I just found out I have a bulged disk in my back.

Question

I don't want to get surgery, and i'm in a lot of pain. Has anyone else gone through this, what did you do?

Answer 1

A bulged disc is no reason to operate.

See a good chiropractor from a major insurance list, start getting massages and start a back strengthening home exercise program.

Best luck.

Answer 2

bulged disk? is this like sciatica? where you get a HORRIBLE DEBILITATING pain in your lower back and it affects the movement of your legs, knees, etc?  I get this about once a year!  I literally have to be bedridden and walking is UNBEARABLE.  There are stretches I do to relieve it, but pretty much whenever it happens i am out of work for at least 1 week!!!

Nothing i can do about it, except when I begin a good excersize regimen it doesn't seem to happen!  and the more heavier I am the more pain I get so I try to stay at a normal weight.

i think i've learned to live with it!

Answer 3

I haven't gone through this personally but regularly help people get through this.

I treat disc bulges all the time.

There are 1 or 2 patients a year which I refer on for surgical intervention but overwhelmingly they improve with a combination of osteopthic treatment (or other manual therapy) and a relevant exercise program.

Disc bulges usually heal and with a good exercise program to improve the muscle tone in the core and lower back the symptoms reduce until it does heal.

Surgical intervention is sometimes necessary when the bugle is so severe its starting to cause nerve damage but by and large they can be treated without surgery.

If you look at papers like the UK beam report it talks about a combination of exercise treatment as best care for low back pain.

Interestingly other papers looking at the effect of patients 1 year after surgery and a control group of patients who havn't had surgery but underwent conservative treatment of exercise and manual therapy  shows much the same outcome.

I prefer the non US osteopathic model (but being one I am biased) but a good chiropractor or physio should be able to effectively help you manage this condition and get you through it. They would also be suitably skilled in assessing you and refering you on for surgery if necessary.

Answer 4

I would try cold, to bring down the swelling, and take over the counter anti-inflammatory like aleve and keep your knees up (like under pillows) and just chill for a while.  If it continues to get worse, I would either 1) go to ER or 2) contact doctor for pain meds, as this is so incredibly painful.  I don't think they can do anything surgical for this.  Just get the swelling down.