BACK PAIN FROM HERNIATED DISC GONE.
attached link is a post i made a year plus ago in the earlier stages of my herniated disc sciatic pain. https://www.reddit.com/r/backpain/s/IeaE86eT8g. fast forwarding 1.5 years to now, i am 100% pain free, resting up and heading toward a completely normal life once again.
a short intro about myself, i am now a 22 year old uni student in singapore, i first experienced some discomfort after playing bubble soccer back in july 2024, where for the folllwing couple of weeks, i have this feeling of right glute tightness which got worse over the weeks. i saw the doctor for it and he suggests that the problem might be spinal instead of muscular, and he referred me to a specialist. after waiting 2 months to see the specialist, he checked on me and then told me he thinks it’s actually just a muscle problem which will get better with rest. so now i have heard two contradictory diagnosis from 2 doctors. since the second one is a ‘specialist’ i trusted him, and also cause the discomfort and pain there is really quite localised at the time and indeed feels like a muscle pain to me. however less than a month after seeing the specialist, my condition deteriorated quickly. in december of 2024, the pain feels less localised and that it’s like i can’t quite pin point the exact location that is causing the pain. it felt as though its just the entire region. i could barely walk anything more than 3km a before i need to sit down, my body will be leaning forward and sideways from the pain.
i quickly booked an appointment to get a MRI. which is actually the most important thing to do here cause only with a MRI scan can u accurately tell what is wrong with your back. note: XRAY is not able to do this. the MRI result came back and it showed disc herniation on the L4L5 level and much more on the L5S1 level. with the L5S1 level’s herniation completely pinching onto my nerve, which is most definitely the thing that is causing the pain. nerve pain from herniation happens when the nerve has no space to move and is pinched, it causes the nerve to be irritated and inflamed, resulting in pain. how to know if you have a pinched disc? do the straight leg test. when lying down, lift your affected leg up straight, if it feels stuck and pain/numb, you most likely have a pinched nerve and it’s time to get a MRI.
with the confirmation of a herniated disc and pinched nerve from the MRI, i saw a new specialist who suggested to me surgery. back then i was just a young 20 year old boy turning 21, the idea of surgery just don’t sit right with me and my parents agreed too. so we decided to not go with the surgery but chose to do conservative treatment. afterall, based on what is commonly seen online, it says that most people can recover naturally without the need for the surgery, on top of that, there are soooo many success stories of people doing all sorts of ways to recover, such as chiropractic sessions, chinese TCM, steroid injections, physiotherapy, deadhanging, swimming,core threatening. heck, let’s just say i’ve tried all of those in that 1.5 years. nothing worked. there will be things that i do which made me feel better for a long time. just better only but still living with the basal level of pain everyday which gets worse over the span of the day. i was operating nowhere near the capacity i was at prior to this injury.
so now fast forward to 1.5yesrs later, with this free time i have during my summer break, i made up my mind to get the surgery done. it’s a microdisectomy at my spine area, where they go in and shave off the excess herniated disc. all they need is to cut 2x roughly 1cm long incision to treat my back. i always had this idea that a surgery at my spine sounds dangerous and it seems like it’s a huge surgery. oh boy was i wrong, let’s just say my surgery was scheduled for 10.30am, i woke up after the observation phase at roughly 1pm and i was discharged 6 hours later, i could walk normally, no more sciatic pain instantly and barely any pain at the surgery site. by 7, i was in my own home, feeling like a brand new person. the constant, unbearable pain that felt like the new norm is gone all of a sudden.
right now im roughly 3 weeks post op, my body is still trying to recalibrate the way i move and im training my brain to not be so scared and worried all the time anymore, but overall, almost no discomfort at all, i feel great. i cant say everyone can have such success with a surgery but this is my experience. this saved my life, gave me back my joy and confidence. i am grateful to my experienced and qualified doctor who operated on me. Dr Dennis Hey.
FEEL FREE TO ASK ME ANYTHING! i think i have tried almost everything, there are things that actually helped to bring comfort when all seems to be going to shit. i’m praying for all of u who are still struggling, this community helped me back when i was struggling and now i wish i can contribute back to all of you. prayers up🙏