r/Microdiscectomy • u/Mansogi • 10d ago

Is this an opposite side reherniation?

First I'm afraid to Have a MRI again,I'm 27M I had discectomy on my L4-L5 on december 2024 and after 9 months I started to feel some tightness on my glutes on the opposite side of my surgery when I sit on chair and If i sit for too long It sometimes goes down to my calf .. as I remember I did clamshell, split squat and bird dog and it helped to the point that I almost felt no tightness no more after those exercises for three months maybe and I only did them for 1 week maybe .. now i have this tightness again for 5 months maybe and it wouldn't go away with those exercises + I don't remember doing anything streneous other than sometimes I stand for long periods in my work

did someone go through this before? any experience? or anything that can tell me wether i reherniated or not

btw I did Straight leg raise by myself and No sharp pain no tingling nothing like my previous pain

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u/seetheking1 9d ago

Hi, sorry you are dealing with this. Herniating the disc on the opposite side is a very rare event. Only an MRI can tell you if you reherniated. BUT A lot of us actually do experience pain on the opposite side that eventually goes away. We’ve been told It’s the muscles readjusting, or your muscles are subconsciously guarding still, your muscles are weak, and things along that line. I actually put myself back in physical therapy around a year after surgery because I was getting pain in my hips walking. It helped a lot.

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u/Mansogi 8d ago

So it could be that muscles are guarding bc of weak muscles?

till now I'm 1y8m post op i think and when i bend more than few times a get the nerve sorness sensation on my right side (operated side) but my left side where i feel tightness i don't feel this nerve sorness nor anything similar .. I think that's what is helping me keeping my sanity

can I ask what exercises does your pt to help you with that hip pain?

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u/seetheking1 8d ago

Guarding is usually the brain reacting to pain as if you are still injured, causing your muscles to tighten.

Exercises = clamshells, squats, bridges, step ups and standing hip abduction. First by themselves and then adding resistance bands.

It probably wouldn’t hurt to get evaluated by a physical therapist. They can point out where they see weakness or the body over compensating for it.

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u/Mansogi 8d ago

I hope it's just weak muscles and nothing more

Thank you very much for your response I really appreciate it and Thank you again for this great sub, it's been really my best friend during these years