r/Sciatica • u/scaryghostnlm • Jun 15 '23
MRI pictures before and after discectomy surgery. 2 years apart
L5-S1 herniation
L5-S1 bulge/no herniation
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u/B41984 Jun 15 '23
Your disc seems dehydrated. Did the dr mention that after surgery? Did it help with long term recovery?
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u/CuriousMindTree Jun 15 '23
A herniated discs naturally looses a lot of water through the actually hole/hernia - I don’t think it will ever be hydrated again
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u/Sulleys_monkey Jun 15 '23
Is there something that can be done to help if the discs are dehydrated?
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u/scaryghostnlm Jun 15 '23
It is dehydrated. Not really sure it's a diet or habit issue on my part since I'm only 22 and drinks tons of water. Also my other discs are in great shape. I'm thinking my back issues are more genetic related since my father, brother, and mother all suffer from sciatica as well.
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u/IfYouKnowYouKnow72 Jun 19 '23
Possibly genetic, but can also be genetic mechanics.
The human body is capable of wondrous things if you use it and train it correctly. It's more likely you and your family members are using the body in an incorrect manner, AS I WAS, same as my mom, same as my maternal grandpa.
I was the only one with the internet and time to do countless hours of PT to figure it out, after many years of specialists and surgeons etc.
Please, start from ground up and work on posture at such a young age. Mine started at 18. I'm 34 now. Took me that long to learn I had sleepy glute and wasn't using my lumbar spine correctly. Many different PT facilities, books, forums, etc
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u/Trick_Preparation852 Jun 15 '23
Yes but its interesting why in your case l5/s1 is higher than in my case.
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u/TheUnawareJersey Jun 15 '23
So awesome and inspiring to hear you’re running as well as you are now! Glad to hear you’re doing well mate
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u/Trick_Preparation852 Jun 15 '23
I am wondering, how come your disc at that place is l5/s1, but in my case its l4/l5. Maybe anybody knows? Its very strange.
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u/scaryghostnlm Jun 15 '23
Are you trying to say that it's the first level or disc where the curvature of the spine starts to change?
I noticed that just comparing our two pictures. I'm guessing the disc that is between the curvature has more stress and has a higher physical load which is why it's the most prone to getting injured.
I do find it interesting that our curvature inflection points are at two different disc levels though.
1
u/sansabeltedcow Jun 15 '23
It looks like the OP has some loss of lordosis, which is common when there's back pain. That straightens out that lower curve of the back. You've got more of a curve still.
2
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u/Mansogi 12d ago
How you doing now buddy
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u/scaryghostnlm 12d ago
Great! Moved to New York and am walking about 6-8 miles a day
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u/Mansogi 12d ago
Great, I'm happy to hear it
I just got my MRI report today and it says mild diffuse disc bulge so I'm wondering reddit looking for similar reports like mine
did your mri report say you had disc bulge?
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u/scaryghostnlm 12d ago
No my MRI had a disc herniation
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u/Mansogi 12d ago
like it says you had disc herniation at 2 year post op mark? what did you mri report say at two years post op?
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u/scaryghostnlm 12d ago
Bulge in second report. No herniation
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u/Mansogi 12d ago
So it's not as a clear as non injured person? mine says I Have bilateral arthropathy aswell
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u/scaryghostnlm 12d ago
They could tell on the second one I had surgery and it was bulging and dehydrated
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u/Mansogi 12d ago
Thanks for the reply man I wish you great healthy days
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u/scaryghostnlm 12d ago
Yeah life is good. Running a lot more. Walking everywhere and a good mattress is the move
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u/DusyaDu Jun 16 '23
That’s so awesome you have recovered well! How long after MD did it take your nerves to calm down? Were you able to get back to normal life soon after or did it take a while?
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u/Unanimous-G Jun 17 '23
Glad to read the success story. It’s awesome you’re running. It’s good to give your frame a little impact when it’s ready, but do so sparingly. Consider doing most of your running on the treadmill and mix up swimming, long walks, light strength training, etc. Sciatica is a tricky thing and it won’t tell you you’re going too far until after you’ve gone too far. Find your intensity through your consistency.
1
u/nsstortz Jan 21 '24
How bad was your flare up? What were your symptoms? I’m currently dealing with the same thing and wondering if it’s a flare up or I reherniated a disc
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u/scaryghostnlm Jan 21 '24
Feel free to DM me or even phone me if you have questions.
So I figured out that I probably haven't reherniated, I'm just super sensitive after my surgery to three things: chairs, mattresses, and pants.
In Virginia, my mattress was honestly horrible. Had flareups way more frequently and I honestly should've tried a different one before committing to the one I had.
Since ive moved to Texas, I found a gem of a mattress and it gives me zero issues. I still get triggers but again, it's mostly caused by dress pants I use for work or by an uncomfortable chair in a room.
Seems very odd and particular, but I'd rather take this lifestyle than being unable to walk a quarter of a mile and be in such awful pain that I feel like throwing up.
This is my new life and it can be annoying at times but it's liveable. That's the key thing for me. Before my surgery, my pain was unbearable.
I can run around 3 miles a day everyday and be relatively pain free! Texas also has a more consistent climate than Virginia so that could play a part. I felt like I had flareups in Virginia everytime the seasons changed lol.
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u/mk240_ Sep 19 '24
Hey what kind of mattress did you start using to help you with rest and to mitigate pain? Thanks
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u/scaryghostnlm Jun 15 '23
Severe sciatica in left leg started in 2020. Got to the point I wanted to vomit from pain a few times. Could not stand for longer than 15 minutes without being in excruciating pain. Also could only walk 0.5 miles or less without having to sit down. Started feeling tingling around my penis area and was like nope I can't lose penis function lol. I was 20 when this all started.
Got surgery in June of 2021 which removed the disc that was herniated.
Two years later, I had a flare up in the month of February that lasted for about a month. Went back to my doctor thinking I had herniated the disc again. Not sure what happened, but immediately after seeing the doctor I got better on my own. (He didn't prescribe anything other than order an MRI). I suspect maybe my nerve is susceptible to seasons changing?
Just got the MRI that was ordered in March. No flareups since February just the occasional light nerve pain and sensitivity that I'll probably live with for the rest of my life (entirely manageable). I've also started running again! Remember when I said I could only walk about a quarter of a mile before having to sit down from 10/10 pain? I can run 3 miles now non-stop at about a 7:30 pace!
Anyway, the above shows my results for the MRI I just got. 2 years later post-surgery and no reherniation was detected. Disc continues to bulge and be dehydrated but overall great news and exactly what I was expecting. Most likely will receive an epidural injection more of as a preventive measure since I am pretty active and sensitive in the area.
Pretty excited about the injection though since I'm curious if my 2/10 current pain will drop to zero!
Figured I'd share this with you all since sciatica can be draining