Good for you! It's not easy, but sometimes we've gotta do what we've gotta do!

Oh, that's awful. I broke my back in my 20s and did recover although I wasn't expected to walk again. Now, several decades later, I have a few herniated discs. But, I'm leaving them alone. I know they do wonders with micro-surgery these days, but I can't shake the memory of being in a full-body cast for 7 months.

I have a couple of bulging discs in the lower back, my legs ache most of the time but I don't think I am ready for surgery. Like most here, if I do something stupid, it really tells me. I did have injections but the last one didn't do much good so I think I will hold off for now. Good luck with the surgery. I hope all goes well for you.

I'm so glad you have a Dr. now that is taking care of business and will be treating the real problem. Isn't it frustrating to have Dr.'s that don't listen or don't take the proper action when it's called for. Soon I hope you'll be having the proper treatment and be in less pain soon.

I can sure relate to the pain and my Dr. had to try 3 times before my insurance company would allow the MRI. The results showed my discs are gone and three verterbae are tilted out of place.

How awful to go that long in pain because of inept physician. Glad you found one who listened and acted!! Good luck.

You CAN reverse disc damage WITHOUT surgery. I've been living with disc problems since 1978. Came close to surgery in 1985: my chiropractor and neurosurgeon worked TOGETHER to see if I could avoid surgery, and I did. 6 weeks of 3 times a week chiro treatments got me out of pain, and eliminated the numbness in my leg which was caused by a herniated disc. Now, I see my chiropraactor regularly to avoid further trouble. And I walk and do exercises faithfully. I have 2 degenerating lumbar discs and damaged cervical and thorasic discs, but I rarely have pain, because my chiropractor and I take good care of me.

Trust me you don't want to go the surgery route at any cost. I did the surgery for herniated disc in my L4-L5 they took the disc out and didn't fill the space up. Now the disc has closed onto my sciatic nerve so I'm in pain 24 hrs a day, and now have the hip pain you were talking about. I went from working full time and being 100% active to being 100% disabled. The spine is the last place you want someone with a scalpel if at all pssible.
To help with me mobility now I swim 3 times a week in an aqua class, and do healing yoga. Along with seeing a chiro 3 times a week. Back problems don't get better with surgery they get worse, I take more pain meds now than I did when I first had the problems.

I had one at the L5, but after physical therapy and continued back exercises at home for over a year I can now sit almost anywhere and my back is happy. The book is by Peggy Brill and it is called The Core Program. You should be able to get it from Amazon.

Best to avoid surgery, I agree.

As I said before physical therapy worked wonders for me, 2x a wk for 5 months. My Dr. bless her knew my problem cuz she suffers from the same thing, she told me to go to PT (I didn't know at the time that she also had herniated cervical discs). Hubby told me to go to chiropractor cuz it would be cheaper ... but I was in tremendous pain the whole time I was there, having to crawl off the table slowly. Kept getting worse but have to say that he was the one who sent me to get x-rays that showed the osteo-arthritis / degenerated disc. When my Dr got the results she yelled at me for not going to PT first.

About a month into PT I walked in and there was my Dr getting her therapy too.

But even my therapist said that not all people get relief from PT. Gratefully it worked for me and if I feel those warning signs that I didn't recognize b4, I start to do my stretches etc and stave off a relapse.

We have to take good care of ourselves.

I hope that you get relief without surgery

I had herniated disk surgery in 1985 and have done well since, but I was in my late 30's @ the time!!! Hope all goes well and you have a good surgeon who you trust.