I have a L5-S1 herniated disc. Can i lift my kid ??
969425
You need to call your doctor again and ask what your actual weight restriction is.  If the docs office vague again SPEAK UP and ask how many pounds specifically am I allowed to lift and how long is this weight restriction for.  You are the patient so if you don't get the answers you need the first time speak up and ask again.  Do not let the docs office give you vague answers about anything you ask whenever you speak with them.  Speak up and ask them to be specific.
716274
In terms of your disc herniation, it is doubtful that it will disqualify you. A large number of the human population has asymptomatic disc herniations confirmed by MRI studies on asymptomatic patients. Further MRI studies on cadavers, in which during life- had no complaints of back pain. It is estimated that some 30-40 % of the population have disc herniations. Furthermore there is absolutely no clinical correlation between size (mild/moderate/marked) of the herniation and severity of the patient's pain. \nRegarding your steroid. If at some point of time the pain becomes too great, whereupon all conservative treatment methods have failed. Sure, go with the steroid. A steroids main purpose is to inhibit inflammation- because inflammation results in pain. Inflammation is somewhat good in that its real purpose is to move "cells" to the area to help repair. If you INHIBIT this process, you in effect INHIBIT healing. (ice slows the process down some whilst decreasing pain). Steroids have also shown to result in periarticular osteoporosis ( slight bone loss at the point of injection). Spinal decompression makes sense as your first line of treatment. Think of your disc like a jelly doughnut. Some your jelly has leaked out. The jelly is irritating surrounding nervous tissue--> pain. Decompression causes a negative vaccuum in that disc to help it suck the jelly back in. If your chiro is good... he will then start you off with some stabilization exercises to help with the pain and future occurances of pain.
585824
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Your Doctor should have told you this lifting to much weight can harm you and your baby! The doctors usualy say not to lift more than 10lbs! And your three and 12 year old is able to walk so let her/him so she/he can become a little more independent! I had six kids and all was born pretty close together believe me you don't want to have to end up carrying the baby and the toddler at the same time if you have to and you toddler is tiered of walking use a stroller or a wagon!
638361
Yes it can. Since it does not seem that it was treated, the damage to the disc was increased through continued movement and lifting (if you did any lifting). Left untreated it is possible that the disc degenerated over 2 years. 2 years is a long time to walk around with a ruptured disk in your lumbar region.
334790
Sorry my friend, there is a wide range of outcome for a slip disc...some, but few, ever recover to full capacity.\nExercise, stretching, physiotherapy, and in extreme cases (eg severely debilitating or life threatening), surgery. \nChiropractice is more contraversial in terms of helping with slip disc. Some swear by it, some shoot it down. Doctors and physiotherapists generally don't endorse it though. \nAsk your doctor for what kind of exercise or other methods you can do to help you ease the problem.
1036215
JS,\nI'm somewhat familiar with your situation as I'm pretty much in the same boat.  I'm 54 and have degenerative disk disease (DDD) with 11 herniated and/or bulging disks in my upper and lower back.  It sounds like you might have the same thing along with the scoliosis.  Have you had an MRI of your upper back?  It's not a big deal knowing it, since there's no cure or treatment for DDD, in fact they're not sure what causes it.  The bottom line with DDD is there's nothing they can do but treat the pain.  Injuries to the spinal cord or the nerves that attach to the spinal cord do not heal themselves nor will they "reroute" themselves as other nerves in your body sometimes can.  With spinal nerve damage, once it happens, you've got it forever.\n\nI've got a damaged nerve on the left side of the T3/T4 disk that's been causing me constant pain for over 3 years now.  I was coughing, of all things, and blew the disk out, which crushed or dented the nerve.  I've been in constant, terrible pain ever since.  Every hour, every day, it hasn't let up, not even for a second.  There's no "comfortable position," no way to ease that "ice pick in the back" pain I have.  It just "is" and it takes over every aspect of your life.  Sometimes I do something, move a certain way, and bingo, the pain shoots up near the top of the scale.  Sometimes it goes back to "normal" (around a 3 or 4 on the pain scale) after a few minutes and sometimes it stays up there around an 8 or 9 for two or three days. Sometimes I can do some particular thing without making it worse and then I do the same thing a week later and I'm back in the jackpot.  It seems there's no reason or rhyme to it.  \n\nI've had 5 Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI), which unfortunately did nothing but give me diabetes, one more thing I have to deal with.  Ok, I should say that the docs think the ESI *did* work, in that it caused the disk to shrink just as it was supposed to, but unfortunately the physical damage to the nerve was already done and that's what is causing the chronic pain.  \n\nI'm taking some pretty strong pain killers, morphine and codeine (can you spell "addict"?), plus I've just started Lyrica.  I tried Neurontin a couple of years ago but it didn't help.  I'm hoping the Lyrica will help this time and maybe I can get off the morphine, which, for one thing doesn't work all that well but also it has some bad side effects.  Mine aren't as bad as some I've talked to, but they're bad enough.  Yes, I know it could be worse and while I have a great deal of sympathy for others that are worse off than me, hearing about the plight of someone else doesn't make me feel any better.\n  \nI'm also taking some stuff called Zanaflex (generic name: Tizanidine) which, while it has some side effects, really helped when I started getting extremely sharp, radiating pains that went from the damaged nerve at the T3/T4 site, down the back of my left arm and up the back of my neck.  The Zanaflex stopped the pain right away and it's one of the best meds I've ever taken when it comes to doing what it's supposed to.  I stopped taking it for a day and the pains came back, so I know it's working.  Zanaflex is a muscle relaxer and apparently the pain in my arm and neck were the result of muscle spasms generated by the nerve damage in my back.\n\nThe biggest problem I have with it is that it knocks me out cold!  I've talked to others that have had different, intolerable, side effects, so it's not going to work for everyone.  I'm supposed to take 4mg three times a day but instead I take two of them (8mg) before I go to bed.  It has a dual effect of stopping the pain plus it's a fantastic sleep aid - but you better not change your mind about sleeping after you take it!  \n\nOne of the best things about it is that it
1050214
Although I am not male, I think disc problems are the same.\n\nI have had ruptured discs at L4, L5 & S1.\n\nFirst doctor tried medication, did this for 2 years and I only got worse.\n\nNext I went to a pain center (by this time I was in a wheel chair).  I was starting to get better with therapy and disc injections, but then I had a set back.  Pain doctor sent my to a surgeon and by this time my left leg was completely numb.  He did a lamonectomy (not sure if I spelled it right).  This is where they remove the herniated part of the disc.  I was back on my feet in about 3 days and coaching little legue ball.  I was fine for about a year and then it happened again.  Doctor said he could not tell me why, but part of it had to do with my genes. (I am 3rd generation on both sides with the same disc problem.)  This time he did a spinal fusion.   This is where they remove the bad discs and fuse the vertebrate together.  That has been over 5 years ago and I have not had one single problem with my back. \n\nI will tell you , like I was told by many people that had the same surgery.  You will have problem with your hip where they get the bone to fuse the vertebrate.  I am like a human berometer (sp).  LOL
886243
A ruptured disk is no laughing matter. I will have to assume that the rupture is in a critical area to be recommended surgery. And I understand how scary it is to be going under surgery.\n\nThe suggestion of getting an epidural-steroid injection is a smart idea. It is usually used for bulging disks that rest on nerves or to reduce complications/issues in a post surgical environment. I had this done both before and after the partial laminectomy on my L5-S1 disk.\n\nFor me, I had to come to grips that surgery would be the only way out of the pain I was experiencing. I was in a rear-end collision (I was the one hit) and it ruptured a healthy disk that went untreated for 6 months (25 weeks to the day). I suffer for that delay (and it is in litigation with Worker's Comp). Even when I found that the surgery was being scheduled (and gratefully so), I was terrified the day before. I could not sleep, rest, or even get it off my mind.\n\nThe doc eben asked me the morning of my surgery (he is not quick to cut) if this is what I wanted. He told me that there was a 30% chance that I will not be healed and that of the 30%, there was a 50% chance that I would be paralyzed down the left side. My only question to him was "Will the pain end?" He said "Yes" and that cinched it.\n\nI am not saying that surgery is the answer. I am saying that being scared is okay. Even with 2 months of being ready for the inevitable surgery, I was still afraid the night before. I knew the risks, I knew the possible complications. I am glad that I did have the surgery. With the proper follow-up care and adherance to physicians' orders, you can heal remarkably well. And depending on which disk it is, you can be relatively back to normal as if the repairs were never needed.\n\nFor me, I will never be able to do what I used to. But then again, it was untreated for 6 months and it is a primary load-bearing disk.\n\nI hope this has helped.
16639
I'd suggest talking with your child's doctor about this if possible.  He's still developing, so actually lifting weights could be dangerous.\n\nHowever, getting him into youth sports may be a good alternative if weightlifting isn't a good idea.  He can build muscle and learn teamwork at the same time.
714561
i am a chiropractor and specialize in spine related injuries. the disc acts as both a cushion and a spacer between each vertebrae. if a disc is bulging/herniated, that bulge can put pressure on the nerves exiting between each vertebra which causes a "pinched nerve." also if the disc is wearing out (getting thinner) you lose the space between the vertebra, which leaves less room for those nerves to exit--and again can pinch a nerve. the nerves in your cervical spine (neck) go all the way down your arm while the nerves in your lumbar spine (low back) form the sciatic nerve which runs all the way down your leg. if any of these are "pinched" they can cause pain, numbess, tingling, weakness wherever these nerves go (down arms/legs).\n\nas a chiropractor i see this type of scenario on a daily basis. for those who have degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, disc bulging, etc.--normal chiropractic care can usually help with those problems. but there are also many people out there that have had this problem for many years and can't find relief with anything they try--including chiropractic. \n\nbut now there is a treatment that is perfect for your situation and the best part is: it's non-surgical and non-invasive. if you haven't heard of it yet it is called spinal decompression. this type of treatment focuses on disc injuries and the problems they cause. i use the DRX9000 spinal decompression system in my office and it works wonders for people with these types of injuries (approx. 90% successful). the DRX9000 is fda approved and is the best decompression system available (there are cheap knock-offs that don't give the same results). \n\nmy recommendation would be to see a chiro, especially if you've never tried it before-just to see what they have to say. also do some research on this treatment and then contact someone (usually a chiro) who uses it in their office. i would just google "DRX9000" to find info on it and doctors in your area who may have it. this treament is able to encourage the disc to go back to it's normal orientation and also rebuild its height--which then takes the pressure off whatever nerve it is compressing. pain meds, cortisone shots, epidurals won't do anything to solve the problem--all they do is cover it up and they become less and less effective over time. surgery AT BEST is 50% successful and usually doesn't solve the problem since most people need another surgery 5-10 years down the road for the same issue. it's typically a viscious cycle. remember: surgery is always an option, so try something prior to surgery to see if you can avoid it--cause once you do the surgery there is no going back.\n\nthis treatment is extremely effective for degenerative disc disease, disc bulging, herniation, etc. and also sciatica type of cases, especially if you haven't had surgery yet. i've had many patients who were scheduled for surgery, tried this treatment as a last resort, and then ended up cancelling their surgery altogether after treatment was completed. it really does work and that's what my recommendation would be for you. good luck and hopefully this gives insight to others experiencing similar problems--there is a solution!!!
772318
you have disc at the L-5 (5th lumbar) S-1 (sacral) that is protruding out on the right side... It is pushing the nerve to the back of the disc and against the bone.
745906
By coincidence I happened to answer a question earlier this morning from a young lady who was suffering from severe & acute sciatica due to a herniated disc.  She chose it as her best answer so, emboldened by this, I'll paste in below the part of the answer that had to do with physiotherapy and exercise.\n\nBut there's a problem.  This physiotherapeutic approach is said to be not yet taught in the US.  It comes from Europe.  If you're in the US it will be difficult to find a physiotherapist who can teach this.  Nor are there any books that describe it.  The leading back books offer other exercises that focus on strengthening other muscles, whereas the muscle you wish to strengthen is the transverse abdominus, the deepest abdominal muscle of all, one that wraps from the front all the way around to anchor in the spine at the rear.\n\nfrom previous answer:\n\nThe 3rd treatment modality is perhaps the most important since it involves permanent rehabilitation of the lumbar spine. This is physiotherapy. I live in a country where a new approach to lumbar spine injuries is being taught by leading physiotherapists who work with our national Olympic sports teams. Many sports involve repeated battering or smashing of the spine, as in horse jumping, hurdle racing, downhill ski slalom racing, etc, and many athletes wind up with herniated discs.\n\nThe physiotherapy involves identification by the patient of the transverse abdominus muscle and a long program of exercises to strengthen this muscle. The trans ab is the deepest abdominal muscle. It sweeps around the lower abdomen and attaches to the spine at rear. Picture a basket at the bottom of your abdomen that holds upright all your organs - bladder, uterus, large colon, lumbar spine, etc.\n\nStrengthening this muscle will protect the spinal cord from stress and prevent further disc degeneration.\n\nHow to do this? Best thing is to find a physiotherapist trained in this approach. You won't find it in any of the standard back books. To show you how difficult it to identify this muscle (and if you've managed to read this far !) could you please give a little cough right now. Do you see those abdominal muscles that contract when you cough? These are not, repeat NOT, the transverse abdominus ! It is much deeper and harder to find than those muscles. I could describe how to find it, if you'd write again, or you could try to find a US physiotherapist who uses this approach.\n\nFact: several downhill slalom racers with multiple herniated discs and crippling pain in my country have been restored to excellent functional condition - they can even ski although they'll never slalom race or mogul jump again - without surgery or constant painkilling meds, following a year or more of this physiotherapy.\n\nI'd write more if you would be interested. I don't really understand why the US approach seems to be so heavily orientated to surgery, powerful painkillers, sometimes chiropractic.\n\nRe: chiro. Please don't even think of going to one. Any manipulation of your spine in this acute-pain stage will damage the bulging or herniated disc further. The physios mentioned above don't even practise manual therapy on an acute case until healing has commenced.\n\nFinal note: you will get better. The bulging/herniated disc that's pressing on the sciatic nerve root will retract with time. The diet is to lower inflammation now. The physiotherapy is to prevent this from ever happening again.\n\nAdditional notes re the transverse abdominus:\n\nYou can see that the muscles which contract when you cough are the same ones used when you do partial situps or crunches, often described in standard help-your-back books.  These exercises will not particularly help the lumbar spine.\n\nTo identify the trans ab:  lie flat on your back on the floor.  Hook your forefingers just inside the pelvic bones.  Contract the perineum.  Have you heard of Kegel exercises often prescribed for blad
151118
Since no one else has answered you, and I have had a similar injury, I thought I'd offer you my experience. I am not a medical expert, just a survivor. My injury was L3 L4, and the disc blew up! In other worded it was not your standard slipped disk. They could not do the laser surgery on me, partly because it was not yet approved but mostly because of the number of disk fragment sthat they had to remove. Prior to the surgery I spent 8 weeks flat on my back while they figured out what was wrong with me, i.e. orthopedics, medical and finally surgical. I had lost all use of my right leg, including the feeling from the hip down, and was starting to loose bowel function. They did the full laminectomy, and sent me home from the hospital the next day. I asked for PT or some kind of rehab but they refused. For the next five years I had to fight on my own to regain use and control of that right leg. For ten years I had a noticable limp. To this day there are certain movements I just cannot do. And the hip is still bad with rampant arthritis. Three years ago I had a relapse, and after the same surgeon did the x-rays and MRI's he said he could not do anything to help me, and that I no have spinal stenosis from L2 down. You should see how little bone mass there is in that picture. It's scary! Anyway, I went to my local gym who has a healthy back program, using Medx equipment. I rehabbed with that program, and am as functional now as I was 5 years after the surgery. If you have a program like that I would seriously check it out before agreeing to surgery. The program at my gym has prevented a lot of surgeries, and has an 85% success rate. They train surrounding muscle to support the bones, and carry the weight. We once trained a dog the same way who was born with hip dysplasia bad enough they wanted to put him to sleep in his first year. He lived to 17, and passed away as a result of an auto injury, not his hips.\nSorry this was so long but your husband needs to know there are options to surgery, and not just PT. Good luck and feel better. I do understand your pain and confusion.
939194
I would ask the doctor if running a MRI on her to see if she has any back disc problems, then if she does physical therapy is good, if that dosent help with the nerve being pinched she may need to see a nurosurgean for more options, I had the same problem, waited to long and now have a fused lower spine,
1160006
My Doc told us if we hadn't started PT when we did, (7 months) our son would not be walking, talking, and getting ready to start all-inclusive Kindergarten in September.  Like I said, he started at 7 mos, and is now 5 years old.  We have gone to PT 1-2 times per week for over 4 years now, and I truly believe he would not be as mobile if we had just let him lay in a bed and allow his muscles to get tighter.  If you do not have PT, your son may have tendon shortening, which causes even more tip-toes and in the future he may need surgery for it.  \n\nFrom what you describe, our experiences are very similar.  At 5 months, my son was nowhere near sitting up, he was drooling a lot, and he spit up every time he was fed.  He was also very irritable, but we found out it was a milk allergy causing all the crying.\n\nI am confused with the "normal MRI".  CP is caused from lack of oxygen to the brain, which in turn causes the damage, which shows up in the MRI.  Was he sedated for the MRI?  My son had his MRI at 13 months, but the Ped. Neuro. said the damage would show no matter what age the MRI was done.  He said it will never get better or worse, with respect to the test results, not your child's motor skills.  \n\nYou can never go wrong with PT, it cannot do any damage, and it will only help your son.  It will be worth it in the long run.  Sometimes I see older kids with CP that are mobile, but have a fisted hand, or a severe limp, and I wonder if they had Physical Therapy.  Please do this for your child.  I hope you have a Pediatric PT in your area, we drive 4 hours round trip for ours.  We have a Pediatric Feldenkrais PT and she has done wonders for our son, in my opinion it's better than traditional PT for our child.  Go to www.feldenkrais.com to find a practitioner in your area and learn more about this type of PT.  Good luck!
749712
I had a herniated disc between c-5 and c-6 . I went to bed fine and woke up the next day as it had ruptured overnight. I suspect the area was weakened from a lot of heavy lifting the prior day . I had it operated on they cut a slit in my throat and went in from the front and replaced the disc with a piece of bone from a cadaver. The operation took an hour perhaps slightly less . The scar completely disappeared in no time. I do still have no feeling in my right  thumb from nerve damage but the pain is gone except for a bit of arthritic type pain on cold rainy days.
113398
I had a herniated disk in my neck at the C4/C5 level. I lived with it for 7 years. In those seven years, I went to acupuncturists, chiropractors, went through physical therapy, had medical massages, and many, many pain pills.\n\nWhen the pain gets to the point where you can't sleep through the night and you are having a hard time walking, then it is time for surgery.\n\nAs with any surgery, do your research. With this surgery, the surgeon is dealing with your spinal cord. Find the top 5 neurosurgeons in your county or state (depending on how big your state is) and go to one of them. I was fortunate. My surgical team consisted of two of the top 5 in NY state. The whole team and hospital were wonderful.\n\nBecause I waited 7 years...I have permanent nerve damage that I wouldn't have if I had gone sooner. Do you have pinched nerves because of the herniation? You don't mention how long you have dealth with the pain, so just keep this in mind.\n\nAlso, I'm not sure if surgery on the lower back is the same as on the upper back/neck area, but I had to pretty much learn how to walk again after having my neck worked on. It was very slow at first, but when I went home from the hospital, I had to go up three flights of stairs to get to my apartment, not an easy hurdle. \n\nThey cut through the front of my neck to get to the back, pretty freaky thought, huh? Honestly though, the surgeon said that from a surgeon's point of view, it was easier and safer to do the surgery that way.\n\nI wish you the best of luck and hope you at the very least consider having an MRI to see how close the herniation is to your spinal cord. You do not want to be paralyzed just because you were trying to prevent surgery.