u/FunCautious8760

This was my first Trek after my injury , as previously shared i had an L5-S1 Disc extrusion ( Spinal Stenosis ) in Nov 2025 , I have not taken Injection , no gabapentin , just Rehab Consistency , Daily , No Day missed , Few Months Back what felt impossible , Today I did it with Confidence , All thanks to my physio 🙏 , correct guidance is required for recovery , so i and him have decided to start a Instagram page Soon where we will film and upload , every informative post and consultation as required . Will give update Soon. Sharing my screenshot of chat with him

When I was diagnosed with an L5-S1 disc extrusion in November 2025, I thought my life was over. I was 18, couldn’t train, had bilateral sciatica, and spent months wondering if I’d ever get back to normal.
Fast forward about 9 months, and I want to tell anyone who’s in that dark phase: don’t lose hope

I’m not 100% recovered, but here’s where I am now:

Back pain is around 2/10 most days.
I’m back in the gym.
I can squat, do walking lunges, train my legs, and live a mostly normal life
My leg strength has gradually returned.
I still have mild tingling in both legs, especially after heavy activity, but it usually settles within 24 hours

What helped me the most:

Don’t stop moving. Walking every day was one of the best things I did.

Do your physiotherapy consistently. Recovery comes from hundreds of small sessions, not one magical exercise.

Strengthen your core, glutes, and legs gradually. Don’t rush back to ego lifting.

Accept that recovery isn’t linear. I had flare-ups that made me think I had ruined everything, but they settled.

Judge your progress over months, not days. Looking back, I realized how much I’d improved even when I felt stuck.

My biggest lesson:

Healing a disc and healing a nerve are not the same thing. My back pain improved much faster than my nerve symptoms. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting worse it can just mean your nerve is taking longer to calm down.

If you’re reading this while scared, unable to train, or convinced your life is over, I understand exactly how you feel.

Keep doing the work.

Brick by brick. Day by day.

You’ll be surprised how much your life can change in a few months