Steroid Injections or Surgery?

Question

I have a herniated disc in my lumbar area (L4 & L5) to be exact. I have only seen one doctor & I'm getting an appointment for a second opinion. The only neurosurgeon I've seen so far told me she wanted to start giving me steroid injections without even seeing my MRI results! It seems to me that this wouldn't be a permanent solution to the problem. Does anyone have any advice for me? Please, NO sarcastic or jerky remarks...thank you!

Answer 1

stay with the injections for now if the pain isn't too bad. i was able to take them for a couple of years before i had to have surgery. the recovery of the surgery is long and hard and the results only last 5 years tops.

Answer 2

I had a herniated disc at the same location, L4-L5.  It was so bad that I couldn't walk or stand.  The surgery, which I had first, was only minimally successful.  I went through a series of steroid injections directly into the nerve root.  Actually after each treatment I was laid up for three to five days.  When the series was completed, it gave relief for about two weeks.  Back to the surgeon!  Was put on a decreasing dose pack of cortisone.  That worked for about a month.  Back to the surgeon again!  Was told that there were two alternatives left for me.  The first was the freezing of the herniated disc.  Information showed a 10 to 20% success rate for this "new' procedure.  The second was was open back surgery and the fusion of all the vertebrates from L1 down.  Not acceptable to me!  Now I take Ibuprofen daily.  4 200mg tabs.  When it gets to the point where the pain is intolerable I take that dosage 3/4 times a day, until the inflammation is gone and the pain has subsided, so The best advice I can give to you is, delay ANY treatment from doctors and surgeons and specialists as long as you possibly can, because nothing you do short of having the fusion surgery is going to be a permanent fix.