Ask:
Severe Low back pain
Hi,
I'm aged 23 & i've been experiencing lower back pain on & off for the past 2 years.It jus got worse after i had a terrible fall during the game of football which just aggravated my lower back pain.
I've been asked not to use my bike or play foot ball for 2 YEARS!!!!:ohmy:
I've got a Lumbar Spine CT Scan which gave the following results.
Minimal retrolisthesis of L5 over S1with posterior disc space reduction at L5-S1 disc
Diffuse disc bulge at L4-L5 and L5-S1 causing thecal sac indentation and bilateral neural foraminae narowing
I don't exp. pain if i bend backward, i feel the pain only when i recover from a forward bending position.I've never felt any pain in my legs(some of the docs asked me that).
Since my job requires me to sit & work all day (Software consulting) , Is there an alternative way to sit such that, it doesnt aggravate the pain?
Will this require surgery or jus regular exercise?? Is it a slip/herniated disc or something else more serious ? How long will it be before i can get back to normal day-2-day activities? Will smoking affect the back as well?
Thanks in anticipation
Answer:
Severe Low back pain
Your MRI indicates a pretty mild herniated disc. However, if you have no pain in your leg, the bulge is probably nothing to worry about. Many people have findings such as yours and never go on to develop symptoms. If you have to sit all day, you want to sit so that your knees are up even with your hips, your feet touch the ground, your rear is in the back of the chair and your back is supported by the chair. You can try putting your feet up on a stool or putting a pillow behind your back to see if it helps. You also want to take frequent breaks from sittting and stand up and stretch your legs. Doing proper exercise will be key to getting back to regular activity. You may want to talk to your doctor about getting you into physical therapy. There are many treatment options to exhaust before surgery even enters the discussion, so talk to your doctor about conservative treatment options. Studies have been done to test the effects of smoking on healing and the results are unequivacable. Smoking will absolutely retard healing. Many surgeons will not operate unless the patient quits smoking because smoking can cause the surgery to fail.
Answer:
Severe Low back pain
thanks a zillion!!! :smile:
I've been asked to undergo a "traction" treatment for 10 days & the doc's advised an exercise routine for the next 6 months.