Hey guys! I've suffered from herniated disc as well. Lower lumbar spine. It eventually graduated to Sciatica. Nerve pinched on left leg. Endured pain for 6 months. Doctor only option was surgery. I was flat broke and no insurance. Put off MRI for awhile (it's the most important thing you MUST do FIRST). It was expensive but eventually got it. Confirmed the bulge. Cause was a deterioration on S1 probably from an accident I had 10 yrs ago.. I researched on hydrotherapy. Swimming with a series of movement. Gravity is our worse enemy. After just a couple of times, the pain was gone. Got full function of my left leg again. It worked for me. Don't lose hope. I was in a desperate situation. I thought my life ended. It's been 3 years now and I haven't felt pain again. I hope you all get better. I am not a doctor. We all have different cases. This just worked for me.
Shoeless Elephant i hv same pain in my lower back nd left leg but doctors can't find anything in MRI scan or X-ray ,it been 5 year now but m still in pain ,I don't know wht to do now
I’m there too. 2 bulged and 2 herniated discs. Also thanks for sharing; both of you. And it’s been 3 years for me. Write me anytime if you need to connect. God bless you both. Charles.
You probably gave me more information regarding my injury, exactly same as yours, than going to doctors for more than a year. Thank you so much for taking some time out to record this video. Bless you. I wish for you full recovery!!!
I know it’s an older video, but thank you so much for your time and testimony. I’m 33 with a similar injury and had a bad surgery experience that didn’t work. Even though a lot of this I already had to learn the hard way, it helps me tremendously on an emotional level. Your story is inspirational and much needed for me, thank you.
I have a 1cm broad based right side bulge. The hell I have been in for 6 months is insane. I have done everything, meds, physio, ice, heat, chiropractor, massage, dry needling, cupping I even bought an inversion table. When it was at its worst I couldn’t sit for even 5 seconds I would sleep on my floor for 2 hours a night. All I could do way lay on the floor all day. I got extremely depressed and almost got hooked on OxyContin because of the pain. All I had to look forward to was my next pill. I couldn’t go out be with my wife or play with my daughter, I had no life. I’m probably %80 better now i take 6km walks everyday now. I still can’t sit sit pain free and have to use a roll I’m my car or it’s torture. Unfortunately I’m a field tech and I drive 80,000km per year. I go back to work in 3 weeks I have no choice I’m out of money. I feel like I’ll never get that last 20% back I want to get back to my active life again lifting weights and running. I’m so scared I’ll blow it out again. The pain was so bad the first 4 weeks I really thought about ending my life. The extreme pain I was in day in and day out and the 5 pills I was on really depressed me and screwed with my mind. I would just start to cry and ask way nobody could help me. The medical system was useless the only thing that helped was time. I hope I get the last 20 back I’m 44 and refuse to live like this the rest of my life.
- Kevin Glad to hear your feeling 80% better. That;s very encouraging to hear. As for that final 20%, you still have 3 weeks left and I'd recommend you do your best to take advantage of those 3 weeks. Maybe you won't get to 100%, but if you can get to 85% or 90%, then that would be huge and perhaps manageable for the future :)
Yes been in pain git addicted to pain pills and 18 yrs later still in the same pain just like I had when I got rear-ended in 2007 done great going to physical therapy 4 1yr and doctors every 3 months nothing changed on my mri and surgery has never been mentioned only that I have arthritis real bad and there's nothing the doctor's can do cause I have crappy state insurance cause I can't hardly do simple jobs around the house please help
Great video, thanks for sharing your story. I have to say though - I was just like you. I "tweaked" my back doing dead lifts in 2009, eventually recovered. Then I ended up giving myself a disc bulge at L5-S1 from doing strenuous walking on a steep incline in 2012. The disc bulge eventually resolved itself. Fast forward to 2013, I lift and carry a heavy box of books and trigger an acute episode of lower back pain and sciatica. I get an MRI to discover that I now have degenerative disc disease. Because I kept engaging in activities that added to the wear and tear on my L5-S1, it eventually "sprung a leak." As I'm sure you know through your research, the discs don't have a great capacity to heal themselves since they lack blood flow. For that reason, all the strain and damage adds up and can result in herniation and/or DDD. So my advice to you is to stop doing stuff like dead lifts altogether. Appreciate that you have had a good recovery and avoid those exercises which put strain on your lumbar region. Trust me, you don't want DDD, it's ruined my sex life and my ability to do a lot of things. Just my personal experience, best of luck to you
Willhelm S Thanks man, I appreciate your comment! I'm sorry to hear that you had to go through all of that, especially since you experienced additional injuries such as degenerative disc disease. It's true that the discs really do have a limited healing capacity because of the lack of blood supply and this makes it such a "tough" injury to overcome. I know many people end up getting worse and eventually they will get surgery to repair the disc, which is never fun. However, if their were any positives that I could take away from my disc bulge injury is that I'm more educated than ever about my lower back and I understand what's going to cause pain or problems. Activities such as running, I haven't even performed in over 2 year because of the impact it places on your spine. Lastly, at the end of the day though, I think with any disc injury, it's all about being aware and making the changes to your lifestyle that are necessary. Thanks again for sharing that and hopefully things improve for you :)
Thank u very much, yesterday i discovered i have L4-L5 protrusion . And L3-L4 bulge . Im only 22 years old and just graduated from nursing school. Knowing that i have this problem has a very bad impact in my internship because i cant go to the hospital and work. Im still confused about the treatment, but its very nice to hear others experience and learning from them.
- Bushra No problem Bushra and sorry to hear about that. That's a very tough situation, especially dealing with two protrusions at different levels and not being able to work. When it comes to the treatment, it's going to be different for everyone, and in your case, since you have two protrusions, it makes things a little more difficult. However, as long as you follow a proper rehab program (e.g., avoiding painful movements/activities, strengthening the core, following a healthy diet, etc.) you should get better over time. On the positive, congratulations on graduating from nursing school and hopefully you get back to your internship soon :)
normally people with back issues are difficult to listen to. tedious, confusing and unhelpful. this sets the bar: clear communication, great details, and helps us determine our type of injury, and the patience it will take to make ourselves whole again. or set expectations for self care and how to manage the medical industrial complex so we can actually heal.
You explained exactly how I feel and what I am having through for so long! I have bulging disk in my L4-L5 and L5-S1!! Worse!!! I've been going to doctors for over 5 months now after since they get my MRI results.. Did MRI, PT, medications, home exercises!! I did everything but it's not easy!! Did MRI for my neck also and I was diagnosed with Cervical Spondylisis which is connected to my spinal as well.. It's crazy!! I'm still trying my best and keep bugging my doctors to help me ease this pains all over my body..😭 Thanks for sharing this video.. I finally found someone who explained so much about this pain situation and I would definitely show this to my husband.. I sometimes feel that he doesn't believe when I am in so much pain every single day that's why I just cry quietly sometimes instead of complaining about my pain. It hurts physically and emotionally!! My family and friends probably thinks I'm just being dramatic but they have no idea how I really feel..😢💔 Keeping myself positive and my faith stronger than this pain!! 🙏🙏🙏
- Ashley Thanks for sharing your story and I'm sorry to hear about all of that. I can only imagine what you may be going through. I hope you can find some relief soon. If you ever have any questions or need help, feel free to reach out :)
I am going through the exact same thing as you with the exact same medical diagnosis. I have been dealing with this for a few years now and its like no one really believes the pain and struggles that this can cause. I got to the point of exertion trying to push and bug doctors. Now the pain has gotten worse and im back at doctors waiting to have another mri. Wife seems to think im babying or exaggerating. Hopefully this time around i can get relief from this pain because it truely is more than just physical there is a big mental side to this pain as well. Really helps to know that someone else knows what its like instead of having ur spouse be so ignorant in this time.
Same exactly I've been going through for several years now. It gets triggered every now and then and i'll be out for a few days. Been through therapy and still on medications. Very frustrating cause I feel old with this pain and I'm only 50. I was told I was not a good candidate for any surgery. Everyday I deal with it. I'm very unhappy with this situation. Thanks for sharing.
- Dobble No problem boddle and I'm sorry to hear about that.. never an easy situation being in constant pain and having it effect your life.. Hopefully you can get some relief soon Dobble and make a recovery :)
This sounds exactly what I am going through now. I have gone from my chiropractor, to the doctor, to the physical therapist, back to the chiropractor. I had the MRI and exactly what you had, an L5-S1 injury where the bulge was displacing the nerve bundle, which explained the horrific pain going down my leg, especially sitting. I can empathize with you because there is nothing more painful and that includes childbirth and appendicitis. I'm doing the MELT method, core exercises, stretches, etc., and I'm hoping to heal it myself because the doctors keep pushing me into surgery and I don't want to do that at all as that sets a person up for a whole lot more back problems. Thank you for sharing your story.
- Viewvalley Sorry to hear about all of that you have gone through Viewvalley. I know it can be a very tough process to go through, but if you can stick to avoiding the movements/activities that are painful and continue with core exercises/stretches, you will make a recovery a eventually. As for the doctors pushing for surgery, never really a thing you'd like to hear and I'd be very cautious with approaching surgery, since a disc bulge injury "can" be healed with proper conservative treatment. All the best moving forward and I hope you can make a full recovery soon :)
Remi Sovran That's what I am working toward. My chiropractor is also leary of surgery, so I'll keep working with him. my doctor is an osteopath, which surprised me when the only thing he suggested was drugs and surgery. I will beat this.
Ya, everyone typically has a different opinion when it comes to an injury. Some may-be right, some may-be wrong, but it's just best to just be extra cautious with surgery and save it is a last option. And yes I believe you will beat this as well :)
Viewvalley hi I mean faizal I got z same problem but I am sure u can beat it wiz simple things like I took superjoint caps,omega 3caps,applecider vinegar,everyday 2 green apples but if u have gastric beware a bit of acids,light stretching floor exercises, dink 2 glasses of milk everyday,n yes shed weight if u r sorry,fat,try putting a good lumber belt,email me at faizals25@hotmail.com, u ll see how easy it is to cure yourself without pills or expensive stuffs like surgery,good luck my friend... I knw z pain
YES!!! PUSH FOR IMAGING!!! It took me over 6 months to finally get an MRI ordered and performed. L5-S1 protrusion. I too was told repeatedly- oh it's just a pulled muscle.
- Stephanie 100% Stephaine! We share a very a similar story. Actually, just ordered a new MRI today, as I want to do a comparison from about roughly close to 4 years ago. Had to push for it unfortunately, but got it ordered :)
Stephanie Wise That's what these fuckin doctors do. All they say is it's a pulled muscle however in reality is much more than a muscle in just. Happened with me as well. I have L4-L5 Injury.
This exact same situation happened to me--had an L5-S1 disc bulge, and was told I "did not qualify" for an MRI. Was told I just had chronic back pain that would stay with me for the rest of my life. I ended up leaving the country and getting an MRI elsewhere, cheap and quick. Healthcare is great, unless you're not given access to services.
no more running, that's what my doctor said to me too and that's make me feel like paralyzed, I have pain all day in my right foot also in my back the doctor said i will not be the same again cuz i have disc L5 S1, thank you for this video you part of my researching
- Ato Tota Ya I hear you. It's never fun hearing you can't do something and it can be really depressing in a sense. Anyways, sorry to hear about that Ato and hopefully you can make a recovery soon :)
Thanks bro.. Your video just motivated me to finally feel like I can get my old self back. My doctors are giving me the run around and I am tired of taking these meds. Your story is almost identical to time. About to start taking these PT sessions more seriously. Thanks again
Hey Remy, just want to say thank you for putting out valuable information. At the very least, your experiences can help people feel not alone in their fight, and it is absolutely a fight. I injured my back squatting 5 years ago. Lower left side totally gave out, felt like someone turned the light switch off between the connection of my upper torso to lower body. I had no force. I was able to get rid of that pain in my back over a course of 5-6 months. Changed my exercise routine from Olympic/powerlifting to more functional/postural movements. Got in the best shape of my life. Unfortunately life got in the way and my schedule changed and I got a away from what was working for me. I would throw my back out once or twice a year and I finally destroyed my lower back doing body Weight good mornings. Finally developed sciatica which was the worst pain of my life. Dealt with that brutal, life taking pain for 4-5 months. Decided to stop all bending during that time. Ate all natural diet. All anti inflammatory foods. Lots of turmeric. Lots of mixed veggie salads and beans. Eventually took care of the nerve pain. By the way, I never missed a day of work and my job requires me to stand all day. People saw me cry. I didn’t care. Eventually the nerve pain graduated to both leg. Like I said, no bending, but either way, I couldn’t bend. Felt like something was stuck. Felt like if I even attempted to bend, something would snap.so maybe 5-6 months go by, my biggest issue was I still can’t bend, horrible back pain still. Decided this wasn’t any way to live being immobile. Went through with surgery to mayb release that nerve. Did a micro discectomy on l5 s1. Your nerve is supposed to be white, mine was purple, that’s how compressed it was. Several weeks have gone by, and guess what? Back pain came back and can’t bend at all. I have not been the same person in 9 months. I feel like my life has been taken away from me. In my opinion, everyone is different. Listen to your own body. I am now attempting to fix this on my own. Step 1- bring down inflammation. Step2- increase mobility with simple yoga style exercises, but nothing that irritates it. I really don’t know what my back is telling me other than “I’m not allowing you to bend right now.” Imagine not being able to bend? It’s not living, especially if you consider yourself some type of athlete. And I was. Lost 20 pounds of muscle. Worked out everyday, and now I’m stuck in the bed with my Loved ones caring for me. Everyone going through their battle, keep faith. Don’t just get sucked in. Listen to people that actually have the experience like a Remy. Movement really is the remedy, but nothing to irritate it. Slowly test it but don’t force it. I never envisioned this battle was in store for me but I have the strength to figure it out. So do you, believe me.
- Jason Thank you very much for sharing your story. You've been through quite a journey. I wish you all the best going forward and keep up the fight :)
I have bulges L3/L4 & L4/L5 with arthritis L1-L5 per my MRI results. I've been depressed because I've been injured for over a month now & it seems to be taking forever to heal. Hearing your story gives me hope for a successful recovery. Thanks for sharing.
Alicia Ann ahh sorry to hear about that Alicia. I'm glad that my story was able to give you inspiration. Lower back pain is never fun. Hopefully you can make a successful recovery soon :)
+saleem suliman sounds similar to cupping which is something they do in Chinese medicine, my sister did it when she had back problems and said it helped a lot. Never heard of hijama suction cup, will have to look that up :)
Thanks for your time in putting this video together. My family doctor gave the option of pills or shots, of which I never took anything. After 6 months of pain I've decided to see a surgeon. Lots of people say "don't have back surgery" but when laying in bed is the only non painful days that's not acceptable in my 40's. Wish me luck 😎
Edward sir how are you now.. How's ur surgery went.. Did u get pain back after surgery please tell mee. I'm only 22 I have 14 15 s1 disc bulge from 8 months..going physiotherapy not able to pay that costly charges in physiotherapy.. Pain felt better and I'm walking now but still I have pain for walking bending all so I'm deciding for surgery but more people telling don't do surgery so please confirm me if u go through it
Hi, l am from India and going through the exact issue from deadlift. Thanks for sharing your testimony and really feel very sorry for what you had gone through over a long period. I was into this problem for over a month and literally couldn't tolerate the pain and emotions that pulls me down. No longer can l drive bike or car and your story gives me strength to mentally fight this and stay positive for full recovery. Happy you recovered and that gives me hope
Hi i am surfringlow back pain for eigth good year . my dr planted some disck but for four year now i cant worlk and the pains and nmness is still there is there any remandy. my name is ndi lbrahim.
Thank you so much. It's rare to find people who actually care. I've been feeling like a liquid feeling like running my back and knee but really it's because you're right everything connects. I am pretty tight in the sense I don't workout like I used to. I will take a look at these and I will do everything I can. For you to take the time and do this is really sweet. :)
Please - if you are watching this and think you may have herniated a disk see a doctor and get and MRI or CT scan! I've been watching a lot of these back issue videos and too many of us have waited too long to get a scan done.
thank you for this, I was on my stomach before you mentioned it, It made me emotional to hear your story because I empathize, I can't stand this pain. I did it dead lifting too, it's the most painful thing I've ever felt
I injured my back weight lifting in high school at age 16. Couldnt walk for 2 weeks. Been dealing with excruciating pain for years!!! I finally got artificial disc replacement 3 weeks ago and I'm doing fantastic!!!!! Oh yeah I'm 33 now!!!! So 17 years of pain!! But 17 years ago they didn't have this technology of artificial discs. I got the most cutting edge one too by asculap that barely came out in 2015. Specialized for the L5-S1 disc. So I did the right thing waiting. Because back when I first injured myself surgery was a last resort!!! Everyone advised against it. I'm glad they did. Back then back surgery was very risky. Today it's soooooo much better
@@TheFailedmessiah if you don't mind me asking, how are you doing as of now? Where did you have your surgery done? Thanks and I really hope you're doing well !!
My story is incredibly similar. Young, tall, L5-S1 disc prolapse, and not diagnosed until I was in constant pain and couldn't walk. Did the same lying on my front all day, was on Naproxen (stronger than Ibuprofen) and Amitriptyline (as nerve pain relief). Took about the same time to get any sort of disc shrinkage, but unlike you, I ended up with permanent damage. Got permanent numbness in my left foot down the outside, and a permanent "pulled calf muscle" feeling. I'll keep an eye on the channel, try some of your core strength stuff, see if it helps.
- Phlebas99 Ya, sorry to hear about the permanent damage Phlebas99. It's a very unfortunate situation to go through, especially when you consider the time frame. No one should ever have to go through something like that. Hopefully you find the core training and some other things on the channel helpful :) Also, you may find some useful things on my website as well, if you decide to check that out. All the best moving forward :)
Thank you very much for this video! I had an injury while squatting at the gym. Now I have a L5S1 herniated disc which is pinching my ciatic nerve root. I also have 2 other herniated discs above my L5 and other 2 bulging discs. I don't feel a lot of pain though. Sitting is very painful because of my left leg...and sometimes my back gets really stiff and hurts really bad. I am not taking any pain killers because I can handle the pain. PT has helped me very much. I am confident I will get better soon. Your video is the one of the best videos about lumbar herniated disc I've seen so far. Thanks for sharing your story, and I hope you get better and better every day.
- Aline No problem Aline. Sorry to hear about you're injury and the pain currently going through. I know a herniated disc is a very difficult injury to deal with, but I'm glad you're able to deal with the pain without having to take pain killers. Never fun being on pain killers and I know it's best to stay off them if you can. Great to hear that the PT is helping you out a lot and I hope it continues to help! Keep it up :) Also, thanks for the kinds words Aline and I hope you continue to get better each and every day as well :)
Hi Aline, how are you doing now, have you fixed the problem? Can you please describe how if you can be bothered? I'm going through it now the 2nd time this year... Very very very depressing, I used to feel bulletproof before this 2020 came along and now with crazy politicians (Victoria, Australia) with draconian lockdown rules meant I couldn't go to the gym and live my active life anymore, so muscle atrophy is only way I can explain how I got here.
Thank you so much for sharing your story! I was hit by a drunk driver in a head-on collision, which rendered me three herniated discs in my neck and my lower back and a shoulder bone spur. My life hasn't been the same every since. It's such a struggle doing the most basic things around the house. So much pain! I do planks, stretches, sphynx posture, etc.... I get very short periods of pain relief from those exercises. I'll keep trying. 😌 Anything to avoid taking pills. It's a struggle trying to leave bed in the morning. It's a struggle to undress myself before bathing. It's a struggle to clean myself. It's a struggle to put shoes on. I'm so upset about this whole thing! I will try swimming and hydromassage next. Hearing your story gave me lots of hope. Thank you so much! Be well.
- Darian No problem Darian! Glad my story could give you some hope. That's always encouraging to hear. If you have questions or need help with anything, feel free to reach out :)
Your story is so similar to my own! I live in Canada and it took 2 years of going through the medical process (specialists/physi/xrays,mri) before I finally went to a chiropractor even though all the doctors I had seen had told me there was no need to see one. After 3 weeks of adjustments my leg/back pain went to zero. After 5 weeks I was back to feeling like I had prior to that 2 year period. Don't be afraid to go see a chiro people! This is what they DO!!
+somadoll2012 Great to hear that chiro helped you out! I agree that people shouldn't be discouraged from seeing chiro or any type of alternative health care but the unfortunate thing is that a lot of people are, especially from general practiconer's. Not really sure why their is such a big discouragement but I think it has to do with money and the different methods being used. Personally, I think people should be encouraged too seek alternative help, especially if they haven't found anything that works for them. In my case, I did see a chriopractor but I didn't get much benefit from seeing one... even though he was the only who actually knew my injury without seeing the MRI. However, that's not too say that I don't recommend seeing one because everyone has a different experience with different sorts of treatment and it really comes down to the expertise of the individual.
I am 63 years old and a runner, at least up until the end of 2018 when I got my dose of lower back pain and piriformis nightmare. Never had back issues but I believe I brought it on by overdoing my workouts. Like you Remi, Had no ideas until I got my MRI. L4L5 bulging disc. I was and still am having lower back pins and needles, butt discomfort, cannot sit for long, abdominal pain on the right side off and on. I also have had groin and man unit pain and burning. Had no idea about that until I found out that it is all due to the nerve in the back affecting everything in the region. It has been 6 months and still no end in sight but I continue to stretch for back issues. I would not recommend pelvis stretches because I think it prolonged my pain. It helped the pelvis but not my back. My thoughts also are to not start doing anything like running when you feel better right away. I did that for a week and felt like I regressed in my progress. I hear it gets better over time but sure is a long road to recovery!
- Mark Thanks for sharing your story. And sorry to heat about the regression. That's never fun. I agree and think that many people rush to activity to soon, which limits their progress and puts them back in square. If I had one recommendation, it would be patience. Hope you feel better soon Mark! :0
I’ve recently been experiencing the excruciating pain of 2 ruptured disc with sciatic nerve pain. Worse pain ever the most I can sleep is 2 hrs in a given night. I feel I’m living a life of insanity doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Your testimony and endurance has renewed my hope. So important because hope deferred makes the heart sick. A merry heart doeth good like medicine. You confirmed a lot of the strategy that I have implemented. I have to continue to fight the good fight and not grow weary! Thanks 🙏
- Lain No problem lain! Ya, it's unfortunate, as it seems to be the same story for many. Not getting the right treatment and practically getting screwed by the system. Hope you can make a recovery soon though lain :)
- Shower Thanks Shower! Sorry to hear about that.. 7 years is quite some time and I can't even imagine what that may have been like for you over the years. Hopefully this have gotten better though :) And yes, this is a very serious problem occurring today and it's a big reason why the economic costs of back pain in the U.S. and Canada is in the billions.
thank you for your video!!! I'm currently in the throws of this agony. it's unreal how the pain takes over your life! I have the same concern as you have
Thank you posting this! I’ve recently found out I’ve L5 S1 at 19 years old, I’m very worried and scared for my future I’m starting physico very soon I’m just hopping it heels itself in time
So sorry to hear you have to go through this at 19. It is a scary thing regardless if you are 19 or much older like 70 or more. Nobody wants to feel helpless and can't do anything for themselves.
Hi Remi - lower back pain is remarkably unpleasant, as you obviously know. I too struggled for months before getting some official results similar to yours. Time off, started exercises, stopped exercises, perscription drugs, loss of memory, no sitting, lots of lying on the floor, etc, etc. My physio was helpful and realistic, like yours, which was awesome. Eventually walking and swimming and resting enabled my back to improve. I am also documenting my lower back recovery journey on my channel and blog. Thanks for sharing your story. Matthew
- Matthew Checked out you're youtube channel and subbed. Big fan of what you're doing and I'm curious to see how you're recovery continues to go! I know something I wish I did was that I wish I started making video's when I first suffered my injury. I ended up missing out on a lot of the early stuff and kinda had to explain my whole story in one video as opposed to a day to day or week to week journey. Great stuff and hopefully you can make a full recovery soon! I look forward to you're future video's :)
I can totally relate to you Remi. My L5/S1 have very little disc space and I'm chronic and constant pain all the time. Being a musician; I have to be very careful how I lift amps and gear and not over do it. Was paralyzed from my lower extremities down for about 15 minutes a few yrs. ago just bending over opening a drawer. Very scary experience. So just been very careful about what I do and doing my exercises and stretches. Still in pain but working through it. Thank you very much for your recommendations. Stay healthy.
- Marvin Very sorry to hear about that Marvin. Never a fun thing being in constant pain and I can't even imagine what it is like to be paralyzed from the lower extremities down. Glad to hear that you're being extra careful and doing your exercises/stretches, which is only going to help you in the long run. Hopefully things can better soon and you can be pain free again one day! All the best Marvin :)
I have a perm. slipped disc.......I had about a month of bad sciatica.......saw a phys. therapist for a month and thank God it went away....i have to remember this when i get big headed and taking my health for granted and feeling down about stupid things...thanks for the video...
Hey man, I'm 18 and from Australia, I suffer exactly the same thing. L5 disc herniation, literally our stories are exactly the same, it got worse over time, went to the doctor, he told me to go to a physiotherapist. That never worked each session. Took me so long to see my doctor, I couldn't sit at all, I was basically bed ridden. To the point I had to go to the hospital and now I have to get surgery. I get it on the 5th of May, it has now been over a year to get to this point. Worst pain imaginable. Thank you for your story.
- Bradley Sorry to hear about all of that Bradley and thanks for sharing that. It's a very unfortunate and tough situation to go through, because along the way if you were able to meet with you're doctor sooner or if physio worked out the way it should have, then you could have potentially avoided surgery and possible made a recovery. Very frustrating situation, and it's a problem that seems to be common in today's society and it shouldn't be happening... Anyways, I wish you all the best and a successful surgery Bradley. All the best man :)
Thanks man really appreciate it, sadly the physio didn't work and I was paying $50 per session, he then told to stop since it wasn't working. I'm currently taking codeine fort, 300mg lyrica and a anti inflammatory, I hope this surgery works out aswell. :)
@@bradleybell8417it's a joke here in Australia, it took 11 MONTHS of going to doctor to doctor to get an MRI. They kept saying "physio will fix everything", "top much radiation in an MRI" and every excuse under the sun. I couldn't find anyone that would touch ME 130 dollars to see a physio telling me "everyone has bulges and to walk" that's it, no exercises because they have a "hands off approach" Absolute crap. I have found out I have two bulges with one hitting my sciatic nerve🫠🫠🫠🫠
+thebswitch Sorry to hear about your troubles over the past two years and I'm glad my video has given you hope! And yes the right exercises can make quite the difference in the recovery process. All the best to your recovery :)
thanks for sharing your story. ive got back problem for about a year now, ive lost my buisness, my freedom and literally can not live life apart from watching tv.i can hardly walk or do anything tbh. i get severe chest pain and abdomanol pain included :( but your story has inspired me and given me a bit of hope thanks bro
+jamie hillery I'm very sorry to hear about all of that Jaime. I don't know what it's like losing a business and whatever else you lost (e.g., freedom) but I can just imagine how tough that is. I'm glad my story could been of inspiration to you and hopefully it motivates you to work on becoming better. No one should ever have to go through something like that. If your suffering from severe chest pain and abdominal pain, that could mean something pretty serious internally is not functioning properly. I'm not sure if you got checked by a doctor about that but if you haven't I would recommend you do that ASAP. As for your back pain, I'm not sure what you got going on but hopefully it get's better soon man! All the best to your recovery and I hope you come back stronger :)
+jamie hillery oh you poor sweet thing, I've got disc problems and am confined to bed at the moment, but hasn't been a year yet, thankfully family is helping keeping business afloat. Plse tell me you've seen Dr and also I'm seeing an osteopath, he's amazing, the physio I saw was awful, dunno where in the world you are but in both US and Europe there's loads of great osteopaths. Even if you don't see osteopath please see Dr, I sound silly I'm sure you've seen a Dr and just haven't shared the full story. Either way, sending you lots of healing love and light and hope you find a diagnosis and get better and back to full health xxx
Literally laying on my stomach before I started watching this! EVERYTHING from taking pills to get through sitting to waking up in the AM popping pills to sleep is the truth for me too! It’s sooo annoying and agonizing
Thank you for sharing your story. I can't begin to tell you how similar my condition is to yours. I feel so badly that you've had to wait so long just to get it diagnosed. I share your reaction about your excruciating pain. It was so awful that you are helpless to know how to get your body into a neutral position to just move the pain rating downard from 10 out of 10 to perhaps 5 out of 10. I tried the physical therapy route and on good days, I can walk back to my car. On bad days, the sciatica was so bad I couldn't even walk to the car. My MRI revealed spinal stenosis where my L5 nerve root was crowded out. I've since received a cortisone shot, and I'm patiently recovering. God bless you. I was also an avid hockey player and I can only pray one day I can get back on skates one of these days.
Thanks remi for this informative video. 3 months waiting to do an MRI that's so bad. In my case went to my doctor he told me go make an MRI , 45 minutes later I was back to my doctor's office with the MRI results in my hand. Bulged disc causing inflamed nerve.
Your story Remi was almost identical to mine, but I tweeked my back playing hoops, then golfed 18 holes. When I got up the next morning I couldnt get off the bathroom floor for 3 hours. Saw my general Doc who told be to use heat of all things and take ibuprophen. I anguished all last summer taking pain meds, going to the chiro and then PT. Along with my bulged L5-S1 problem, I still have after 8 months, a live nerve running down my right front thigh to my kneecaps. When the nerve activates I cant engage my quad muscle and my leg gives out. The good news is unless I put alot of flexion pressure on my back Im pain free and have decent range of motion. This was the first time in my life where I really needed the guidance and expertise from my general Doc, to my pain mgmt.specialist, neurologist and back doctor. The message was universal throughout the process; 1. Take gabapentin for nerve/ pain mgmt. & if needed opiods 2. Get an epidural - those sound like Russian Roulette. 3. Schedule surgery . I discovered BiG Pharma has such a stranglehold on our medical community. Its all about the meds and the high profit surgical procedures. I do plan to try some alternative therapies to try to knock down this live nerve problem coupled with more non impact cardio (bought a NordicTrack Free Strider). You nailed it when you said to do your own research and be aware of the messages your body sends you. I'm glad you're doing well now and thanks for the valuable information.
+David Hughes Hello David, glad you were able to get some valuable information here and thanks for sharing a bit of your story as well. That whole nerve issue your experiencing with not being able to activate your quads is very unfortunate and hopefully you can get that resolved soon. Moreover, I agree with you that the general message is univseral from general doctors, to various specialists, etc., and it's just delievered differently from each person. And regarding an epidural, I agree with you 100% about it being like russian roulette. You rarely know if it's going to work or not and most often, it doesn't work, which creates a BIG problem. Lastly, regarding surgery, those big companies are all out there to make money, I couldn't agree more. Very unfortunate but it's the way things are and people need to realize this and understand what's going on because they may be getting surgery done when they don't need it or taking medications when they don't them. You really have to do your own reserach to get results today. Just getting general information and general services is not enough. All the best to your recovery Dave and glad to hear that the back doesn't really hurt unless you get into sustained flexion. That's always a positive sign in recovery :)
Thank you for making this video. I have been dealing with low back pain and left side sciatica for 8 months now, started October of 2023. Now June 2024. I just got an MRI last week and it shows a small disc herniation at L4/L5 and a big one at L5/S1.
Wonderful video, Remi. I am currently undergoing a herniated disc injury (I've had it for about 4 years now). Only started serious therapy 7 months ago. Love the content you put out. This video definitely gave me assurance that I can get better too. Been doing physio for about 6 months and also on an Ayurvedic medication plan. Exercises that I am doing (twice a day): bridges, cat-camel, cobra, standing stretches, knee-to-chest exercises for back and core strengthening, trunk rotation a.k.a supine knees side-to-side A big part of my injury was the mental frustration that came with it. I'm 25 and I've been playing soccer since I was 8 years old. Not being able to do that now is depressing. But I realized that talking to people who faced a similar injury helped deal with it better. Although I still have pain (not as much as I did 7 months ago), I feel a lot positive about recovery. Thank you so much for giving hope to everybody out there suffering from lower back pain. Please let me know in case you have any other tips for me to heal faster.
- Indiresh Thanks, Indiresh. And no problem. Glad my video's have been helpful. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to help. Feel free to reach out anytime :)
@@Preeti-lw9jc Hello. I’m good. I still get back pain periodically. But it’s a lot better and isn’t hampering my mobility. I’m sure I’d be totally alright if I stuck to a disciplined back strengthening exercise routine. Hope you aren’t facing any back problems. Take care and all the best.
I'm from India I started having sciatic pain nov 2019. Till feb I tried various exercises but it kept on getting worse. Then my mother forced me to go to a nearby ayurvedic hospital. There the doctor prescribed me 3 therapies that come under Panchakarma 1. Kati basti 2. Abhayanga massage 3. Vapour bath. On the sixth day of therapy I realised that my back doesn't hurt when I sit for long hours. I took the treatment for seven days in total. Hope this helps.
I was diagnosed with this the past month and it was from my last pregnancy where my baby had her head on my sacrum and pushed down and rotated very violently during delivery. It's permanent but with cymbalta and Gabapentin I have been able to do yoga and I feel so much better.
- Nina Ah very sort to hear about that Nina, but glad your doing a lot better with the yoga and medication. Disc injuries can happen in a lot of different ways, and unfortunately complications with pregnancy can be one of them. Overall though, glad to hear that your doing better and keep up with the things that are helping you out. P.S. Congratulations on the newborn :)
Hi Remi! I was recently diagnosed with disc bulge. Since I am a student living alone and away from home, it's been a hard time for me. Even putting on socks and trousers is a big struggle. Thank you so much for making this video:) I am gonna stay away from painkillers and deal with the pain like a warrior haha. Could you please give me some suggestions on when to start exercising? Can I start with walking for a short distance? Currently I have to lie in bed all day because even standing is difficult for me.
- Lily Sorry to hear about that, I can only imagine how hard it may be to be living away from and now suffering such a serious injury. Staying away from painkillers is a good thing and hopefully you can continue to manage without them. In terms of starting exercise, it really depends were your at and how you can function currently with your disc bulge. If you can, I'd suggest, maybe starting with these following exercises and seeing were your at: Clams: th-cam.com/video/EF0-n8DseSE/w-d-xo.html Side lying Hip Abduction: th-cam.com/video/Ypz8p1v6e6g/w-d-xo.html Mini-Band Side Steps: th-cam.com/video/kr6cRYUptHg/w-d-xo.html Tall Mini-Band Side Steps: th-cam.com/video/BnYeP8ymb7M/w-d-xo.html Side Plank Regression: th-cam.com/video/u3wGXvspE4c/w-d-xo.html McGill Crunch: th-cam.com/video/aEBcFy4RQkY/w-d-xo.html Bird-Dog: th-cam.com/video/ZUt-sPWZw8s/w-d-xo.html I'd give these exercise a try right now. If any of them cause you pain, then discontinue them as this would be indication your not ready for the progression yet. As far as walking goes, as along as it doesn't cause you pain, then I'd suggest engaging in walking for various 20 minute intervals if possible :) Hopefully this helps :) - Remi
Thanks for sharing your story with us. You just outlined everything I have been going through for the past six months. I have some bad days when I loose all hope ( like today ) your story gave me hope that one day I might get better.
Warren Crook No problem Warren, I'm glad my story could be of help to you. If you have any questions or are just looking for any support or advice, feel free to message anytime :). Hopefully things get better for you soon.
Thanks. Today is one of the worst ones I have had in a while. I broke both of my elbows 2 weeks ago and cant find any good stretches that dont require arms. So needless to say my progress is going the wrong way these days. But the floor still feels good.
Warren Crook Sorry to hear that Warren. I'm sure things will get better soon! I know a few stretches that don't require your arms if your looking to stretch your lower body. I could share them with you if you'd like :)
Warren Crook Ya for sure. They may be the same or they may be different, not sure. I've actually been meaning to get a few stretching videos out soon that I've recently learned about and found very helpful. I'll get those videos out very shortly :)
Hey man, I know this video is old but I do appreciate what you've done with your channel. I'm 32 and have an L5 / S1 disc bulge. I'm a cop so it's going to be tough going back to work and having to carry a duty belt around my waist. I've been working on my PT and wanted to thank you for the reassurance in this video. Seems like I'll never get better at times but stories like yours give me hope that I'll get my life back.
@@DaddySharkHD How did it work out for you, I wore a duty belt for 28 years, never knowing the damage it did and how much it actually weighs, especially your weapon. I had the microdiscectomy in October and its been no quick fix at all, hope you had better results.
I understand that pain all too well. I rolled a heavy patient over, and that’s when my symptoms started. The sciatica has affected my left leg, which was causing gait problems. The physical therapy made it worse. An X-ray showed that I had disc space narrowing from my L5-S1. My symptoms started in September 2021, and the nerve pain was getting worse. I didn’t get approved for an MRI until May 2022, however the MRI showed nothing. If I feel my lumbar area though, it feels like a bulging bone. Pain management gave me bilateral shots today in my piriformis muscle, but I wish I knew what the root cause was. The only thing that has helped me is exercising and stretching daily. When I actually stopped stretching my hamstrings, the symptoms subsided more. Something is causing this though, and I wish I knew. I’m sorry to hear you went through this. I know what that pain feels like and and people that aren’t experiencing the same don’t understand. I had one doctor tell me to get a cane. She wasn’t even interested in helping me. All we want is answers. Movement is important though. I’ve noticed if I don’t exercise daily, it gets worse again.
Thanks for the video, excellent. subbed and liked, thanks for sharing your story, it takes a lot of courage to talk about this publicly. I can completely relate to your story. Happy to hear you're better now.
Beautiful video. Quick Summary of the points- 1) Get an MRI to understand the real problem. 2) Be careful of medication i.e painkillers. It makes you drowsy, depressive, Moody and dull. Take only when really needed. 3) Physiotherapy sessions to learn basic exercises. Foam rolling, plancks etc. 4) Do lot of research online. Lot of good information. 5) Be aware of the injury and avoid painful motions like bending over. Avoid painful movements.
- Rohit Would agree with all of those points except 6. Sex can be fine as long the positions are spine-sparing. Dr. McGill has a section in his book Back Mechanic about this specific topic :)
Literally experiencing everything you are saying! I’m 33 and hurt my back at work lifting water valve. L5-S1 herniated disc bulge that I’ve been dealing with almost 2 years. I used to be very active gym 6 days week now I just walk and I’m trying whole body cryo- therapy and sauna. Helps slightly so far. Hope everyone heals. Looking up Platelet Rich Plasma injection. Steroid injection only made my sciatica worse down my right leg in my calf. Sitting is literally miserable. I hope everyone heals!
Hey Remi, I was diagnosed with a minor L4-l5 disc bulge impinging on nerve roots and L5-S1 bulge without impingement in an MRI My pain is much less than what you described in your videos and I’m glad you’ve gotten better. However, I still struggle and even sitting hurts and lifting small 6kg dumbbells overhead upset s my back as well. My injury is 2 years old and hasn’t gotten worse during that time.
Remi Sovran thanks for the quick reply Remi, I was wondering whether a combination of ab wheels + mckenzie extension pose is better than purely extension based exercises like bridges and so on. Are ab wheels bad for disc bulges? I’m 23 btw
Thanks for telling us your story! Glad to know I am not alone with my L5S1 pain... would be interesting to know how you are coping with the pain these days? I have had this annular tear & disc protrusion pain for almost 2 years, and it is totally manageable but ALWAYS present. Thanks
- Keona No problem Keona! I have actually made a recovery and I consider myself for the most pain free. I have a bit of issues with the arthritis of my facet joints, but that's only if I get a few bad night's sleep in a row, eating poorly for a few days or find myself in a position we're I'm overdoing some activity like sitting. And when I mean recovery, I don't feel my disc protrusion has been healed, it's just healed to the point of we're i'm pain free. Keep in mind if I was still in pain, I wouldn't be deadlifting close to 400lbs: From a Herniated Disc & Sciatica to a 375lb Deadlift | The Journey Thus Far th-cam.com/video/dhn1zIc_GLQ/w-d-xo.html
Your story is very similar to what I'm dealing with now. I'm in pain 24/7 and no one takes me seriously. I've even been told to just suck it up. It took me about 3 months before I was properly diagnosed and my first pain management epidural injection is June 22. I've been dealing with this since March. On bad days, My right leg is numb and burns and stings due to the pinching of the nerve.
clara P Sorry to hear that Clara, I know it's a very tough situation to be in pain like that all the time. A lot of people don't understand the severity of pain that individual's deal with from an injury and this creates unnecessary thought processes such as people telling you to "suck it up". It's probably some of the worst advice someone can be given because people don't actually know what your experiencing until they actually experience it for themselves (which they may never experience). As for that epidural injection goes, hopefully that can be helpful for you. I know myself, I'm not a big fan of them because they primarily are only going to "temporarily" relieve pain and they aren't necessarily fixing the issue. Anyways, hopefully things get better for you soon and that you don't have to deal with any severe right leg pain!
+KaliforniaKyleighhh Thank you for the kind compliments Kyleigh :) I'm glad this video was able to help you out and hopefully you can overcome your disc bulge soon :) - Remi
This video gave me insight where I didn't have any, I'm sixteen and I got an Annual tear as well in the L5 and S1 during football practice , This gave me a positive attitude to keep my head up .
Thank you for sharing this. Your story gave me a lot of confidence to handle my injury by myself, without any surgery ,doctors, MRI etc. just exercises I took from youtube videos and the understanding what Im against from your experience. It took me about a year to heal from this injury. Thank you !!!
Thank you Remi. I have an L4 disc bulge 6mm.w extreme Sciatica. Dr put me on bedrest to decompress. i am slowly beginning to walk again. thank you for sharing your story. :)
Keep telling you guys, if pain is relieved by traction or decompression, stay stretched, crutches to get around, down side, takes months, cost nothing, easy to do
Thank you so much for this. I have 2 bulging discs in my lower spine. The most pain I’ve ever been in, in my life. Your video helps me feel hope and less alone.
Thank you so much for this 🙏🙏🙏 You have given me hope again. I waited for a year and a half to get an MRI, ti find l have a L5-S1 disc herniation. I've been to physio, chiro and acupuncture but still was hurting, pain from back to butt, all the way down my leg and now numbness in my foot. Doctor feels l might need surgery and l don't want to do it just yet. Could you please write down the people you recommended 🙏 Honestly, you are the first person that has my issue and has given me hope that l will get better if the nerve damage isn't permanent. Thank you sooooo much 🙏🙏🙏
Hi All, This might help some of you. To help with sitting pain, try the what I call the Kawasaki position. Just look at someone's leg position riding a Japanese bike, perhaps in a Moto GP race and you will see it clearly. Calves outside the legs of the chair. Stretch feet back with balls of feet on the floor, almost up on toes. This helps me a great deal. This position would work on a school chair or kitchen chair, usually. Thank you Remi for this very much needed channel. I'll be posting more.
- Eddie Hello Eddie, thanks for sharing that little tip! I've never tried sitting in that position, but I'm glad it helps you out and hopefully it can help anyone else out that has trouble with sitting. Glad you enjoy the channel and hope to hear more from you soon :)
After my first doctor diagnosed it as sciatica, and asked me to start physio.. I knew there was something more serious as my physiotherapy didnt releive my symptoms, actually started to get worse..! Finally i had to go to a different doctor and force him to give a requistion for an MRI and then with a delay of two months from the day my symptoms began.. it was done.. And.. There it is! I have a disc bulge at L4 - L5..and i was aggressively doing physio without being aware of what the real problem was! I totally agree.. You have to push your doctor to do the right tests, it's your body and you are the one going through the pain, and it's your repsonsiblity to fight to keep your body fit.
June 2022 and I am watching your video. Thank you for your story. I am going through this right now. I been having back pain since 2020 because of COVID working remotely at home, but nothing severe. The end of 2021 I started noticing my back pain was getting a little worst but I took Aleve or Ibuprofen the doctor prescribed.... it would work. March 2022 the pain in my back was so bad I went to my doctor, just like you and given meds / physical therapy. Listening to you I was doing some of the same things you did. I just finish PT and still had the pain. Since, I had such a great therapist, I continue to do the lot of the exercises on my own. The bed or floor ....laying on your stomach will be your best friend.....It truly was mines. You said something your video that rang true. The PT was just doing any and all exercises with me but not knowing what exactly the problems was. I had to fight with the doctor and insurance to get an MRI. Finally got the MRI and Bulge Disc in L4/5. Went back to my doctor for my results and next recourse. I am scheduled to see a specialist 2 months from now. The pain that I am going through couldn't wait. I contacted a Chiropractor who came recommended to me through a co-worker going through the same thing. Today was my first visit and I got a lot questions answered about my back and about the best exercises for my problem. Thank you so much for sharing your story and that horrible pain you had to go through.
- John No problem John. To answer your question, I never found it hard on my ankles or legs. I would get the odd crack here or there in knees or ankles, but that's because you're still creating a traction stretch through the ankles and knees when hanging upside down. Hopefully that answers your question :) Note: I just posted a new video on how to use an inversion table, as well some other detailed things regarding this if you would like to check that out as well :) How to Use an Inversion Table | Recovery Tips for Disc Bulge & Disc Herniation th-cam.com/video/KFcIHwylN-o/w-d-xo.html
Hi Remi, My 15 year old daughter, ballet dancer, had an injury at L5 and has been in pain for 1.25yrs and unable to dance or sit through a day of classes. After 2 MRI's physio, chiropractics, message and acupuncture. Sitting in class at school is the hardest thing she does. Her MRI shows a mild disc bulge at L5 and is on Pregablin, Nortriptoline and some tylenol with codeine. After seeing several specialists, her pain has not changed. (She has flat feet as well.) We are working through Stuart McGills book now. I'll share your video with her. It is an incredibly isolating experience for any one dealing with this level of pain. Thank you for posting.
- HeatherHi Heather, I'm very sorry to hear about that. That is never an easy thing for 15 year old to be dealing with, nor should they ever have to deal with something like that, especially at that age. I know that exact feeling of being in class and sitting with constant pain.. Very frustrating and painful! I truly wasn't able to heal myself until I was able to eliminate sitting, which wasn't until the end of my 3rd year winter semester. I know I could of taken a leave of absence during the semester, but I refused too (didn't want to get put back on my studies) and just did my best to manage until the semester was over and I had about 5 months off from school. The thing to keep mind is that if sitting is causing someone pain as such in you're daughter's case, it's only going to make the recovery process longer as more damage could slowly be accumulating over time, which is not what you want, nor do you want to hear, since sitting is such a staple task in our daily lives. As for the flat feet, ya that could and potentially will cause more issues in the long run if not addressed, since flat feet cause the whole kinetic chain to change (e.g., knees cave in = more stress on knees = more degenerative changes over time). I find wearing orthotics helps, but keep in mind that's just a crutch for no better terms when wearing them and it doesn't actually tackle the whole issue. Lastly, as for Dr. McGill's book, not sure what book you got, but I'd assume maybe "back mechanic". Regardless, Dr. McGill is absolutely a phenomenal resource when it comes to low back injuries, most specifically spinal disc cases. He is the expert on spine biomechanics, and his book should help you address, as well educate you're daughter's disc bulge. Anyways, hopefully this input helps you a bit and if you're daughter does watch this video, I hope it gives her some inspiration to overcome her injury and get back to her daily routine pain free :) All the best Heather !
Thanks for sharing, this is exactly what I am at the moment, have been suffering this from the past 4 years, general practitioners were just hopless, sitting is a nightmare, spent a fortune on physio and chiro. Now i just made up my mind to suck it up and keep exercising. If there are any specific videos of exercises or mobility drills that helped you a lot please share.
- Velhalla My youtube channel has plenty of exercises covering the type of exercises that I found helpful. I'd also recommend Dr. McGill's book Back Mechanic.
Wow for me it took me 5 year, every time i went to doctor he use to say that my pain was mental he even laugh at me saying that I was to young to have lot of pain.. i was depressed cause i couldn't work .. when I ask for MRI or X-ray he say that I don't need it I just need to loose weight.. so this time i choose a female doctor, I'll explain same story she also say you to young!! But I told her I just turn 40 and have 5 year with this pain.. well thanks god she say ok, so I got my appointment for X-ray ..I have same thing as you , have same pain , right leg numbness when I walk .all that I explain to my pass 3 doctor.. I feel like smacking them with 10 hands 🤚.. it was good to hear you story! 😉
- Massiel Very sorry to hear about all of that and it's really shame those doctor's treated you like that. I find that to be one of the biggest problems with many doctor's in today's society is they tend to just write things off as the pain being in you're head or you don't have any issues, etc. It's terrible and it really is a problem, because when something like that happens, it could only make an individual's injury and life worse, especially when their is a problem going on! When I see things like this happen, it just makes me think how some of these doctor's even have a job? Anyways, glad you were able to finally get some sort of testing done in the case of an X-ray. Not sure if that really showed anything, but hopefully you got some clarification about you're ongoing pain and hope you can be pain-free soon :)
Thanks!! 😊 that is 5 years with out taking therapy and with out working.. I worked 15 year pass job I thought I was tired ,I was saying I think I need a little retirement to rest..
- Massiel I'm not sure if you've seen my other video's were I made updates all the way, but I've made a full recovery about sometime over a year ago and I'm back to normal things again. However, at the time when I was in serious pain, I had a lot of trouble doing any sort of activity and it was a real struggle to get through, especially any sort of sitting activities.
This was so helpful and a relief. Thank you. I'm 6ft5 too exact same back area similar activity level, have the same anualar tear too. I'm so happy to hear you've been recovering as I hate feeling like my backs a ticking time bomb lol. Very scared to exercise
Thanks so much for sharing. I can relate. It’s especially important to see someone else on the younger side share this. A lot of doctors are dismissive of younger patients.
Great to see a video made by someone who has been through it and doesn't have an agenda or skin in the game. PT saved me, got me an MRI, a diagnosis, and at least a glimmer of an outlook for getting better long term. Wish you the best man, hope you can get out on the ice again, I know how badly I'm missing basketball right this second.
- SeeMike Thanks, Mike! I've actually been able to return to play hockey and weightlifitng seriously again. Took me quite a whole, but documented many of those experiences in videos along the way. Hope you can get back to basketball soon though buddy :)
I've been living with this pain for months now. I can't remember how it felt like to feel normal anymore. I've been stretching and lying on my back and I feel what I think is improvement, (pain feels less or just in a different place can't really tell) but I will try the lying on my belly.
+Guillermo Jaramillo Hello Guillermo, sorry to hear about having to deal with consistent pain for months now. Not something anyone should ever have to deal with us. Anyways, glad to hear that stretching and lying on your back has been helpful. Normally, what I tell people is to continue to do the things that are making you feel better and avoid the things that are making things worse. I mean that's just general advice, but it is some of the best advice that you can apply to any situation. Also, if your going to try lying on your belly, make sure you place a pillow or two underneath your hips, just so do your spine is in a better position and you avoid any extension based problems. Anyways, hopefully the lying on your stomach helps you and I wish you all the best moving forward Guillermo :)
That's crazy my wife just had an MRI in an OPEN Mri she is claustrophobic took a week to get in. The imaging places are everywhere here I think there is about 20 of them in my city. I don't know I think I would rather just pay for my healthcare in the US. I have never had much problem getting insurance I'm 47 always had a job where they covered me. Even when I was in college I paid for my own insurance it was like $500 a month. Doctor just called with the results bulging disc tomorrow we get to find out what to do. She has been laid up for a month her pain was just like yours she would sit down and all of a sudden she would start crying the pain was so bad.
- blastman Ya, that's one of the benefits I see with your health care in the US. If you can afford it, then the results will come quick. I think everyone has their opinions, but I guess if I ever need medication, I don't have to pay for it, which saves a ton of money. There is pros and cons to both systems in my opinion. As for your wife, very sorry to hear about that though. It's very tough situation to be in, especially when you can barely sit without being in crazy agony and pain. I wish you and your wife all the best and hopefully you're wife can get some relief soon :)
***** Thanks for the reply we saw the doctor today MRI shows no nerve involvement so they are going to do PT and nerve block shots from pain management clinic. The only thing which I didn't talk to her about is her future she likes to ride horses and snowboard I think both of those activities might be an issue for her future.
I currently have a herniated disc and was misdiagnosed by my doctors with a muscle sprain. My life saviour was literally watching youtube videos and learning how to do the mckenzie exercise. The siatica has subsided and I am able to walk for an hour without pain. I would recommend walking everyday as a way to exercise and help your back heal. Making sure the matress of the bed you sleep on comfortable and not old.
Very strange lack of people on TH-cam doing long testimonies like this. Thank you. Thank you VERY much for doing this.
No problem Anthony ! :)
Great testimony. Just killed my lower back with kettlebell swings
Hey guys! I've suffered from herniated disc as well. Lower lumbar spine. It eventually graduated to Sciatica. Nerve pinched on left leg. Endured pain for 6 months. Doctor only option was surgery. I was flat broke and no insurance. Put off MRI for awhile (it's the most important thing you MUST do FIRST). It was expensive but eventually got it. Confirmed the bulge. Cause was a deterioration on S1 probably from an accident I had 10 yrs ago.. I researched on hydrotherapy. Swimming with a series of movement. Gravity is our worse enemy. After just a couple of times, the pain was gone. Got full function of my left leg again. It worked for me. Don't lose hope. I was in a desperate situation. I thought my life ended. It's been 3 years now and I haven't felt pain again. I hope you all get better. I am not a doctor. We all have different cases. This just worked for me.
- Shoeless
Thanks for sharing your story and glad to hear your not in pain anymore! That's very encouraging to hear for anyone reading this :)
Hi Remi! Good to hear you've recovered as well. Thank you for sharing your story as well. I'm sure this would help a lot of people.
- Shoeless
No problem and thanks Shoeless! :)
Shoeless Elephant what kind of swimming did you do?
Shoeless Elephant i hv same pain in my lower back nd left leg but doctors can't find anything in MRI scan or X-ray ,it been 5 year now but m still in pain ,I don't know wht to do now
Thank you for posting this! I'm currently dealing with a ruptured disk and this video really made me feel like I'm not alone.
- Bianca
No problem Bianca! Hope things get better soon for you and if you ever have any questions about anything, feel free to reach out or ask :)
I’m there too. 2 bulged and 2 herniated discs. Also thanks for sharing; both of you. And it’s been 3 years for me. Write me anytime if you need to connect. God bless you both. Charles.
Anyone that has a disc herniation, look into FUNCTIONAL PATTERNS
@Satyendra Tyagi can you relate to the symptoms I mentioned above?
@@davidcabo6970 What is that I have 3 2.5 mm herniated discs
You probably gave me more information regarding my injury, exactly same as yours, than going to doctors for more than a year. Thank you so much for taking some time out to record this video. Bless you. I wish for you full recovery!!!
No problem Raghav! :)
I know it’s an older video, but thank you so much for your time and testimony. I’m 33 with a similar injury and had a bad surgery experience that didn’t work. Even though a lot of this I already had to learn the hard way, it helps me tremendously on an emotional level.
Your story is inspirational and much needed for me, thank you.
No problem John! Happy to hear the video was helpful! :)
T c:?;
Did you have a fusion or discetomy?
@@1211-n4d discectomy.
@@1211-n4d and a laminectomy
I have a 1cm broad based right side bulge. The hell I have been in for 6 months is insane. I have done everything, meds, physio, ice, heat, chiropractor, massage, dry needling, cupping I even bought an inversion table. When it was at its worst I couldn’t sit for even 5 seconds I would sleep on my floor for 2 hours a night. All I could do way lay on the floor all day. I got extremely depressed and almost got hooked on OxyContin because of the pain. All I had to look forward to was my next pill. I couldn’t go out be with my wife or play with my daughter, I had no life. I’m probably %80 better now i take 6km walks everyday now. I still can’t sit sit pain free and have to use a roll I’m my car or it’s torture. Unfortunately I’m a field tech and I drive 80,000km per year. I go back to work in 3 weeks I have no choice I’m out of money. I feel like I’ll never get that last 20% back I want to get back to my active life again lifting weights and running. I’m so scared I’ll blow it out again. The pain was so bad the first 4 weeks I really thought about ending my life. The extreme pain I was in day in and day out and the 5 pills I was on really depressed me and screwed with my mind. I would just start to cry and ask way nobody could help me. The medical system was useless the only thing that helped was time. I hope I get the last 20 back I’m 44 and refuse to live like this the rest of my life.
- Kevin
Glad to hear your feeling 80% better. That;s very encouraging to hear. As for that final 20%, you still have 3 weeks left and I'd recommend you do your best to take advantage of those 3 weeks. Maybe you won't get to 100%, but if you can get to 85% or 90%, then that would be huge and perhaps manageable for the future :)
How are you now?
I've done yoga for the same problem and it's worked really well.
Praying for you Kevin. I’m going through the exact same thing and everything associated as you mentioned… 😔
Yes been in pain git addicted to pain pills and 18 yrs later still in the same pain just like I had when I got rear-ended in 2007 done great going to physical therapy 4 1yr and doctors every 3 months nothing changed on my mri and surgery has never been mentioned only that I have arthritis real bad and there's nothing the doctor's can do cause I have crappy state insurance cause I can't hardly do simple jobs around the house please help
Great video, thanks for sharing your story. I have to say though - I was just like you. I "tweaked" my back doing dead lifts in 2009, eventually recovered. Then I ended up giving myself a disc bulge at L5-S1 from doing strenuous walking on a steep incline in 2012. The disc bulge eventually resolved itself. Fast forward to 2013, I lift and carry a heavy box of books and trigger an acute episode of lower back pain and sciatica. I get an MRI to discover that I now have degenerative disc disease. Because I kept engaging in activities that added to the wear and tear on my L5-S1, it eventually "sprung a leak." As I'm sure you know through your research, the discs don't have a great capacity to heal themselves since they lack blood flow. For that reason, all the strain and damage adds up and can result in herniation and/or DDD. So my advice to you is to stop doing stuff like dead lifts altogether. Appreciate that you have had a good recovery and avoid those exercises which put strain on your lumbar region. Trust me, you don't want DDD, it's ruined my sex life and my ability to do a lot of things. Just my personal experience, best of luck to you
Willhelm S
Thanks man, I appreciate your comment! I'm sorry to hear that you had to go through all of that, especially since you experienced additional injuries such as degenerative disc disease. It's true that the discs really do have a limited healing capacity because of the lack of blood supply and this makes it such a "tough" injury to overcome. I know many people end up getting worse and eventually they will get surgery to repair the disc, which is never fun. However, if their were any positives that I could take away from my disc bulge injury is that I'm more educated than ever about my lower back and I understand what's going to cause pain or problems. Activities such as running, I haven't even performed in over 2 year because of the impact it places on your spine. Lastly, at the end of the day though, I think with any disc injury, it's all about being aware and making the changes to your lifestyle that are necessary. Thanks again for sharing that and hopefully things improve for you :)
Thank u very much, yesterday i discovered i have L4-L5 protrusion . And L3-L4 bulge . Im only 22 years old and just graduated from nursing school. Knowing that i have this problem has a very bad impact in my internship because i cant go to the hospital and work. Im still confused about the treatment, but its very nice to hear others experience and learning from them.
- Bushra
No problem Bushra and sorry to hear about that. That's a very tough situation, especially dealing with two protrusions at different levels and not being able to work. When it comes to the treatment, it's going to be different for everyone, and in your case, since you have two protrusions, it makes things a little more difficult. However, as long as you follow a proper rehab program (e.g., avoiding painful movements/activities, strengthening the core, following a healthy diet, etc.) you should get better over time. On the positive, congratulations on graduating from nursing school and hopefully you get back to your internship soon :)
Seeing this 3 years later as I’m recently diagnosed with something similar,have you recovered? I feel hopeless !
Is it fixed now?
normally people with back issues are difficult to listen to. tedious, confusing and unhelpful. this sets the bar:
clear communication, great details, and helps us determine our type of injury, and the patience it will take to make ourselves whole again. or set expectations for self care and how to manage the medical industrial complex so we can actually heal.
- Greg
Glad my story was helpful Greg :)
You explained exactly how I feel and what I am having through for so long! I have bulging disk in my L4-L5 and L5-S1!! Worse!!! I've been going to doctors for over 5 months now after since they get my MRI results.. Did MRI, PT, medications, home exercises!! I did everything but it's not easy!! Did MRI for my neck also and I was diagnosed with Cervical Spondylisis which is connected to my spinal as well.. It's crazy!! I'm still trying my best and keep bugging my doctors to help me ease this pains all over my body..😭 Thanks for sharing this video.. I finally found someone who explained so much about this pain situation and I would definitely show this to my husband.. I sometimes feel that he doesn't believe when I am in so much pain every single day that's why I just cry quietly sometimes instead of complaining about my pain. It hurts physically and emotionally!! My family and friends probably thinks I'm just being dramatic but they have no idea how I really feel..😢💔 Keeping myself positive and my faith stronger than this pain!! 🙏🙏🙏
- Ashley
Thanks for sharing your story and I'm sorry to hear about all of that. I can only imagine what you may be going through. I hope you can find some relief soon. If you ever have any questions or need help, feel free to reach out :)
I am going through the exact same thing as you with the exact same medical diagnosis. I have been dealing with this for a few years now and its like no one really believes the pain and struggles that this can cause. I got to the point of exertion trying to push and bug doctors. Now the pain has gotten worse and im back at doctors waiting to have another mri. Wife seems to think im babying or exaggerating. Hopefully this time around i can get relief from this pain because it truely is more than just physical there is a big mental side to this pain as well. Really helps to know that someone else knows what its like instead of having ur spouse be so ignorant in this time.
Same exactly I've been going through for several years now. It gets triggered every now and then and i'll be out for a few days. Been through therapy and still on medications. Very frustrating cause I feel old with this pain and I'm only 50. I was told I was not a good candidate for any surgery. Everyday I deal with it. I'm very unhappy with this situation. Thanks for sharing.
- Dobble
No problem boddle and I'm sorry to hear about that.. never an easy situation being in constant pain and having it effect your life.. Hopefully you can get some relief soon Dobble and make a recovery :)
This sounds exactly what I am going through now. I have gone from my chiropractor, to the doctor, to the physical therapist, back to the chiropractor. I had the MRI and exactly what you had, an L5-S1 injury where the bulge was displacing the nerve bundle, which explained the horrific pain going down my leg, especially sitting. I can empathize with you because there is nothing more painful and that includes childbirth and appendicitis. I'm doing the MELT method, core exercises, stretches, etc., and I'm hoping to heal it myself because the doctors keep pushing me into surgery and I don't want to do that at all as that sets a person up for a whole lot more back problems. Thank you for sharing your story.
- Viewvalley
Sorry to hear about all of that you have gone through Viewvalley. I know it can be a very tough process to go through, but if you can stick to avoiding the movements/activities that are painful and continue with core exercises/stretches, you will make a recovery a eventually. As for the doctors pushing for surgery, never really a thing you'd like to hear and I'd be very cautious with approaching surgery, since a disc bulge injury "can" be healed with proper conservative treatment. All the best moving forward and I hope you can make a full recovery soon :)
Remi Sovran That's what I am working toward. My chiropractor is also leary of surgery, so I'll keep working with him. my doctor is an osteopath, which surprised me when the only thing he suggested was drugs and surgery. I will beat this.
Ya, everyone typically has a different opinion when it comes to an injury. Some may-be right, some may-be wrong, but it's just best to just be extra cautious with surgery and save it is a last option. And yes I believe you will beat this as well :)
Viewvalley hi I mean faizal I got z same problem but I am sure u can beat it wiz simple things like I took superjoint caps,omega 3caps,applecider vinegar,everyday 2 green apples but if u have gastric beware a bit of acids,light stretching floor exercises, dink 2 glasses of milk everyday,n yes shed weight if u r sorry,fat,try putting a good lumber belt,email me at faizals25@hotmail.com, u ll see how easy it is to cure yourself without pills or expensive stuffs like surgery,good luck my friend... I knw z pain
Viewvalley are you feeling any better? i hope so
YES!!! PUSH FOR IMAGING!!! It took me over 6 months to finally get an MRI ordered and performed. L5-S1 protrusion. I too was told repeatedly- oh it's just a pulled muscle.
- Stephanie 100% Stephaine! We share a very a similar story. Actually, just ordered a new MRI today, as I want to do a comparison from about roughly close to 4 years ago. Had to push for it unfortunately, but got it ordered :)
Why do we people have to beg for a mri?? what's wrong with these doctors today.... It is not their money
Stephanie Wise That's what these fuckin doctors do. All they say is it's a pulled muscle however in reality is much more than a muscle in just. Happened with me as well. I have L4-L5 Injury.
im on my 6th month and still demanding a MRI.
This exact same situation happened to me--had an L5-S1 disc bulge, and was told I "did not qualify" for an MRI. Was told I just had chronic back pain that would stay with me for the rest of my life.
I ended up leaving the country and getting an MRI elsewhere, cheap and quick.
Healthcare is great, unless you're not given access to services.
Had the exact same experience with my Doctors and recovery. Still not there yet but working my way up to it. Grateful for your testimony
Not a problem. I wish you all the best :)
no more running, that's what my doctor said to me too and that's make me feel like paralyzed, I have pain all day in my right foot also in my back the doctor said i will not be the same again cuz i have disc L5 S1, thank you for this video you part of my researching
- Ato Tota
Ya I hear you. It's never fun hearing you can't do something and it can be really depressing in a sense. Anyways, sorry to hear about that Ato and hopefully you can make a recovery soon :)
How are you today?
Hi how are you feeling now?
Thanks bro.. Your video just motivated me to finally feel like I can get my old self back. My doctors are giving me the run around and I am tired of taking these meds. Your story is almost identical to time. About to start taking these PT sessions more seriously. Thanks again
- K
No problem K! Hope you can make a full recovery soon :)
Hey Remy, just want to say thank you for putting out valuable information. At the very least, your experiences can help people feel not alone in their fight, and it is absolutely a fight. I injured my back squatting 5 years ago. Lower left side totally gave out, felt like someone turned the light switch off between the connection of my upper torso to lower body. I had no force. I was able to get rid of that pain in my back over a course of 5-6 months. Changed my exercise routine from Olympic/powerlifting to more functional/postural movements. Got in the best shape of my life. Unfortunately life got in the way and my schedule changed and I got a away from what was working for me. I would throw my back out once or twice a year and I finally destroyed my lower back doing body Weight good mornings. Finally developed sciatica which was the worst pain of my life. Dealt with that brutal, life taking pain for 4-5 months. Decided to stop all bending during that time. Ate all natural diet. All anti inflammatory foods. Lots of turmeric. Lots of mixed veggie salads and beans. Eventually took care of the nerve pain. By the way, I never missed a day of work and my job requires me to stand all day. People saw me cry. I didn’t care. Eventually the nerve pain graduated to both leg. Like I said, no bending, but either way, I couldn’t bend. Felt like something was stuck. Felt like if I even attempted to bend, something would snap.so maybe 5-6 months go by, my biggest issue was I still can’t bend, horrible back pain still. Decided this wasn’t any way to live being immobile. Went through with surgery to mayb release that nerve. Did a micro discectomy on l5 s1. Your nerve is supposed to be white, mine was purple, that’s how compressed it was. Several weeks have gone by, and guess what? Back pain came back and can’t bend at all. I have not been the same person in 9 months. I feel like my life has been taken away from me. In my opinion, everyone is different. Listen to your own body. I am now attempting to fix this on my own. Step 1- bring down inflammation. Step2- increase mobility with simple yoga style exercises, but nothing that irritates it. I really don’t know what my back is telling me other than “I’m not allowing you to bend right now.” Imagine not being able to bend? It’s not living, especially if you consider yourself some type of athlete. And I was. Lost 20 pounds of muscle. Worked out everyday, and now I’m stuck in the bed with my Loved ones caring for me. Everyone going through their battle, keep faith. Don’t just get sucked in. Listen to people that actually have the experience like a Remy. Movement really is the remedy, but nothing to irritate it. Slowly test it but don’t force it. I never envisioned this battle was in store for me but I have the strength to figure it out. So do you, believe me.
- Jason
Thank you very much for sharing your story. You've been through quite a journey. I wish you all the best going forward and keep up the fight :)
@@RemiSovran did you ever know how big your herniation was? I have the same disc issue
I have bulges L3/L4 & L4/L5 with arthritis L1-L5 per my MRI results. I've been depressed because I've been injured for over a month now & it seems to be taking forever to heal. Hearing your story gives me hope for a successful recovery. Thanks for sharing.
Alicia Ann
ahh sorry to hear about that Alicia. I'm glad that my story was able to give you inspiration. Lower back pain is never fun. Hopefully you can make a successful recovery soon :)
do hijama suction cup the Islamic healing process and your disc will heal
+saleem suliman sounds similar to cupping which is something they do in Chinese medicine, my sister did it when she had back problems and said it helped a lot. Never heard of hijama suction cup, will have to look that up :)
Ally Cas , bulge kaise theek hoga sir ji
Thanks for your time in putting this video together. My family doctor gave the option of pills or shots, of which I never took anything. After 6 months of pain I've decided to see a surgeon. Lots of people say "don't have back surgery" but when laying in bed is the only non painful days that's not acceptable in my 40's. Wish me luck 😎
- Edward
No problem Edward! Hope the surgery goes well :)
How'd it go?
Edward sir how are you now.. How's ur surgery went.. Did u get pain back after surgery please tell mee. I'm only 22 I have 14 15 s1 disc bulge from 8 months..going physiotherapy not able to pay that costly charges in physiotherapy.. Pain felt better and I'm walking now but still I have pain for walking bending all so I'm deciding for surgery but more people telling don't do surgery so please confirm me if u go through it
I'm waiting for ur reply sir
Hi, l am from India and going through the exact issue from deadlift. Thanks for sharing your testimony and really feel very sorry for what you had gone through over a long period. I was into this problem for over a month and literally couldn't tolerate the pain and emotions that pulls me down. No longer can l drive bike or car and your story gives me strength to mentally fight this and stay positive for full recovery. Happy you recovered and that gives me hope
Thanks, Parthiban! Appreciate it. All the best to your recovery :)
Hi i am surfringlow back pain for eigth good year . my dr planted some disck but for four year now i cant worlk and the pains and nmness is still there is there any remandy. my name is ndi lbrahim.
Unbelievably helpful. Thanks so much for your time Remi. Everything you experienced is what I am enduring right now.
No problem Evroy! Glad I could be of help :)
Did you end up healing yourself and how
Thank you so much. It's rare to find people who actually care. I've been feeling like a liquid feeling like running my back and knee but really it's because you're right everything connects. I am pretty tight in the sense I don't workout like I used to. I will take a look at these and I will do everything I can. For you to take the time and do this is really sweet. :)
- Eden
No problem Eden, thanks for the kind words and glad I could be of help! I wish you all the best moving forward :)
Please - if you are watching this and think you may have herniated a disk see a doctor and get and MRI or CT scan! I've been watching a lot of these back issue videos and too many of us have waited too long to get a scan done.
- BMG
Can't agree more with that. You won't know the exact specifics of a disc injury until you get something like an MRI done :)
Remi Sovran i experience the same thing
what if you dont have $6000 for a mri or cat scan??
jamesb7777a depends on the scan. A scan of your lumbar region to check for herniated disc cost less than a $1000
jd.0980 that's still pretty pricey lol that's a car payment, insurance, light, water, cell phone bill for the month.
thank you for this, I was on my stomach before you mentioned it, It made me emotional to hear your story because I empathize, I can't stand this pain. I did it dead lifting too, it's the most painful thing I've ever felt
- Natalie
No problem Natalie! Hopefully things are better today :)
Thank you *****
I injured my back weight lifting in high school at age 16. Couldnt walk for 2 weeks. Been dealing with excruciating pain for years!!! I finally got artificial disc replacement 3 weeks ago and I'm doing fantastic!!!!! Oh yeah I'm 33 now!!!! So 17 years of pain!! But 17 years ago they didn't have this technology of artificial discs. I got the most cutting edge one too by asculap that barely came out in 2015. Specialized for the L5-S1 disc. So I did the right thing waiting. Because back when I first injured myself surgery was a last resort!!! Everyone advised against it. I'm glad they did. Back then back surgery was very risky. Today it's soooooo much better
Natalie Rodriguez Are you doing better now?
@@TheFailedmessiah if you don't mind me asking, how are you doing as of now? Where did you have your surgery done? Thanks and I really hope you're doing well !!
My story is incredibly similar. Young, tall, L5-S1 disc prolapse, and not diagnosed until I was in constant pain and couldn't walk. Did the same lying on my front all day, was on Naproxen (stronger than Ibuprofen) and Amitriptyline (as nerve pain relief).
Took about the same time to get any sort of disc shrinkage, but unlike you, I ended up with permanent damage. Got permanent numbness in my left foot down the outside, and a permanent "pulled calf muscle" feeling. I'll keep an eye on the channel, try some of your core strength stuff, see if it helps.
- Phlebas99
Ya, sorry to hear about the permanent damage Phlebas99. It's a very unfortunate situation to go through, especially when you consider the time frame. No one should ever have to go through something like that. Hopefully you find the core training and some other things on the channel helpful :) Also, you may find some useful things on my website as well, if you decide to check that out. All the best moving forward :)
Thank you very much for this video! I had an injury while squatting at the gym. Now I have a L5S1 herniated disc which is pinching my ciatic nerve root. I also have 2 other herniated discs above my L5 and other 2 bulging discs. I don't feel a lot of pain though. Sitting is very painful because of my left leg...and sometimes my back gets really stiff and hurts really bad. I am not taking any pain killers because I can handle the pain. PT has helped me very much. I am confident I will get better soon.
Your video is the one of the best videos about lumbar herniated disc I've seen so far. Thanks for sharing your story, and I hope you get better and better every day.
- Aline
No problem Aline. Sorry to hear about you're injury and the pain currently going through. I know a herniated disc is a very difficult injury to deal with, but I'm glad you're able to deal with the pain without having to take pain killers. Never fun being on pain killers and I know it's best to stay off them if you can. Great to hear that the PT is helping you out a lot and I hope it continues to help! Keep it up :) Also, thanks for the kinds words Aline and I hope you continue to get better each and every day as well :)
Aline Alves da Costa lord
Aline Alves da Costa did you ever get the steroids shot?
Hi Aline, how are you doing now, have you fixed the problem? Can you please describe how if you can be bothered? I'm going through it now the 2nd time this year... Very very very depressing, I used to feel bulletproof before this 2020 came along and now with crazy politicians (Victoria, Australia) with draconian lockdown rules meant I couldn't go to the gym and live my active life anymore, so muscle atrophy is only way I can explain how I got here.
Aline alves da costa hope so u have recovered.
Thank you so much for sharing your story!
I was hit by a drunk driver in a head-on collision, which rendered me three herniated discs in my neck and my lower back and a shoulder bone spur.
My life hasn't been the same every since.
It's such a struggle doing the most basic things around the house.
So much pain!
I do planks, stretches, sphynx posture, etc....
I get very short periods of pain relief from those exercises.
I'll keep trying. 😌
Anything to avoid taking pills.
It's a struggle trying to leave bed in the morning.
It's a struggle to undress myself before bathing.
It's a struggle to clean myself.
It's a struggle to put shoes on.
I'm so upset about this whole thing!
I will try swimming and hydromassage next.
Hearing your story gave me lots of hope.
Thank you so much!
Be well.
- Darian
No problem Darian! Glad my story could give you some hope. That's always encouraging to hear. If you have questions or need help with anything, feel free to reach out :)
Your story is so similar to my own! I live in Canada and it took 2 years of going through the medical process (specialists/physi/xrays,mri) before I finally went to a chiropractor even though all the doctors I had seen had told me there was no need to see one. After 3 weeks of adjustments my leg/back pain went to zero. After 5 weeks I was back to feeling like I had prior to that 2 year period. Don't be afraid to go see a chiro people! This is what they DO!!
+somadoll2012 Great to hear that chiro helped you out! I agree that people shouldn't be discouraged from seeing chiro or any type of alternative health care but the unfortunate thing is that a lot of people are, especially from general practiconer's. Not really sure why their is such a big discouragement but I think it has to do with money and the different methods being used. Personally, I think people should be encouraged too seek alternative help, especially if they haven't found anything that works for them. In my case, I did see a chriopractor but I didn't get much benefit from seeing one... even though he was the only who actually knew my injury without seeing the MRI. However, that's not too say that I don't recommend seeing one because everyone has a different experience with different sorts of treatment and it really comes down to the expertise of the individual.
I am 63 years old and a runner, at least up until the end of 2018 when I got my dose of lower back pain and piriformis nightmare. Never had back issues but I believe I brought it on by overdoing my workouts. Like you Remi, Had no ideas until I got my MRI. L4L5 bulging disc. I was and still am having lower back pins and needles, butt discomfort, cannot sit for long, abdominal pain on the right side off and on. I also have had groin and man unit pain and burning. Had no idea about that until I found out that it is all due to the nerve in the back affecting everything in the region. It has been 6 months and still no end in sight but I continue to stretch for back issues. I would not recommend pelvis stretches because I think it prolonged my pain. It helped the pelvis but not my back. My thoughts also are to not start doing anything like running when you feel better right away. I did that for a week and felt like I regressed in my progress. I hear it gets better over time but sure is a long road to recovery!
- Mark
Thanks for sharing your story. And sorry to heat about the regression. That's never fun.
I agree and think that many people rush to activity to soon, which limits their progress and puts them back in square. If I had one recommendation, it would be patience.
Hope you feel better soon Mark! :0
I’ve recently been experiencing the excruciating pain of 2 ruptured disc with sciatic nerve pain. Worse pain ever the most I can sleep is 2 hrs in a given night. I feel I’m living a life of insanity doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Your testimony and endurance has renewed my hope. So important because hope deferred makes the heart sick. A merry heart doeth good like medicine. You confirmed a lot of the strategy that I have implemented. I have to continue to fight the good fight and not grow weary! Thanks 🙏
- Larry
No problem Larry! Happy to help :)
Thanks for this video--this story is almost exactly the same as mine, practically in every way. Two years later, still in recovery!
- Lain
No problem lain! Ya, it's unfortunate, as it seems to be the same story for many. Not getting the right treatment and practically getting screwed by the system. Hope you can make a recovery soon though lain :)
Great upload, I been dealing with this problem 7 years now , this is a serious problem.
- Shower
Thanks Shower! Sorry to hear about that.. 7 years is quite some time and I can't even imagine what that may have been like for you over the years. Hopefully this have gotten better though :)
And yes, this is a very serious problem occurring today and it's a big reason why the economic costs of back pain in the U.S. and Canada is in the billions.
How is your disk now? Are you still dealing with this?
thank you for your video!!! I'm currently in the throws of this agony. it's unreal how the pain takes over your life! I have the same concern as you have
No problem! :)
Sir please help me I have ah l4 l5 disk disiccation
Very helpful vlog, as well as the exercise vids you shared. going through the same L5-S1 pain right now. thanks a lot.
No problem Ryan, glad my videos and exercises could be of help :)
Thank you posting this! I’ve recently found out I’ve L5 S1 at 19 years old, I’m very worried and scared for my future I’m starting physico very soon I’m just hopping it heels itself in time
So sorry to hear you have to go through this at 19. It is a scary thing regardless if you are 19 or much older like 70 or more. Nobody wants to feel helpless and can't do anything for themselves.
Hi Remi - lower back pain is remarkably unpleasant, as you obviously know. I too struggled for months before getting some official results similar to yours. Time off, started exercises, stopped exercises, perscription drugs, loss of memory, no sitting, lots of lying on the floor, etc, etc. My physio was helpful and realistic, like yours, which was awesome. Eventually walking and swimming and resting enabled my back to improve. I am also documenting my lower back recovery journey on my channel and blog. Thanks for sharing your story.
Matthew
- Matthew
Checked out you're youtube channel and subbed. Big fan of what you're doing and I'm curious to see how you're recovery continues to go! I know something I wish I did was that I wish I started making video's when I first suffered my injury. I ended up missing out on a lot of the early stuff and kinda had to explain my whole story in one video as opposed to a day to day or week to week journey. Great stuff and hopefully you can make a full recovery soon! I look forward to you're future video's :)
Skip to 15:00 if you want the recommendations.
Thank you
I can totally relate to you Remi. My L5/S1 have very little disc space and I'm chronic and constant pain all the time. Being a musician; I have to be very careful how I lift amps and gear and not over do it. Was paralyzed from my lower extremities down for about 15 minutes a few yrs. ago just bending over opening a drawer. Very scary experience.
So just been very careful about what I do and doing my exercises and stretches. Still in pain but working through it. Thank you very much for your recommendations. Stay healthy.
- Marvin
Very sorry to hear about that Marvin. Never a fun thing being in constant pain and I can't even imagine what it is like to be paralyzed from the lower extremities down. Glad to hear that you're being extra careful and doing your exercises/stretches, which is only going to help you in the long run. Hopefully things can better soon and you can be pain free again one day! All the best Marvin :)
I have a perm. slipped disc.......I had about a month of bad sciatica.......saw a phys. therapist for a month and thank God it went away....i have to remember this when i get big headed and taking my health for granted and feeling down about stupid things...thanks for the video...
Please help me im suffring😢
No problem. Glad you enjoyed the video. Happy to hear it went away :)
@@mimi-dq1tx Do not give up seek medical help...
Hey man, I'm 18 and from Australia, I suffer exactly the same thing. L5 disc herniation, literally our stories are exactly the same, it got worse over time, went to the doctor, he told me to go to a physiotherapist. That never worked each session. Took me so long to see my doctor, I couldn't sit at all, I was basically bed ridden. To the point I had to go to the hospital and now I have to get surgery. I get it on the 5th of May, it has now been over a year to get to this point. Worst pain imaginable. Thank you for your story.
- Bradley
Sorry to hear about all of that Bradley and thanks for sharing that. It's a very unfortunate and tough situation to go through, because along the way if you were able to meet with you're doctor sooner or if physio worked out the way it should have, then you could have potentially avoided surgery and possible made a recovery. Very frustrating situation, and it's a problem that seems to be common in today's society and it shouldn't be happening... Anyways, I wish you all the best and a successful surgery Bradley. All the best man :)
Thanks man really appreciate it, sadly the physio didn't work and I was paying $50 per session, he then told to stop since it wasn't working. I'm currently taking codeine fort, 300mg lyrica and a anti inflammatory, I hope this surgery works out aswell. :)
@@bradleybell8417it's a joke here in Australia, it took 11 MONTHS of going to doctor to doctor to get an MRI.
They kept saying "physio will fix everything", "top much radiation in an MRI" and every excuse under the sun. I couldn't find anyone that would touch ME
130 dollars to see a physio telling me "everyone has bulges and to walk" that's it, no exercises because they have a "hands off approach"
Absolute crap.
I have found out I have two bulges with one hitting my sciatic nerve🫠🫠🫠🫠
Your video gave me hope. It has been two long years but it gets better with the right exercises that is true. Hoping to be back to normal again.
+thebswitch Sorry to hear about your troubles over the past two years and I'm glad my video has given you hope! And yes the right exercises can make quite the difference in the recovery process. All the best to your recovery :)
Thank you !
thanks for sharing your story. ive got back problem for about a year now, ive lost my buisness, my freedom and literally can not live life apart from watching tv.i can hardly walk or do anything tbh. i get severe chest pain and abdomanol pain included :( but your story has inspired me and given me a bit of hope thanks bro
+jamie hillery I'm very sorry to hear about all of that Jaime. I don't know what it's like losing a business and whatever else you lost (e.g., freedom) but I can just imagine how tough that is. I'm glad my story could been of inspiration to you and hopefully it motivates you to work on becoming better. No one should ever have to go through something like that. If your suffering from severe chest pain and abdominal pain, that could mean something pretty serious internally is not functioning properly. I'm not sure if you got checked by a doctor about that but if you haven't I would recommend you do that ASAP. As for your back pain, I'm not sure what you got going on but hopefully it get's better soon man! All the best to your recovery and I hope you come back stronger :)
***** god bless you and thanks bro
+jamie hillery No problem, all the best buddy!
+jamie hillery oh you poor sweet thing, I've got disc problems and am confined to bed at the moment, but hasn't been a year yet, thankfully family is helping keeping business afloat. Plse tell me you've seen Dr and also I'm seeing an osteopath, he's amazing, the physio I saw was awful, dunno where in the world you are but in both US and Europe there's loads of great osteopaths. Even if you don't see osteopath please see Dr, I sound silly I'm sure you've seen a Dr and just haven't shared the full story. Either way, sending you lots of healing love and light and hope you find a diagnosis and get better and back to full health xxx
Miriam Thawang hi read my comments Dr may u get well soon..
Literally laying on my stomach before I started watching this! EVERYTHING from taking pills to get through sitting to waking up in the AM popping pills to sleep is the truth for me too! It’s sooo annoying and agonizing
- Charles
Yeah. It's frustrating Charles. I hope you can make a recovery soon :)
Thank you Remy for the valuable information, wish you all the best and pray for me I am currently dealing with similar problem.
- Tareq
No problem. If you have any specific questions or need help with anything, please feel free to reach out :)
Thank you for sharing your story. I can't begin to tell you how similar my condition is to yours. I feel so badly that you've had to wait so long just to get it diagnosed. I share your reaction about your excruciating pain. It was so awful that you are helpless to know how to get your body into a neutral position to just move the pain rating downard from 10 out of 10 to perhaps 5 out of 10. I tried the physical therapy route and on good days, I can walk back to my car. On bad days, the sciatica was so bad I couldn't even walk to the car. My MRI revealed spinal stenosis where my L5 nerve root was crowded out. I've since received a cortisone shot, and I'm patiently recovering. God bless you. I was also an avid hockey player and I can only pray one day I can get back on skates one of these days.
No problem lombardian! Hope you can make a speedy recovery :)
Had my first steroid shot in L5-S1 today. Thank you for posting it... it's helped me a lot.
No problem Mod Man, hopefully your steroid shot works out for you and it helps relieve some pain that you may be experiencing. All the best :)
Thank you for sharing. I had a similar experience and ended up having L5 S1 Fusion surgery. Long recovery...
+Denise Vega No problem Denise! Sorry to hear that you recovery was so long. Hopefully things are good now though :)
Did the surgery work?
How are you now after all these years?
Your sacsasful sarsury
Sorry I was rude the other day. These videos are great. Long, but great. Love your positive Canadian spirit.
No worries, it's all good and glad you enjoy the video's holmedw :)
Thanks remi for this informative video. 3 months waiting to do an MRI that's so bad. In my case went to my doctor he told me go make an MRI , 45 minutes later I was back to my doctor's office with the MRI results in my hand. Bulged disc causing inflamed nerve.
- Karim
No problem Karim! Glad it was informative. Hope your doing okay now :0
Your story Remi was almost identical to mine, but I tweeked my back playing hoops, then golfed 18 holes. When I got up the next morning I couldnt get off the bathroom floor for 3 hours. Saw my general Doc who told be to use heat of all things and take ibuprophen. I anguished all last summer taking pain meds, going to the chiro and then PT. Along with my bulged L5-S1 problem, I still have after 8 months, a live nerve running down my right front thigh to my kneecaps. When the nerve activates I cant engage my quad muscle and my leg gives out. The good news is unless I put alot of flexion pressure on my back Im pain free and have decent range of motion.
This was the first time in my life where I really needed the guidance and expertise from my general Doc, to my pain mgmt.specialist, neurologist and back doctor. The message was universal throughout the process;
1. Take gabapentin for nerve/ pain mgmt. & if needed opiods
2. Get an epidural - those sound like Russian Roulette.
3. Schedule surgery . I discovered BiG Pharma has such a stranglehold on our medical community. Its all about the meds and the high profit surgical procedures. I do plan to try some alternative therapies to try to knock down this live nerve problem coupled with more non impact cardio (bought a NordicTrack Free Strider).
You nailed it when you said to do your own research and be aware of the messages your body sends you. I'm glad you're doing well now and thanks for the valuable information.
+David Hughes
Hello David, glad you were able to get some valuable information here and thanks for sharing a bit of your story as well. That whole nerve issue your experiencing with not being able to activate your quads is very unfortunate and hopefully you can get that resolved soon. Moreover, I agree with you that the general message is univseral from general doctors, to various specialists, etc., and it's just delievered differently from each person. And regarding an epidural, I agree with you 100% about it being like russian roulette. You rarely know if it's going to work or not and most often, it doesn't work, which creates a BIG problem. Lastly, regarding surgery, those big companies are all out there to make money, I couldn't agree more. Very unfortunate but it's the way things are and people need to realize this and understand what's going on because they may be getting surgery done when they don't need it or taking medications when they don't them.
You really have to do your own reserach to get results today. Just getting general information and general services is not enough.
All the best to your recovery Dave and glad to hear that the back doesn't really hurt unless you get into sustained flexion. That's always a positive sign in recovery :)
Thanks so much. I am so glad I found this video. I felt at a lost and just hearing this helped a lot.
DesireeR No problem Desiree :)
Does your disc buldge got healed by now?
good story inspiring me to heal mine fast and use your tips with healthcare!
- Evergreen
Thanks evergreen! Best of luck to you're recovery and healing ! :)
Thank you bro! There is hope after all. Just patient. Thanks for your time
No problem :)
hi where is the Doctor address
Laiq Hussain Laiq, Dr. Stuart McGill is the one I was referring to in the video :)
I am going through this just now, it's been 2 months now. Thanks for sharing
No problem Lavanda :)
Thank you for making this video. I have been dealing with low back pain and left side sciatica for 8 months now, started October of 2023. Now June 2024. I just got an MRI last week and it shows a small disc herniation at L4/L5 and a big one at L5/S1.
Not a problem Matt! Hope you're doing okay after getting the MRI.
Wonderful video, Remi. I am currently undergoing a herniated disc injury (I've had it for about 4 years now). Only started serious therapy 7 months ago. Love the content you put out. This video definitely gave me assurance that I can get better too. Been doing physio for about 6 months and also on an Ayurvedic medication plan.
Exercises that I am doing (twice a day): bridges, cat-camel, cobra, standing stretches, knee-to-chest exercises for back and core strengthening, trunk rotation a.k.a supine knees side-to-side
A big part of my injury was the mental frustration that came with it. I'm 25 and I've been playing soccer since I was 8 years old. Not being able to do that now is depressing. But I realized that talking to people who faced a similar injury helped deal with it better. Although I still have pain (not as much as I did 7 months ago), I feel a lot positive about recovery.
Thank you so much for giving hope to everybody out there suffering from lower back pain.
Please let me know in case you have any other tips for me to heal faster.
- Indiresh
Thanks, Indiresh. And no problem. Glad my video's have been helpful. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to help. Feel free to reach out anytime :)
@@RemiSovran Thanks a lot for your response, Remi. Won't hesitate to write to you if I have questions.
@@indiresh4179how are you now??
@@indiresh4179 How are you now
@@Preeti-lw9jc Hello. I’m good. I still get back pain periodically. But it’s a lot better and isn’t hampering my mobility. I’m sure I’d be totally alright if I stuck to a disciplined back strengthening exercise routine. Hope you aren’t facing any back problems. Take care and all the best.
You just described my situation man. I'm same age and 6ft4.5 and similar build. I love lying down now too... god damn this situation
- RSP
Ya, never a fun situation to be in. Hope you can get better soon buddy :)
thank you for sharing. I recently was diagnosed with same thing, your video was awesome and very helpful and encouraging for me., thank you very much!
+laura sellars No problem Laura, glad you enjoyed the video! All the best to your recovery :)
I'm from India I started having sciatic pain nov 2019. Till feb I tried various exercises but it kept on getting worse. Then my mother forced me to go to a nearby ayurvedic hospital. There the doctor prescribed me 3 therapies that come under Panchakarma 1. Kati basti 2. Abhayanga massage 3. Vapour bath. On the sixth day of therapy I realised that my back doesn't hurt when I sit for long hours. I took the treatment for seven days in total. Hope this helps.
Thanks for sharing. Hope you're doing okay :)
I was diagnosed with this the past month and it was from my last pregnancy where my baby had her head on my sacrum and pushed down and rotated very violently during delivery. It's permanent but with cymbalta and Gabapentin I have been able to do yoga and I feel so much better.
- Nina
Ah very sort to hear about that Nina, but glad your doing a lot better with the yoga and medication. Disc injuries can happen in a lot of different ways, and unfortunately complications with pregnancy can be one of them. Overall though, glad to hear that your doing better and keep up with the things that are helping you out. P.S. Congratulations on the newborn :)
Hi Remi! I was recently diagnosed with disc bulge. Since I am a student living alone and away from home, it's been a hard time for me. Even putting on socks and trousers is a big struggle. Thank you so much for making this video:) I am gonna stay away from painkillers and deal with the pain like a warrior haha. Could you please give me some suggestions on when to start exercising? Can I start with walking for a short distance? Currently I have to lie in bed all day because even standing is difficult for me.
- Lily
Sorry to hear about that, I can only imagine how hard it may be to be living away from and now suffering such a serious injury. Staying away from painkillers is a good thing and hopefully you can continue to manage without them. In terms of starting exercise, it really depends were your at and how you can function currently with your disc bulge. If you can, I'd suggest, maybe starting with these following exercises and seeing were your at:
Clams: th-cam.com/video/EF0-n8DseSE/w-d-xo.html
Side lying Hip Abduction: th-cam.com/video/Ypz8p1v6e6g/w-d-xo.html
Mini-Band Side Steps: th-cam.com/video/kr6cRYUptHg/w-d-xo.html
Tall Mini-Band Side Steps: th-cam.com/video/BnYeP8ymb7M/w-d-xo.html
Side Plank Regression: th-cam.com/video/u3wGXvspE4c/w-d-xo.html
McGill Crunch: th-cam.com/video/aEBcFy4RQkY/w-d-xo.html
Bird-Dog: th-cam.com/video/ZUt-sPWZw8s/w-d-xo.html
I'd give these exercise a try right now. If any of them cause you pain, then discontinue them as this would be indication your not ready for the progression yet. As far as walking goes, as along as it doesn't cause you pain, then I'd suggest engaging in walking for various 20 minute intervals if possible :)
Hopefully this helps :)
- Remi
best story of all ! down to earth and very informative!! thank you, thank you!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks, Mauricio! :)
Thanks for sharing your story with us. You just outlined everything I have been going through for the past six months. I have some bad days when I loose all hope ( like today ) your story gave me hope that one day I might get better.
Warren Crook
No problem Warren, I'm glad my story could be of help to you. If you have any questions or are just looking for any support or advice, feel free to message anytime :). Hopefully things get better for you soon.
Thanks. Today is one of the worst ones I have had in a while. I broke both of my elbows 2 weeks ago and cant find any good stretches that dont require arms. So needless to say my progress is going the wrong way these days. But the floor still feels good.
Warren Crook Sorry to hear that Warren. I'm sure things will get better soon! I know a few stretches that don't require your arms if your looking to stretch your lower body. I could share them with you if you'd like :)
Thanks. Things are slowly getting better. I would love to see what stretches you have. Hopefully they are diferent that what I am currently doing.
Warren Crook
Ya for sure. They may be the same or they may be different, not sure. I've actually been meaning to get a few stretching videos out soon that I've recently learned about and found very helpful. I'll get those videos out very shortly :)
Hey man, I know this video is old but I do appreciate what you've done with your channel. I'm 32 and have an L5 / S1 disc bulge. I'm a cop so it's going to be tough going back to work and having to carry a duty belt around my waist. I've been working on my PT and wanted to thank you for the reassurance in this video. Seems like I'll never get better at times but stories like yours give me hope that I'll get my life back.
Try carrying the gun on your chest via a vest or a shoulder rig. Balancing the belt after that will be good too.
- Fit
No problem man! I wish you all the best with your recovery :)
@@RemiSovran I just left my Dr. And we're doing the Microdiscectomy in 3 weeks. Very excited to get some relief.
@@DaddySharkHD
How did it work out for you, I wore a duty belt for 28 years, never knowing the damage it did and how much it actually weighs, especially your weapon. I had the microdiscectomy in October and its been no quick fix at all, hope you had better results.
How do you feel now? Can you work Ike before? Can you bend ? And do all the activities like before
I understand that pain all too well. I rolled a heavy patient over, and that’s when my symptoms started. The sciatica has affected my left leg, which was causing gait problems. The physical therapy made it worse. An X-ray showed that I had disc space narrowing from my L5-S1. My symptoms started in September 2021, and the nerve pain was getting worse. I didn’t get approved for an MRI until May 2022, however the MRI showed nothing. If I feel my lumbar area though, it feels like a bulging bone. Pain management gave me bilateral shots today in my piriformis muscle, but I wish I knew what the root cause was. The only thing that has helped me is exercising and stretching daily. When I actually stopped stretching my hamstrings, the symptoms subsided more. Something is causing this though, and I wish I knew. I’m sorry to hear you went through this. I know what that pain feels like and and people that aren’t experiencing the same don’t understand. I had one doctor tell me to get a cane. She wasn’t even interested in helping me. All we want is answers. Movement is important though. I’ve noticed if I don’t exercise daily, it gets worse again.
Thanks for the video, excellent. subbed and liked, thanks for sharing your story, it takes a lot of courage to talk about this publicly. I can completely relate to your story. Happy to hear you're better now.
- Adam
No problem Adam! I appreciate that and thanks for the kinds words :)
Adam Ripon hey i missed the part where he says how he got better did he get surgery or just with exercise can you tell me
Thanks. Similar problems and it's great to see what others have done.
No problem!
Beautiful video. Quick Summary of the points-
1) Get an MRI to understand the real problem.
2) Be careful of medication i.e painkillers. It makes you drowsy, depressive, Moody and dull. Take only when really needed.
3) Physiotherapy sessions to learn basic exercises. Foam rolling, plancks etc.
4) Do lot of research online. Lot of good information.
5) Be aware of the injury and avoid painful motions like bending over. Avoid painful movements.
- Rohit
Would agree with all of those points except 6. Sex can be fine as long the positions are spine-sparing. Dr. McGill has a section in his book Back Mechanic about this specific topic :)
@@RemiSovran it was just a joke 😂😂. Will remove that.
Literally experiencing everything you are saying! I’m 33 and hurt my back at work lifting water valve. L5-S1 herniated disc bulge that I’ve been dealing with almost 2 years. I used to be very active gym 6 days week now I just walk and I’m trying whole body cryo- therapy and sauna. Helps slightly so far. Hope everyone heals. Looking up Platelet Rich Plasma injection. Steroid injection only made my sciatica worse down my right leg in my calf. Sitting is literally miserable. I hope everyone heals!
-- Justin
Sorry to hear about that. I hope you get better soon man. I would suggest looking into Dr. McGill's work if you can :)
Does prp injection helps u?
Hey Remi, I was diagnosed with a minor L4-l5 disc bulge impinging on nerve roots and L5-S1 bulge without impingement in an MRI
My pain is much less than what you described in your videos and I’m glad you’ve gotten better.
However, I still struggle and even sitting hurts and lifting small 6kg dumbbells overhead upset s my back as well.
My injury is 2 years old and hasn’t gotten worse during that time.
- Flying
Sorry to hear that, Flying Cat. Back pain is never fun. If there is any way I can help you out, please feel free to reach out :)
Remi Sovran thanks for the quick reply Remi, I was wondering whether a combination of ab wheels + mckenzie extension pose is better than purely extension based exercises like bridges and so on.
Are ab wheels bad for disc bulges? I’m 23 btw
Is it better now? Did you the mcgill pushups and core strengthening?
Thanks for telling us your story! Glad to know I am not alone with my L5S1 pain... would be interesting to know how you are coping with the pain these days? I have had this annular tear & disc protrusion pain for almost 2 years, and it is totally manageable but ALWAYS present. Thanks
- Keona
No problem Keona! I have actually made a recovery and I consider myself for the most pain free. I have a bit of issues with the arthritis of my facet joints, but that's only if I get a few bad night's sleep in a row, eating poorly for a few days or find myself in a position we're I'm overdoing some activity like sitting. And when I mean recovery, I don't feel my disc protrusion has been healed, it's just healed to the point of we're i'm pain free. Keep in mind if I was still in pain, I wouldn't be deadlifting close to 400lbs:
From a Herniated Disc & Sciatica to a 375lb Deadlift | The Journey Thus Far
th-cam.com/video/dhn1zIc_GLQ/w-d-xo.html
Your story is very similar to what I'm dealing with now. I'm in pain 24/7 and no one takes me seriously. I've even been told to just suck it up. It took me about 3 months before I was properly diagnosed and my first pain management epidural injection is June 22. I've been dealing with this since March. On bad days, My right leg is numb and burns and stings due to the pinching of the nerve.
clara P
Sorry to hear that Clara, I know it's a very tough situation to be in pain like that all the time. A lot of people don't understand the severity of pain that individual's deal with from an injury and this creates unnecessary thought processes such as people telling you to "suck it up". It's probably some of the worst advice someone can be given because people don't actually know what your experiencing until they actually experience it for themselves (which they may never experience). As for that epidural injection goes, hopefully that can be helpful for you. I know myself, I'm not a big fan of them because they primarily are only going to "temporarily" relieve pain and they aren't necessarily fixing the issue. Anyways, hopefully things get better for you soon and that you don't have to deal with any severe right leg pain!
clara P hi read my comments it might help u don't give up...u will recover
Lee Victoria you do realise that her comment is 2 yrs old. For all we know she might have reversed the damage and back to routine!
This guy is really cute & the video is very informative. Thank you! I also, suffer from a disc bulge, so this video helped greatly.
+KaliforniaKyleighhh
Thank you for the kind compliments Kyleigh :) I'm glad this video was able to help you out and hopefully you can overcome your disc bulge soon :)
- Remi
+Remi Sovran You're so welcome!! :) And thank you
No problem :)
Are you still playing hockey?
+KaliforniaKyleighhh Not anymore and it's not that I cant... I just picked up other things. Still do play every once in a while though :)
This video gave me insight where I didn't have any, I'm sixteen and I got an Annual tear as well in the L5 and S1 during football practice ,
This gave me a positive attitude to keep my head up .
- Celestial
Glad this video could give you some insight Celestial and hope you can continue with your football career :)
Thank you for sharing this. Your story gave me a lot of confidence to handle my injury by myself, without any surgery ,doctors, MRI etc. just exercises I took from youtube videos and the understanding what Im against from your experience. It took me about a year to heal from this injury.
Thank you !!!
No problem!
Thank you so much for posting this. Exactly what I have been going through. Great info!!
- Ginger
No problem. Glad it was helpful :)
Thank you Remi. I have an L4 disc bulge 6mm.w extreme Sciatica. Dr put me on bedrest to decompress. i am slowly beginning to walk again. thank you for sharing your story. :)
- TL
No problem TL! Hope you things get better soon :)
Keep telling you guys, if pain is relieved by traction or decompression, stay stretched, crutches to get around, down side, takes months, cost nothing, easy to do
Thank you so much for this. I have 2 bulging discs in my lower spine. The most pain I’ve ever been in, in my life. Your video helps me feel hope and less alone.
Been there and it took me 6 months to recover. You think it will never end, but trust me, give it time and manage the pain as best you can
No problem Gayle :)
Thank you so much for this 🙏🙏🙏 You have given me hope again. I waited for a year and a half to get an MRI, ti find l have a L5-S1 disc herniation. I've been to physio, chiro and acupuncture but still was hurting, pain from back to butt, all the way down my leg and now numbness in my foot. Doctor feels l might need surgery and l don't want to do it just yet. Could you please write down the people you recommended 🙏 Honestly, you are the first person that has my issue and has given me hope that l will get better if the nerve damage isn't permanent. Thank you sooooo much 🙏🙏🙏
No problem!
Dr. Stuart McGill
Eric Cressey
Tony Gentilcore
Thank you. Appreciate your video. All the best to you too.
No problem Mustard! All the best as well :)
So much helpful information. Thank you!
No problem Tiffany, glad you enjoyed!
Hi All, This might help some of you. To help with sitting pain, try the what I call the Kawasaki position. Just look at someone's leg position riding a Japanese bike, perhaps in a Moto GP race and you will see it clearly. Calves outside the legs of the chair. Stretch feet back with balls of feet on the floor, almost up on toes. This helps me a great deal. This position would work on a school chair or kitchen chair, usually. Thank you Remi for this very much needed channel. I'll be posting more.
- Eddie
Hello Eddie, thanks for sharing that little tip! I've never tried sitting in that position, but I'm glad it helps you out and hopefully it can help anyone else out that has trouble with sitting. Glad you enjoy the channel and hope to hear more from you soon :)
After my first doctor diagnosed it as sciatica, and asked me to start physio..
I knew there was something more serious as my physiotherapy didnt releive my symptoms, actually started to get worse..!
Finally i had to go to a different doctor and force him to give a requistion for an MRI and then with a delay of two months from the day my symptoms began..
it was done..
And.. There it is! I have a disc bulge at L4 - L5..and i was aggressively doing physio without being aware of what the real problem was!
I totally agree.. You have to push your doctor to do the right tests, it's your body and you are the one going through the pain, and it's your repsonsiblity to fight to keep your body fit.
- K. V.
For sure. If you don't push, they will just do the minimum or "standard procedure" to start based on there knowledge.
June 2022 and I am watching your video. Thank you for your story. I am going through this right now. I been having back pain since 2020 because of COVID working remotely at home, but nothing severe. The end of 2021 I started noticing my back pain was getting a little worst but I took Aleve or Ibuprofen the doctor prescribed.... it would work. March 2022 the pain in my back was so bad I went to my doctor, just like you and given meds / physical therapy. Listening to you I was doing some of the same things you did. I just finish PT and still had the pain. Since, I had such a great therapist, I continue to do the lot of the exercises on my own. The bed or floor ....laying on your stomach will be your best friend.....It truly was mines. You said something your video that rang true. The PT was just doing any and all exercises with me but not knowing what exactly the problems was. I had to fight with the doctor and insurance to get an MRI. Finally got the MRI and Bulge Disc in L4/5. Went back to my doctor for my results and next recourse. I am scheduled to see a specialist 2 months from now. The pain that I am going through couldn't wait. I contacted a Chiropractor who came recommended to me through a co-worker going through the same thing. Today was my first visit and I got a lot questions answered about my back and about the best exercises for my problem. Thank you so much for sharing your story and that horrible pain you had to go through.
No problem GJ! Thanks for sharing that and I hope you make a recovery soon :)
thanks for posting this. On inversion table, did you find it hard on your ankles and legs?
- John
No problem John. To answer your question, I never found it hard on my ankles or legs. I would get the odd crack here or there in knees or ankles, but that's because you're still creating a traction stretch through the ankles and knees when hanging upside down. Hopefully that answers your question :) Note: I just posted a new video on how to use an inversion table, as well some other detailed things regarding this if you would like to check that out as well :)
How to Use an Inversion Table | Recovery Tips for Disc Bulge & Disc Herniation
th-cam.com/video/KFcIHwylN-o/w-d-xo.html
I am going through thing, I am sooooo glad that someone went throught the same thing!
All the best to your recovery Alexia! Hopefully you found this video and channel helpful :)
Oh my god I am actually in the exact same situation as you. Exactly the same. Injured the same. Taken all the same steps. Holy shit.
Ya, it's never an easy situation either.. Glad to hear you been taking the initiative though to take action Braeden :)
Hi Remi, My 15 year old daughter, ballet dancer, had an injury at L5 and has been in pain for 1.25yrs and unable to dance or sit through a day of classes. After 2 MRI's physio, chiropractics, message and acupuncture. Sitting in class at school is the hardest thing she does. Her MRI shows a mild disc bulge at L5 and is on Pregablin, Nortriptoline and some tylenol with codeine. After seeing several specialists, her pain has not changed. (She has flat feet as well.) We are working through Stuart McGills book now. I'll share your video with her. It is an incredibly isolating experience for any one dealing with this level of pain. Thank you for posting.
- HeatherHi Heather, I'm very sorry to hear about that. That is never an easy thing for 15 year old to be dealing with, nor should they ever have to deal with something like that, especially at that age. I know that exact feeling of being in class and sitting with constant pain.. Very frustrating and painful! I truly wasn't able to heal myself until I was able to eliminate sitting, which wasn't until the end of my 3rd year winter semester. I know I could of taken a leave of absence during the semester, but I refused too (didn't want to get put back on my studies) and just did my best to manage until the semester was over and I had about 5 months off from school. The thing to keep mind is that if sitting is causing someone pain as such in you're daughter's case, it's only going to make the recovery process longer as more damage could slowly be accumulating over time, which is not what you want, nor do you want to hear, since sitting is such a staple task in our daily lives. As for the flat feet, ya that could and potentially will cause more issues in the long run if not addressed, since flat feet cause the whole kinetic chain to change (e.g., knees cave in = more stress on knees = more degenerative changes over time). I find wearing orthotics helps, but keep in mind that's just a crutch for no better terms when wearing them and it doesn't actually tackle the whole issue. Lastly, as for Dr. McGill's book, not sure what book you got, but I'd assume maybe "back mechanic". Regardless, Dr. McGill is absolutely a phenomenal resource when it comes to low back injuries, most specifically spinal disc cases. He is the expert on spine biomechanics, and his book should help you address, as well educate you're daughter's disc bulge. Anyways, hopefully this input helps you a bit and if you're daughter does watch this video, I hope it gives her some inspiration to overcome her injury and get back to her daily routine pain free :) All the best Heather !
Thanks for sharing, this is exactly what I am at the moment, have been suffering this from the past 4 years, general practitioners were just hopless, sitting is a nightmare, spent a fortune on physio and chiro. Now i just made up my mind to suck it up and keep exercising.
If there are any specific videos of exercises or mobility drills that helped you a lot please share.
- Velhalla
My youtube channel has plenty of exercises covering the type of exercises that I found helpful. I'd also recommend Dr. McGill's book Back Mechanic.
This video caused me so much anxiety. :(
Wow for me it took me 5 year, every time i went to doctor he use to say that my pain was mental he even laugh at me saying that I was to young to have lot of pain.. i was depressed cause i couldn't work .. when I ask for MRI or X-ray he say that I don't need it I just need to loose weight.. so this time i choose a female doctor, I'll explain same story she also say you to young!! But I told her I just turn 40 and have 5 year with this pain.. well thanks god she say ok, so I got my appointment for X-ray ..I have same thing as you , have same pain , right leg numbness when I walk .all that I explain to my pass 3 doctor.. I feel like smacking them with 10 hands 🤚..
it was good to hear you story! 😉
- Massiel
Very sorry to hear about all of that and it's really shame those doctor's treated you like that. I find that to be one of the biggest problems with many doctor's in today's society is they tend to just write things off as the pain being in you're head or you don't have any issues, etc. It's terrible and it really is a problem, because when something like that happens, it could only make an individual's injury and life worse, especially when their is a problem going on! When I see things like this happen, it just makes me think how some of these doctor's even have a job? Anyways, glad you were able to finally get some sort of testing done in the case of an X-ray. Not sure if that really showed anything, but hopefully you got some clarification about you're ongoing pain and hope you can be pain-free soon :)
Thanks!! 😊 that is 5 years with out taking therapy and with out working.. I worked 15 year pass job I thought I was tired ,I was saying I think I need a little retirement to rest..
By the way can you work full time with your new treatment?! Because me , I can't be sitting for long and standing for long and bed time same as you!!
No problem!
- Massiel
I'm not sure if you've seen my other video's were I made updates all the way, but I've made a full recovery about sometime over a year ago and I'm back to normal things again. However, at the time when I was in serious pain, I had a lot of trouble doing any sort of activity and it was a real struggle to get through, especially any sort of sitting activities.
This was so helpful and a relief. Thank you. I'm 6ft5 too exact same back area similar activity level, have the same anualar tear too. I'm so happy to hear you've been recovering as I hate feeling like my backs a ticking time bomb lol. Very scared to exercise
- J M
No problem J M. Glad this video was helpful. Hope you can make a recovery soon :)
Thanks so much for sharing. I can relate. It’s especially important to see someone else on the younger side share this. A lot of doctors are dismissive of younger patients.
- Melisa
No problem Melisa! And yes, it's sad to see.
Great to see a video made by someone who has been through it and doesn't have an agenda or skin in the game. PT saved me, got me an MRI, a diagnosis, and at least a glimmer of an outlook for getting better long term. Wish you the best man, hope you can get out on the ice again, I know how badly I'm missing basketball right this second.
- SeeMike
Thanks, Mike! I've actually been able to return to play hockey and weightlifitng seriously again. Took me quite a whole, but documented many of those experiences in videos along the way.
Hope you can get back to basketball soon though buddy :)
That's great to hear !! Like you said anyone out thier with the same problem you can heal your self it just takes time .Thanks Remi..
+ABEL Gonzalez No problem Abel :)
I've been living with this pain for months now. I can't remember how it felt like to feel normal anymore. I've been stretching and lying on my back and I feel what I think is improvement, (pain feels less or just in a different place can't really tell) but I will try the lying on my belly.
+Guillermo Jaramillo Hello Guillermo, sorry to hear about having to deal with consistent pain for months now. Not something anyone should ever have to deal with us. Anyways, glad to hear that stretching and lying on your back has been helpful. Normally, what I tell people is to continue to do the things that are making you feel better and avoid the things that are making things worse. I mean that's just general advice, but it is some of the best advice that you can apply to any situation. Also, if your going to try lying on your belly, make sure you place a pillow or two underneath your hips, just so do your spine is in a better position and you avoid any extension based problems. Anyways, hopefully the lying on your stomach helps you and I wish you all the best moving forward Guillermo :)
+Remi Sovran Thanks for the advice and the good wishes.
No problem :)
Why did it take 3 months to get an MRI do you live in Canada?
- Blastman
Yes, I do live in Canada and my MRI was originally planned for six months, but I only got in early due to a last minute cancellation.
That's crazy my wife just had an MRI in an OPEN Mri she is claustrophobic took a week to get in. The imaging places are everywhere here I think there is about 20 of them in my city. I don't know I think I would rather just pay for my healthcare in the US. I have never had much problem getting insurance I'm 47 always had a job where they covered me. Even when I was in college I paid for my own insurance it was like $500 a month. Doctor just called with the results bulging disc tomorrow we get to find out what to do. She has been laid up for a month her pain was just like yours she would sit down and all of a sudden she would start crying the pain was so bad.
- blastman
Ya, that's one of the benefits I see with your health care in the US. If you can afford it, then the results will come quick. I think everyone has their opinions, but I guess if I ever need medication, I don't have to pay for it, which saves a ton of money. There is pros and cons to both systems in my opinion. As for your wife, very sorry to hear about that though. It's very tough situation to be in, especially when you can barely sit without being in crazy agony and pain. I wish you and your wife all the best and hopefully you're wife can get some relief soon :)
***** Thanks for the reply we saw the doctor today MRI shows no nerve involvement so they are going to do PT and nerve block shots from pain management clinic. The only thing which I didn't talk to her about is her future she likes to ride horses and snowboard I think both of those activities might be an issue for her future.
I waited for five months for an MRI on Blue Shield in the US and paid a fortune for it.
I currently have a herniated disc and was misdiagnosed by my doctors with a muscle sprain. My life saviour was literally watching youtube videos and learning how to do the mckenzie exercise. The siatica has subsided and I am able to walk for an hour without pain. I would recommend walking everyday as a way to exercise and help your back heal. Making sure the matress of the bed you sleep on comfortable and not old.
Hey Tim,
Happy to hear you're doing better now, and thanks for sharing that! :)
Thank you dealing with the same pain
No problem Vidya :)