[WestHighland]

Thanks, Dale - I really appreciate the welcome and advice.

My basic story is that I've had lower back pain for a couple of years and had some osteopathic treatment, but it's never been bad enough to seek further advice. Then last August (2009) I lifted something really heavy and the lowest disc on my spine snapped, compressing the nerve controlling my left leg and left me totally unable to move. I had an MRI and surgery the next day and a large piece of the broken disc was removed.

After the disc/laminectomy, I was walking again (very slowly), but developed extreme sciatic pain in my left leg. I've had two MRIs since, both of which revealed tears in the annulus, and have constant sciatic pain now in both legs. I've stopped physiotherapy (which always seems to increase my pain) and now just do gentle walking every day instead. The thing I find strange is how the pain subsided in November, but is now much worse and doesn't seem to be letting up.

My surgeon says I have to give things time, but I'm concerned as the pain has got worse in my right leg, and I'm still suffering numbness in my left foot and a lot of cramping in my left leg, as well as general nerve pain. The surgeon also said if the pain doesn't subside, I'll need to think about getting an artificial disc and/or bone fusion; but this seems a massive leap given some of the suggestions on this site (I've already started taking Glucosamine after reading some of the threads; and have also read about Intra Discal Electro Thermal Annuloplasty and the Spinal Sealant system on ispine, which don't seem as extreme as an artificial disc).

If it got to the point where I was being advised to get an artificial disc or bone fusion, I would definitely get a second opinion. I'm still on tramadol and diazepam, but am trying to come off these and replace them with co-codamol and paracetamol.

Thanks, all.

WH