runner's surgery blog, L4/5, 2008

[runner]

ooo, I really hope you're able to get that pain to calm down. I havne't run into a problem like that yet, but at only 3 months, who knows what I'm in store for next. I do know that icing my back has been my life line now that I'm ramping up the difficulty of my PT exercises. I've got my fingers crossed for ya.

~Sara
__________________
*************************
27 yrs old
Lumbar herniation L5/S1

- Did mild PT, some chiropractics and self regulated pain management since initial sports injury in Spring 1997.
- XRay and Bone Scan Jan/Feb 2007
- PT March to May 2007
- MRI Jan 2008
- Disco positive at L5/S1 Feb 2008
- ADR surgery at L5/S1 on June 23rd 2008 - Prodisc
- Recovery - so far so good!
*************************

[runner]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks so much, Sara, for your post.

Yes, you have to be careful. On Aug. 22, I was in PT and felt a sharp pain on my right side of my back and then nothing. I was doing the side stepping band exercise and felt it again and my therapist noticed.
After that we took out some back exercises and that seemed to help.
My therapist then thought that my muscle soreness was caused by my weak back and hip flexor muscles. My core muscles have gotten a lot stronger but getting the back muscles strong has been more difficult.

Anyway I didn't feel any sciatica until Sept 5th and around the same time, I started getting increased numbness in my lower legs and for the first time since my surgery, numbness above my knees.

Any exercise causes me pain, it is eighty-sixed.

The thing is it is real easy to tick off your back muscles after surgery. People have mentioned on here that walking hills can hurt as well as walking too far.

It is a balancing act to try to get core/back muscles strengthened and not cause more problems.
I think this is the case whether you have ADR or fusion.

The sciatica I have been feeling intermittently cranked itself up this morning. It feels like I tore my right hamstring.
Taking tylenol and aleve for pain and inflammation and using ice, of course.

Resting a little, too. There just is not much downtime in my household with four kids running around. But there is no boredom, either. Too much to do.

[runner]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi runner!

Aw shxx!! I am sorry to hear about the set back. Now you have me scared. I was proud of how far you have come. So what type of exercises will you do to strengthen the core? I will be thinking of you as you stuggle back up the hill once again.

Paul
__________________
MVA on 20AUG07 at work
L4/L5 Annular Tear
One failed epidural 12OCT08
Discogram 10FEB08
ADR Prodisc L 10JUN08

[runner]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey Steel,

Well, Doc would have cleared me for work if I didn't have any new symptoms. Unfortunately, I did.
I am surprised with the sciatica. It was a bear Tuesday and seems to have calmed down, i.e. just burning and not that ouchy pain for the most part.
But I have been dosing it with antiinflammatories (Aleve or Naprosyn Sodium) and started Neurotin (Gabapentin generic) yesterday. I feel that really helps the sciatica, but I haven't taken it for at least a couple months and the first one put me to sleep.

Went for a walk today and it wasn't bad. So a little progress.

The good news is that the back pain ain't terrible.

My mental outlook is maybe one of resignation because since the sciatica appeared, i knew something was wrong.

Actually, my core muscles are not bad. It is the back muscles which are weaker.
Hopefully, this is a minor bump in the road and like H and Terry keep saying, slow and steady and there are some bumps so just watch it.

[runner]

Oh, yeah.
Steel, also want to tell you that the Disc is working fine.
I had the flexion and extension xrays on Monday and it is working just like it is supposed to do. Doc said it looked great...so that is what you have to look forward to at six months. The xrays are cool because you bend back as far as you can without pain and then reach down to touch your toes.
No, I cannot touch my toes yet, but got to my knees.
Keep the faith.

[runner]

runner:

It does sound like nothing more than a bump in the roller coaster ride of recovery for you. I hope and pray that is all there is to it. I try to be optimistic with everyone and sometimes my optimism has not held out as the person's difficulty was not just a bump. Hopefully that is not the case for you. It is only six months and this is a long recovery process. It took me all of 20 months to really start feeling good and I still have my moments. The cool and dampness of Fall has hurt a little in the last couple of weeks intermittently. I do have 1,600 miles ridden so far this season with more rides coming up. I am going to believe that you will get there yet yourself.

Hang in there and continue to take it easy.

Terry Newton
__________________
1980 ruptured L4-L5
1988 ruptured SI-L5
1990 ruptured C5-C6
1994 ruptured C6-C7
1995 Hemi-Laminectomy C5-C6, C6-C7 Mayo Clinic
Bicycle Accident 2004
MRI, EMG, Facet Injections, Epidural Blocks, Lumbar Discogram.
Stenum Hospital Surgery November 4, 2006
Prestige Disc C5-C6, C6-C7
Maverick Disc S1-L5, L4-L5

[runner]

Thanks Terry.

I hope and pray it is just a bump and not some big mountain. Your story is inspirational to me and I kind of knew to expect that this would not be an easy recovery.
I didn't expect a problem with another disc. With all my research, I didn't come upon the idea of micro tears in other discs after surgery.
My CT discogram back in October, 2007, only showed an annular tear in L4/5 and all the other discs were okay.
Who knows?? I am just trying not to lift or bend too much until things calm down.
The Gabapentin has already caused some fluid retention. I blame this little med for putting 20 pounds on me but I worry more about nerve symptoms than the side effects of this drug.
Ultimately, I believe that I will get back to exercising and top shape like I was, but I will just have to approach the path to that a little differently. More cross-training and more core work, etc...
For now, it is do the home exercies, be careful, do PT and ice.