Overcoming Herniated Disc - The reason why I didn't get a Surgery.
I had a herniated disc and even booked surgery, but now I'm almost recovered through a parental leave chance. I leave an experience in case it helps those who are considering surgery or have a bad back.
For your information, I'm an office worker sitting at a desk all day.
"10 Years Ago"
Originally, it's been a while since my back hurt, and I didn't take much of a problem because my condition improved and worsened.
My back hurt a lot while studying for the exam, but I've been doing spinal standing muscle exercises so far because I was able to endure it after taking the abdominal mask.
"2 Years Ago"
If I overworked once or twice a year, it would hurt a lot (about a week) and get better soon, but I found out that I had a herniated disc protrusion during the medical examination in the year.
I've been living with only manual therapy occasionally, considering the doctor's words that it would be good to take MRI when I have time.
But there was once a time when I had a hard time moving a desk that wasn't too heavy. Even at this time, my legs sometimes fell asleep, and there were no significant abnormal symptoms.
"1 year and 6 months ago"
When I wash my feet, I have a habit of putting my feet on the sink and wiping them, but I immediately realized something wrong while washing my feet in early February. I've been lying down for about two days. Then, I thought I couldn't do it anymore, so I took an MRI right away, and it turned out that the disk had burst.
It was the very part where the disc protrusion was found during the medical examination.
I thought the situation would get better if I rested, but the pain kept getting worse. Symptoms of numbness in the legs continued to come down day by day, and symptoms of numbness continued through the ankle bone to the little toe.
Especially in the morning. When I woke up, I couldn't move because the weather was too bad, and I had to stretch gently for 10 minutes to prepare for work.
(I think it's because lying down for a long time increases abdominal pressure and the exploded disc stays on the nerve side.)
It was so hard to sit down for a long time when I returned to work, and I limped when I walked. So it was not an easy decision, but I decided to take parental leave.
"One Year Ago"
I made an appointment for surgery at a large general hospital. The doctor was very unfriendly to see if there were many patients with herniated disc.
This much of a herniated disc is not medically recommended, but is entirely your choice. Still, I decide on surgery because I want to spend the remaining parental leave more meaningfully after fully recovering.
"8 Months Ago"
I started parental leave. There is a week left until the surgery. I went into the community related to spinal diseases every day and bought related books, so I read them all the time. The contents that helped at that time are as follows.
- It's not because the disc, which caused pain due to the herniated disc, presses the nerve. This is because contact with the disc and nerves causes inflammation.
- Disc pain begins to decrease after two months. If your situation is okay, you don't have to perform surgery.
But strangely enough, the situation began to improve significantly from just two months ago. I kept thinking about it until the day before I was hospitalized, and eventually canceled the operation.
"6 months ago"
As I canceled the operation and focused on conservative treatment, my condition improved a lot and my numbness symptoms decreased significantly. And I bought a used surgical waist guard and slept with it on when sitting or sleeping.
Of course, if you sit in a bad posture or sit for more than 30 minutes, you feel a strain on your back, and if you sit for more than an hour, your back hurts.
The Present
Even now, I never bend down, so I rarely have pain in my daily life.
However, these days, I sit down for a long time to write or work standing up, but after an hour, I feel a lot of pressure on my back.
There's nothing I can do. I have no choice but to do back exercises for the rest of my life Thank God for this much.
"Life habits that helped with back disc".
1. Walk more than 5,000 steps every day.
2. Chin-ups from time to time (steel bar hanging on the door)
3. Pilates, yoga, swimming, etc.
4. Stretching spine muscles and core muscles.
5. Never bend your waist, sit in a squat position when sitting, and sit on the floor for socks and bottoms.
6. Buying a standing desk.
7. Wear a waistband when working sitting down. (The abdomen is not very effective.)
If you're considering surgery because of disc pain, I hope it helps!