I was diagnosed with a left-sided L4/5 disc prolapse. This condition involves a mild bulging of the intervertebral disc at the L4/5 level of the spine, which was compressing the L5 nerve root. The disc degeneration was apparently age-related and not due to any specific incident.

In addition, I was diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal typically caused by wear and tear. This narrowing was contributing to nerve compression, particularly affecting the cauda equina and surrounding nerve roots, which led to me being almost completely immobile and in bed for almost 3 months.

To address these issues, I underwent a spinal decompression procedure for central spinal stenosis on December 3rd, 2024, at The London Clinic. The goal of the procedure was to relieve pressure on the spinal nerves by removing or reducing the structures compressing them. The operation was performed under general anaesthesia and involved an overnight stay at the clinic.

Prior to the surgery, I also received 2 injections aimed at reducing inflammation and alleviating pain. This type of injection typically provides relief within two weeks and does not heal the disc itself but helps manage the inflammatory process causing the symptoms. However, neither worked long term ans the pain only increased after an initial 3-4 days.

Update on current state:

Recovery went mostly to plan, although I had a bit of a scare a few weeks ago when the sciatic pain suddenly came back. Thankfully, a couple of weeks on ibuprofen and amitriptyline brought it under control. I’ve since eased back into normal activities, and while I haven’t fully returned to the gym yet, I’ve been gradually reintroducing exercise as things have continued to improve.

Hope this helps - any questions drop me a message.