24.. feel 94..

[rzefxuigioqiqkeru]

Hiya, I'm new here, looking for a bit of advice.

August 2005, making sandwiches in my kitchen, twisted round, and that was it, paralysed practically, and turns out i've slipped a disc..
Emergency Dr comes out, pethadine injection, and some Co-Codomol, and some diclofenac.. 3 days later i'm up and moving.. 2 weeks later back at work, seeing a physio and a Chairo, however have a numb left foot, with some proper agonising back pain every afternoon from about 1pm (we dont get sick pay, so didnt have a choice)

Concerned about this numbness so goes and sees GP in November (3 months later) who states that it is normal and that I should come back in Jan.

Back I trot in Jan, only to be told I need back xrays. So i get the back xrays and she tells me that she can see my bottom two vertabra all squashed up together (i guess becuase there is no disc between!) and refers me for an MRI, with the possibility of surgery.

YOU WHAT.. Surgery? isnt there anything else in between????

Anyone know what sort of surgery she meant? theres a few procedures that i've found on the internet, however the only thing she said was that they fused the vertabrea apart??

So, here I am, panicing waiting for an MRI, just wondering what the outcome might be!

Any advice would be greatfully recieved!!

thanks

Claire

 

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I had the same scenario (except I was trampolining and not making sandwiches), and was offered a microdiscectomy for slipped L4/L5. I refused and took up Pilates, which I now teach. SoI would suggest going to someone who could help you learn some core stability so that yourbody could learn to support itself again. My back is now at least as good as it was 10 years ago, before the accident, and I notice it's still improving, depending on the exercises I do.
Good luck,
Sharon.

 

[arman]

Hiya,

thanks for the quick reply, Pilates? I might give it a try? I'm somewhat overweight for my height (5'11 - so that didnt help with theback anyway!) would I still be able to do Pilates? is it a bit like Yoga? or will my weight hinder me?

Tx
Claire

 

[ahandle101]

HI Claire. Your weight wouldn't hinder you at all. yes it's a bit like yoga, but with more focus on the internal muscle strengthening and less on stretching. Wait until you are at least relatively comfortable before doing Pilates, and if I were you I'd do a couple of 1:1s before I went to classes. Check your teacher's qualifications - ask how long her course was. There are quite a few aerobic teachers who have done a weekend course and set themselves up as Pilates teachers. It's more like a craft 6-9 months training isn't uncommon for good courses and some are longer.
Sharonxx

 

[Katie M]

Clare,

Don't rush into surgery, I was told I needed immediate suregery by one surgeon over a year ago and with rest and exercise I made significant steps forwards. The second opinion surgeon said that surgery wouldn't have helped my problems and could have made them worse. Just because you are dealing with doctors doesn't mean they always are right.

I still have problems and may need something doing in the future but get your back as strong as you can first (Pilates is excellent as mentioned) to make sure that it's simply not a case of you have weak back muscles that is causing all the problems. It makes sense remember, if you have weak muscles they do do not stop gravity from compressing the discs and therefore you get problems. Get the muscles strong and then if you still have issues then consider other treatments.

Steve