can you fully recover from surgery for a bulging disc?

Question

I got a 'slightly' bulged disc in my lower back several yrs ago that pretty much ended my soccer dreams in college due to timing.
I tried to train on it too early and never really fully recovered.
After about 3yrs I missed battle ( I wrestled for 13yrs), so I started muay thai kickboxing and brazilian ju jitsu. I've found my legs to get extremely heavy, my gate movement is shaky, and occassionally I tweak my back doing a back bridge trying to bump someone off me. Then of course, the pains that go into my hips return and the pain in between my vertebrae as well.
I train when I'm not in ridiculous pain but before I set my heart on competing i want to know I'm 110% and I fear seeing a doc who will tell me I need surgery.
Should I see a chiropractor or acupunturist instead?

Answer 1

I had a 1cervical fusion my Dr. wanted to do another. I saw an acupuncturist. It really worked for me. I never had the 2nd surgery. My Dr. even ask how I got my range of motion back.It also helps with pain management.

Answer 2

You really should stop training for now. Trust me, I know you don't want to hear that but before you do any more damage and the pain gets worse you should go see a chiropractor first. You will probably have to get an x-ray or MRI done to see whats going on in there. The chiro will probably be able to help, they can do different types of therapy on you. There is the Decompression table that helps peolpe with bulging disc, also there is prolotherapy where they put an injection in and its supposed to tighten up the ligaments and helps the disc to go back and heal the surrounding area. Kinda pricey but anything is better than surgery. I know this cuz I have 5 bad discs in lower back. 3 are minor but the lower one which is between my L5/S1 is bad and affects the sciatica nerve down my left leg and affects my hips. I did some damage to myself because I am stubborn and wouldn't listen to anyone on how I should not work out so hard. I weight trained every day did competitions.
I was just told last September to not lift anything. That was the hardest thing to hear because I enjoy it so much. Pretty depressing. I also was gonna do another competition. I was told a month ago that my only fix is surgery. Something I tried to stay away from. But nothing has helped me. Still not sure if I'm going to go through with it. I have heard good and bad. Still want to find out my options. You should try the chiropractor first and see what they can do and then go from there. You shouldn't think about surgery now, they should be able to help you. Don't push yourself anymore you will do more damage. Good luck to you!!!

Answer 3

Two years ago, almost to the day, I had surgery on a bulging disc. Before I was in pain and discomfort, after the operation I was 95% better. When I tie laces on hockey shoes for the kids or when I bent over with a chainsaw I sometimes feel a tension in my lower back. That is a sign that I am overdoing things and need to take a break.
Yes you can recover completely. See a chiropractor first, then a Doctor then hospital. Good luck to you.

Answer 4

I don't mean to knock medical science, but once you go under the knife, your not getting back what they took. I've had both my knees scoped, and I speak from experience, if it can at all be avoided, avoid surgery of any kind.

I have a bulging disc in my lower back from a specific lift I made over a decade ago. It doesn't heal on it's own, and I will avoid surgery indefinitely if possible. Chiropractors or acupuncturists are like feel good massages, they don't really deal with causes, and can never replace a doctor entirely.

Answer 5

A lot of people resort to surgery after being injured and in situation like yours. However, every patient is different and has a different set of conditions so only a qualified surgeon can tell you whether or not you should undergo surgery. You must really seek medical advice.

Having said that, I would like to mention that since your injury has been around for many years, your insurance might not cover the costs of your surgery. That's the reason a lot of people these days go overseas to countries like India, Thailand, Singapore, Mexico, etc. as they can get high quality treatment for a lot cheaper as compared to the US/UK/Canada.

A friend of mine had a hip replacement surgery in India which cost her 1/5th of the price quoted to her in the US even after adding up her travel and other related expenses. She went through a medical tourism facilitator called Healthbase (http://www.healthbase.com). They connected her to a medical team overseas which helped answer her questions and clear her doubts even before she actually flew there. Check them out. They have a lot of resources online that you may find useful.