February, as stated in the original post. The gel from the disk was removed at that time.

Answer 1

Hello =)

I had a herniated disc when I was 18 years old. Surgery was not an option because of my weight, and that it was L-1 - 2.

I did "recover" through physical therapy, and physical posture re-education. Weather related inflammation and "flare-ups" due to activity continue to this day (25 years later).

Sorry I don't have better news for you. I think you are looking at a lifetime of anti-inflammatories, and perhaps opiate pain killers, the same as most of us...... Eventually, you find a balance, and can learn what activities, and how much are acceptable to your body.

You may never be able to return to your field of work, depending upon what it was......

Employers, also, will discriminate against you, because you are a significant health insurance liability. You need to be "symptom free" for several years before employers ignore this problem completely, unfortunately. When you answer the question "Have you been hospitalized within the last 2 years?" you are providing them the information needed to discriminate against you, and if you lie, they will find out, as soon as their insurance company pulls your medical records, and you will likely be fired. It is not that they are trying to be malicious....they are merely looking out for themselves....

It will all work out OK in the end, but you need to start thinking of yourself as being among the "marginals" of society, and no longer part of the mainstream "employer/employee" model........

Namaste,

--Tom

Answer 2

I had the same surgury way back in 1989. The surgury went really well and I was very pleased. But after about six weeks I had recurring pain and couldn't understand why, now I had my surgury in Winnipeg and they did the old fashioned way back then. the difference now with lasers and such is just amazing. But I'm getting offf track here. The pain that came back was caused by scar tissue growing around the surgical site, MRI's showed that was the problem. So if I were you I'd get back to your Neouro or Ortho and let him know immediately that your in pain again. I'm having a root block after all these years and were are hoping it will relieve the pain from the scar tissue. Also I'm hoping they can relieve the pain by lasering off the scare tissue that's touching the spinal cord, but that's very risky. So the root block first to see how long it will last and then we'll see. I really wish you well and there is so much new in back surgury your chances of recovering from this are so good now. All the best to you and please let your Dr. know so they can find out if that's what the problem is. Good luck and good health.

Answer 3

That is not going to go away unless you have surgery.

That herniation will cause a chain reaction of loosen disc up your spine...the end result is nasty. Get it fixed right away.

What is happening is that you have more mobility in the spine and vertebrae now and that encroaches upon your central nerve in your spinal Cord and that causes pain.
You will have to get surgery or what will happen is the lessened disc causes the next one on the upper level to take more stress as you bend causing it to eventually rupture and the chain reaction begins.

There is no cure for the damage that has begun. You will have this for life.

Answer 4

I can,t speak from experience ,but I dated a gentleman a few years ago who had back surgery for the same thing and it left him with a limp and his back was pretty much pooched.
The back is very delicate n,the pain is herendous , thank god I have a good back ,but once in a while if I pull it the wrong way at the gym it can be crippling.
Maybe go to a gym and have a consoltation with a trainer, but ask your doctor first, there may be an exercise for you.

Answer 5

My dad had surgery too but once he got over the surgery the pain was gone. He also had like a bone spur pushing his spinal cord that made him almost handycap both surgeries in one day, september '06 and now he can do everything just like he used to. I hope you get better, Good luck!

Answer 6

What kind of work do you do? I have heriated disks, didnt have them operated on, and mine did get a little better with taking it easy( not totally laying around, you have to get up and move)and be careful on how you do things, walking does help this, it worked for me...good luck with it