After Lumbar discectomy - will I recover?

Catharine, sorry about your issues.

I am a spine surgeon, so hopefully I can help a little.

Numbness and tingling are always the last to go away. It can take up to 12-18 months for the nerves to recover a well as they can. Because nerve injury due to pressure/biochemical changes can be permanent, we don't any way to give you a timeline for recovery.

Same goes with pain. A massive herniation can cause ischemia (diminished blood flow) to the nerve which can lead to permanent changes. Not often, but occasionally.

Most patients will recover well within 3-6 months as far as strength, sensation and pain. Some are quicker than others.

Keep at your core strength program as well as your aerobic conditioning. Fortunately, pain does not typically mean you are causing damage in this circumstance.

Good luck.
Gray Stahlman, MD
Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance

Hi All,

I had my surgery on June 30th following 8 months of hellish pain and latterly being unable to walk for more than 20 paces at a time.  Had previously been fit and healthy, but we think that old sporting injuries had caused the L5S1 to herniate.  The pain was like a blow tourch on my left ankle, left lateral calf and left buttock area.

Following the op my pain had almost gone, and was left with only pins and needles in left foot which was a result as far as I was concerned.  I am now 3 weeks post op, and I have the usual stiffness in the wound site, but have noticed the nerve pain developing slightly at the same sites as before  I am hoping that this is down to the sciatic nerve damage repairing itself and also that I am now walking in a more 'normal' gait pattern, so I imagine that my muscles are being stretched more than they had been for 8 months.

Can I ask what the previous person was referring to re exercises etc as I am seeing a physio this week and am keen to keep the nerve moving properly to stop it sticking and causing pain.

Gill

L5 S1 here too.  I think there ought to be an association.  I saw someone at the gym the other day stretching and saw the scar, and after we talked, yep sure nuff.  L5 S1 surgery too.

Did my damage shoveling snow in the cold north east of upstate New York, almost 15 years ago.  I almost never remember it unless I sneeze or slip without supporting my back.  Then it's back to a hobble, and cane to get around for a week or two.

Core, core, core, and lots of swimming for me.  It does get better with time.

Hi,
 I feel sorry for your back pain... Its good to do Lumbar discectomy.... Lumbar discectomy is a procedure to remove part of a problem disc that causing pain by stressing the spinalcord in the low back. This can reduce your back pain.. I can also suggest you about irehab.com where lower back prevention exercises are given that help you strengthen the muscles around your lower back. Hope this solve your problem..


Edited by george15 2009-08-04 4:43 AM

Hey guys,

          No doubt im the youngest here but i just had L5/L4 herniation from a massive injury in the gym weight lifting which resulted in a Lumbar Laminactomy and discectomy, and believe me the amount of people who said you should have done this and that etc. Thing is "Yes, i know" too late now. I normally wear a weight belt and on this one sunny morning it ewas in the boot of the car and i thought u know what it should be fine as any young person does but a slight twist when looking in the mirror made a pretty bad sound in my spine. I basically went home with no idea what i had done and tried to sleep it off, that lasted about 20 minutes till i was almost in tears with pain and yet i have had a million football injuries and broken bones nothing this bad though.

         I had one of my friends take me to the hospital to be checked out and after an Xray i was told i had fractured 2 vertabraes and it would be painfull but i would get crutches and be sent home, i went on to explain to the doctor that i have broken bones etc before and i felt there was more wrong to check it in more detail, to which he told me no he had diagnosed the problem and basically goodbye.

         I called family who advised me to demand an MRI to which i did and glad i did because they come back to me and told me i needed surgery ASAP and this would be done in 2 hours, I decided to leave the hospital as it was public and i do have private health and through the footy club i manage find a very reputable surgeon who operated and ST Vincents private on Spetember 8th 2009.

        After surgery i found the pain was totally gone i have slight numbeness down the left side of my left leg and some weakness in the lower leg and alot more in the foot being unable to lift my toes up but i can walk fine by now. I went to a rehab centre as an inpatient here i have some full on physio for about 2 weeks and being 22 this was the most full on experience i have ever had expecially being told that im so young to have this. Now im finally back home and i cannot tell if im getting any sensation back in my left foot but, it has been less than a month since the op and i know nerves can take 12+ months to heal if they do at all as it can also be permanent.

        One of my main concerns at this stage is the loss of some serious flexibility in the hamstrings i cant even sit with my legs straight out in front of me they are so tight and the fact that my leg gets tired after walking for half hour or so but by the sounds of things the recovery is going pretty well and i will ditch deadlifts, squats etc. It does annoy me how many people have said theres no need to be bigger or lifting heavy etc and you should do more cardio, now im not the biggest person around but one of the biggest in my group of friends and i don't lift weights for that reason i do it for the enjoyment it is one of the best feelings i have after i have smashed a good session of weights with the guys and the thought of not doing that again was killing me but if i adjust then i should be ok i won't be Mr Olympia, the 1 pilates session i was doing every 2 months will be stepped up to every week because the core will be a very big focus, Re-Herniation is not an option.

        I will be able to go back to work on the 19th October which i work behind a desk all day every day another reason why footy and weights is very impoirtant to me but financially as well this is not something you would want to happen to anyone that you know and im very glad i made the decision to not sleep it off and to not go home on crutches, you get very down after surgery since the only time you have is thinking time but i have found that theres alot of people worse off expecially after 2 weeks in a rehabilitation clinic i never want to go back lol and through all the numbness and loss of strength ill remain positive and hope it comes back not to 100% im told but maybe 90% or so at the moment it is probably at about 50%, anybody who is considering surgery get as many opinions as you can and don't rush into it, I had no choice but i did take other measures to make sure i was in good hands.

      Fingers crossed on footy season next year and back to the 120Kg bench press with the boys, not really but ill just stick to the bar i think, im not taking any risks haha

Thanks,
Jayden

Edited by Jayden191 2009-10-03 6:51 AM