Is a herniated disc a permanent injury?

L5. Do they ever fully heal to the point I'll be able to go back to BJJ? Or is it permanent and can only get worse?

4 months in and the pain is mostly gone but yesterday I did 4x50 reverse hyper extensions and the next morning I was in pain until lunch. Been taking all kinds of vitamins and gelatin.

I've ehard all the advice before, and I fricking hate doctors and lawyers. Former says it can heal or be treated whatever the frick that means, and the latter says it's permanent and you should sue for shekels.

I need to know now so I can sell all my stuff to buy cigars and prostitutes. Goodbye MMA, BJJ, construction, lifting and hiking.

Am I officially a cripple? At least I get to drink and smoke our ride down to hell.

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  1. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    How bad is the pain? Sometimes i start to suspect that the herniated back folks like to milk it for the sympathy and government gibs

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Barely anything, but it's still there, and there's the fear that you'll worsen it if you push it too far. No, I don't want no fricking sympathy but yes, I will look into parasiting off a government that hates me thank you very much.

      i had one around a month ago. day 0 i couldnt walk, sit or stand, and my entire right side was in 247 pain (pinched siatica). by day 3 i could waddle in pain, but by day 7 i was back to 80% health. i still get random pains there every now and then but its basically fine now.

      tl;dr: i guess it varies person to person, and how much damage was caused

      I doubt that's a herniated disc but you should just get an MRI and opinion. Also you don't seem qualified enough to answer based on your case but thank you regardless.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      It ranges a lot. I had herniated discs from when I had a mountain climbing accident when I was 17 and never knew about it until 28. I then had an injury a year later that was outright debilitating for months. I literally could not sleep without Advil PM every few hours bc of the pain.
      That said it does heal. The disc will either disintegrate and be replaced with scar tissue or reintegrate with the vertebral column.
      Ultimately you need to strengthen your back and abs to prevent reinjury. Back extensions are amazing for this.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        >That said it does heal. The disc will either disintegrate and be replaced with scar tissue or reintegrate with the vertebral column.

        Hi, did you or do you engage in any combat sports that would've tested out your back? Any pain? Will this heal well or am I a cripple? Nobody really knows much about backs it seems.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          I don't do any combat sports, so sorry I can't tell you anything for about that. I do lift heavy on compounds again without much issue. I still have a little pain especially when I sit with poor posture, but it's nowhere near what it was when it first happened. It gets better month by month, you just have to be patient and work on strengthening your back and core.

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            Thanks bud. You do DLs and Squats too? How long ago did you injure?

            • 1 year ago
              Anonymous

              Deadlifts and squats, and they're now higher than what it was preinjury. The injury was about a year and a half ago. I didn't lift for about a month and even then I did solely bench and press to avoid hurting myself as I was recovering. The doctor I saw for it advised against heavy deadlifts and squats for six months, which seemed right.
              I really cannot emphasize how much back extensions help. There are memes about it posted here from time to time and how it makes your spine "unmoggable" and it's kinda true. Deadlifts definitely help too but the extensions hit your erectors in a more direct and typically hypertrophic fashion

  2. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    i had one around a month ago. day 0 i couldnt walk, sit or stand, and my entire right side was in 247 pain (pinched siatica). by day 3 i could waddle in pain, but by day 7 i was back to 80% health. i still get random pains there every now and then but its basically fine now.

    tl;dr: i guess it varies person to person, and how much damage was caused

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      What caused it?

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        bad lifting form. i felt a pop, and 30secs later i couldnt walk

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          Deadlift?

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            Surprising as it may be, every time I reactivated old judo and muay hernias (L1L2 L2L3 L45), it was rowing above my bodyweight, be it cable or barbell.
            Doesnt happen with pendlay rows

  3. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Just get surgery

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      I've heard nothing good of that. And I live in a 3rd world country.

      So I'm fricked?

  4. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I had one in my upper back (forget where, exactly, was a long time ago, and it wasn't from lifting) and an MRI confirmed that it healed completely by itself in around a year, though the specialist said that outcome isn't really standard. From my understanding it will always get at least a little better, the question is how much.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      What did you do to aid it? What did you do in taht year?

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Absolutely nothing out the ordinary, sorry. After giving me the initial MRI and telling me I had a herniated disc, they gave me no guidance and implied I would have it forever and just end up in less debilitating pain eventually, maybe a lot less pain if lucky. When I asked if I could do anything to help they said I could get surgery but probably shouldn't and it would be safer to basically just suck it up and deal with the pain forever. That or start an opioid addiction (I declined and suggest you do too).

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >I had one in my upper back
      my doctor said its impossible to herniate a non-lumbar disc. what were your symptoms?

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Not a doctor, so can't help you there. I had significant pain, but the ER ordered a CT right after the injury because allegedly there was a low but present risk of paralysis if I moved wrong. Probably just covering their asses. MRI came later because of the persistent pain.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Your doctor is a moron and you may want to consider dropping him. You can absolutely herniate a disc in your thoracic or cervical spine, it's just a lot more rare than lumbar herniations.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        He better go back in time to tell my world-class surgeon who replaced a herniated disc in my neck

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >I had one in my upper back
      describe the pain

  5. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I have a fricked up L4 and L5. One popped during manual labour at 23 years of age and I couldn't get our of bed, shower or clothe myself for months. I had trouble walking and the pain was absolutely unbearable.
    After a year I could walk and clothe myself again but any manual labour like emptying the dishwasher had me bedridden for the rest of the day. I fell into deep depression and basically lost everything I had ever worked for. Suicide felt compelling.

    Today I'm 30. It healed somewhat over time. Took like 3+ years before I could use my back for anything. Discovered I could deadlift again, tried it and since then it is THE ONLY thing which improves my back to the point where I don't live in constant pain. When I feel a pressure in the back I go to a chiropractor to get my shit fixed as the damages in my back causes asymmetry in my hips and legs and it helps a whole lot.

    I wish you luck anon and a speedy recovery.

  6. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    This is anecdotal, but when I slipped a disc it didn’t feel right for about 6 months. It’s been completely gone for over a year now. Praying it doesn’t pop back up one day

  7. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Pretty sure I popped at least one lower one a few years ago squatting, and it it runs in my family. Hasn't acted up for two years but I stupidly set it off a week ago trying to push my damn RWD out of the snow where it was stuck. I should probably go to a doc. Last time I took a round of oral steroids my parents had but never took, and that really helped so maybe you anons could ask your doctors about that. Frick I hate this

  8. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I herniated a disk and then had calcification and fusion of those disks. Now my mobility is gone forever and I can no longer squat since my pelvis will not pivot

  9. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    23 yo Anon here, had a double microdiscectomy late 2021 from two herniated discs (L4-L5 and L5-S1). Pain was unbearable for about 5 months before I decided to get the surgery.

    Suicide was definitely weighing on my mind so I figured I'd take the risk of surgery and go from there. Pain was 60% gone for the first two weeks, by 8 weeks I had started physio and rehab, and by the time I had finished that (about 4-6 weeks of physio), the pain was 95% gone.

    Now and then it flares up, but nothing compared to what it was like before. I just stretch and walk everyday as well as lots of back and core strengthening and keeping my posture in check. I stay away from squats and deadlifts though, and sitting down for too long. Didn't do any contact sports though, so can't help you there.

    Best of luck man.

  10. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    The truth is that everyone's experiences with herniated discs are different. I have a bulge in C4-C5 and herniations in C5/C6 and C6/C7.

    Some people never notice herniations, but C6/C7 was causing progressive weakness in my arm due to spinal cord compression so I had disc replacement surgery done in my neck at C6/C7 back in June after five years of numbness and pain. I do feel better, but am still limited when it comes to work-outs. I felt fine for three months and then the pain returned.

    I am trying to lift two days a week and Jiu Jitsu another two days, but it's been a struggle. I am having another MRI done this week because my surgeon can't figure out why my trapezius muscles are still spasming and causing my neck to lock up for days at a time after exercising. Rest helps, but the problem returns even if I take weeks at a time off. Maybe related to the remaining herniation, maybe TOS, maybe Trapezitis, maybe something I haven't thought of. Hoping the MRI gets us answers to solve the issue so I can get back to normal. I am 40, but not ready to give up having an active lifestyle

  11. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I'm pretty sure I have a herniated disc in my neck. Going to neck specialist on the 12th. Did it rack pulling 785 lbs. Shooting pains in my shoulder down to my elbow. I don't feel much pain anymore - did it in late October but my left side is weak AF and I'm struggling to bench 135 lbs (was benching 430 lbs in October). Just need to get right so I can lift heavy again.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      I am the anon who had disc replacement surgery here

      The truth is that everyone's experiences with herniated discs are different. I have a bulge in C4-C5 and herniations in C5/C6 and C6/C7.

      Some people never notice herniations, but C6/C7 was causing progressive weakness in my arm due to spinal cord compression so I had disc replacement surgery done in my neck at C6/C7 back in June after five years of numbness and pain. I do feel better, but am still limited when it comes to work-outs. I felt fine for three months and then the pain returned.

      I am trying to lift two days a week and Jiu Jitsu another two days, but it's been a struggle. I am having another MRI done this week because my surgeon can't figure out why my trapezius muscles are still spasming and causing my neck to lock up for days at a time after exercising. Rest helps, but the problem returns even if I take weeks at a time off. Maybe related to the remaining herniation, maybe TOS, maybe Trapezitis, maybe something I haven't thought of. Hoping the MRI gets us answers to solve the issue so I can get back to normal. I am 40, but not ready to give up having an active lifestyle

      If the symptoms haven’t gone away after three months you will likely need surgery. You are now in the 10% group that don’t get better after a few months. The weakness is the biggest give-away. I had the same thing that never went away until surgery. Your disc is probably pressing against your spinal cord and is unlikely to get better on its own. Ask for a cervical MRI with contrast. They may also do a thoracic for shits and giggles.

      I am no physician though, so maybe it’s Thoracic Outlet Syndrome or something else. Sounds a lot like a disc herniation, though. I opted for disc replacement. Fusion seems outdated and barbaric to me plus it adds pressure to the other discs increasing the likelihood of further surgeries. Good luck

  12. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I have that injury and I found strengthening my glutes, stretching my hips/legs regularly, and stretching my ql helped a ton. Also back extensions. Usually it’s a muscle imbalance issue that causes all the other pain.

  13. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Anon, embrace catch wrestling and never pull guard, thats your only option, every time you get stacked in guard your l5 is going to reherniate

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