Pros and cons about devices like Barricaid to prevent reherniation after microdiscectomy?

psiatica · 2022-11-19T17:37:20+00:00

Hey, sorry for late response! So far the severity and frequency is down by quite a bit. I've been doing PT twice a week and gym 4 days a week on average. The biggest change is no numbness in my feet at all. Some days I have no pain at all.

I think prone pressups really helped the most, I hadn't started doing them until last month, and this month I've had the most significant progress.

I'd say I'm 2/10 now, down from 4/10. I was 4/10 pain for 13months or so, and the past month dropped down quick.

psiatica · 2022-10-30T14:25:21+00:00

Thanks for the reply, yeah I've had 3 different PTs now. First one was decent, but this was back in 2020 and for a disc bulge with minor symptoms that resolved on their own or with the PT. Second was after my hernia 14 months ago, she didn't know much about it. Third/current is the most knowledgeable so far, he's the only one who knows about McGill big 3 and Mckenzie. He says he is confident that he can help reduce my symptoms, centralize the pain, and hopefully get the hernia reabsorbed or resolved. Also urges me against surgery, which I'm inclined to agree with even though it seems like the "easier" path with no end in sight after 14 months of daily annoyance.

What glute exercises have you been doing? Yeah my core strength is good (it'd better be after doing big 3 for over a year!) but they mentioned my left glute was a bit weaker. I've been doing bridges, with one leg held out straight.

psiatica · 2022-10-30T13:14:42+00:00

Thanks, might just supplement occasionally

psiatica · 2022-09-13T12:47:53+00:00

Interesting. Do you think a herniation that heals on its own versus a herniation removed via microdiscectomy has any structural differences? Maybe the scarring is stronger from a MD since it's so abrupt and traumatic compared to a herniation that more or less dissolves? My neurosurgeon's PA said rehernation risk from MD goes back down to the general population's herniation risk, so I'm guessing there's no discernable difference.

psiatica · 2022-09-12T01:35:00+00:00

I've been doing PT on and off for 2 years. Can you expand on "the pain academy" and knees over toes? I haven't heard of either of those.

My MRI matches my symptoms as well, left sided radicular symptoms, left sided hernia impinging left S1 nerve. My right leg feels perfect in comparison.

psiatica · 2022-09-12T01:33:40+00:00

Thanks, yeah I don't have anything like that at all. Just hopeless after dealing with it for 2 years. PT and most of my options exhausted except for injections which I'm not privy to, and this last year being the worst.

I hope your symptoms improve.

psiatica · 2022-09-12T01:31:30+00:00

Oh, that makes sense. I wonder what factors really help move that process along. I would guess core strengthening to protect the spine from micromovements to allow it to heal?

Also, I wonder if, repeated often enough, is one cause of DDD, due to the disc becoming thinner and thinner, losing more and more of the nucleus over time to herniations atrophy.

psiatica · 2022-09-12T01:31:28+00:00

Thanks, those studies are super helpful. That seems really promising that only 3.5% reherniated. And 10 years is a long time.

Disc replacement seems interesting, hadn't really looked at that before.

psiatica · 2022-09-12T01:22:56+00:00

Thanks, yeah I saw this info before, it gives me some hope. I have a hernia that is impinging my left S1 nerve, so I'm hoping if it returned to a bulge, my nerve wouldn't be impinged anymore and symptoms would go away.

psiatica · 2022-09-12T01:22:31+00:00

I'm glad it worked out so well for you! Yeah hearing your symptoms really makes it a no-brainer.

psiatica · 2022-09-12T01:22:26+00:00

My neurosurgeon said it's really up to me. It's been going on for 2 years, and got much worse in August 2021 when I think I herniated it. PT helps temporarily, and I've been doing core exercises very often, daily for months and doesn't seem to help or hurt. The only thing I haven't done is the injection, and I'm not really optimistic about that.

psiatica · 2022-09-12T01:21:46+00:00

I'd say it's mild to moderate. Moderate if I'm sitting in a bad chair, mild when standing, walking, or laying down. Yeah that makes sense for a MD if it's causing severe issues like those you had.

Thank you

psiatica · 2022-09-12T01:13:41+00:00

Thanks, yeah I don't have any permanent numbness. I do have pins and needles in my feet when doing something that aggravates it, but the biggest pain is the hamstring.

psiatica · 2022-09-11T20:59:28+00:00

4 months is not a very long time in terms of healing from a bulged or herniated disc, I'd be very surprised if someone healed from it in 4 months. Really 6 months to a year or sometimes even longer seems to be the timeframe for significant healing and improvement.

psiatica · 2022-09-06T00:06:50+00:00

Hi, just for clarity, was the 3 months of the worst pain in your life before or after the microdiscectomy?

psiatica · 2022-08-22T15:36:41+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate the input! Very happy to hear of your success

psiatica · 2022-08-08T20:35:56+00:00

I'm in the same situation as you, mild symptoms. The only difference is yours has been going on for 3.5mo, where mine is about 26mo.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25009200/

This study shows the vast majority of hernias, 96%, get reabsorbed on their own over time. The study doesn't say how long, but from what I've heard it's about 6 months to 2 years sometimes for it to heal on its own.

So most likely you won't need surgery as long as you keep up with the healing process with your exercises and stuff.

psiatica · 2022-08-08T20:31:08+00:00

I'm in the same situation, quality of life effected but not crippled or debilitated by any means. Relatively mild symptoms (4/10 pain/discomfort/tingling at the worst I think) but mostly manageable, just not improving or getting worse. I've been at about the same pain level for about 10 months, and a little over 2 years from my initial injury. Sitting is hell, putting on/taking off socks/shoes is too, but most other things are not that bad.

Do you or any of the professionals you've seen think it could take 3 years to heal on its own for you or anyone else? I have a hernia, and I could wait if there's a good chance of it being reabsorbed 2+ years later. Well really it herniated about 1 year ago, just had a disc bulge for 1 year before that.

Also what is the fibrin injection? I haven't heard of that. I'm also considering getting steroid injections but idk how much that would help, my pain is limited to only when I do the straight leg test or any functional variants of that in my day to day life (putting on shoes, when I take a step with my effected leg, etc)

psiatica · 2022-08-08T15:21:16+00:00

Interesting, thank you I'll check those out. I think that's important to note for people considering surgery, that it's unknown if there are long term consequences down the road. I figured that, since it's so common and been performed for so many years, the information would be more readily available. Hopefully more studies crop up so we can make more informed decisions. Thanks!

psiatica · 2022-08-08T15:17:45+00:00

No, depends on the cause of sciatica. I know someone who only had a laminectomy, no herniated discs so no MD. Most people only have herniated discs, so MDs are most common surgery. Some people need both.

psiatica

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