r/Microdiscectomy

4 week today since my MD. Feel great. Pain has not returned. Im almost back to regular life with some adjustments and following BLT. I have my follow up appt tomorrow and im hoping i get cleared to drive but also trying to not expect too much and be disappointed.

Anyone have a timeline of their experience?

Hello folks,

I'm 6 months post L4-L5 endoscopic discectomy. I have recovered relatively well and was cleared to return to running and lifting by my physical therapist. I started re-incorporating dedicated leg days to my routine about 6 weeks ago. Both my PT and surgeon recommended avoiding deadlifts and back squats indefinitely and I plan to heed that advice.

My leg day so far looks like this: 4x10 bulgarian split squats, 4x10 single leg RDL, 4x10 leg extension machine, 4x10 hamstring curls, 4x10 calf raises. So far this has been fine but I’d really like to add some safe variation and intensity. So, how does your leg day look? I would love to hear recommendations from the community.

Hello! I had my surgery 5 weeks ago and I’m healing great! Best decision of my life. Since I’m on restrictions, I cannot ride horses. We are going camping this weekend with the horses and I will stay back at camp while everyone goes riding. Huge bummer for me, but whatever. Would it be bad to have a few drinks this weekend? Not get drunk, but a few Trulys while I just sit around all weekend reading my book? I don’t like being drunk, so that’s not even on the table. I don’t want to mess up my healing as I feel like a whole new human right now. But, I would like to just try to relax. Life has been stressful lately.

36m 11 months post op but still struggling. In desperation I bought a cheap inflatable hot tub and since it was set up for me recently I’ve found the heat and lack of gravity or my back pressed against anything really helpful.
It’s the first time since my op that I’m able to comfortably sit but feel like it’s not an everyday solution and wondered if anyone new if there were downsides to too much time in the water (it’s been about 5 hours today as I know when I get out I’ll be uncomfy)?

I’m 12 days post-op from an L5-S1 microdiscectomy, and for some reason I thought reorganizing my closet was a smart idea 🙃 I was probably lifting more than I should have. I started noticing a dull ache in my lower back, which made me stop, but now some numbness has returned in my right foot and I’m getting a little stabbing pain behind my right knee.

Now I’m spiraling wondering if I re-herniated the disc or if this is just a nerve flare-up from overdoing it. Has anyone experienced something similar during recovery?

Im 16 days post op for my L5 discectomy. I had sciatica for 5 ish years and it’s always been worse in the mornings. The first week after post op I had 0 sciatica signs or symptoms. The last 4 or 5 days im back to having some mild sciatica symptoms when I wake up, butt cramp and soreness in eg, but it usually goes away a few hours after I wake up. Im not sure it’s from me rolling around at night and sleeping weird (I sleep on my side with a pillow between my legs but then I end up twisting my torso so im like on my stomach but my legs are still on their sides) or if im trying to do too much during the day bending over sometimes or what. Was this normal for anyone or is it a bad sign?

I have an MRI next week to check if I re herniated bc of excruciating new pain and nerve symptoms return at 8 weeks. I can’t even stand the waiting for the MRI and just looking for any cases that had a positive outcome even when it seemed to you like you re herniated?

33f. 4 weeks post op. Before surgery I would walk nearly 10,000 steps a day. I work in a hospital so the job was always physically demanding as well lifting patients. Now I just feel so discouraged I can’t even keep up with my daughter’s grandmother during walks. I constantly need to stop and take breaks. Meanwhile she can keep going…My left affected leg is still numb and hamstring are so tight. This is just not me. It’s mentally taking a toll on me when I walk I feel this numbness and still have the inability to lift my toes.

I never noticed the weakness in my toes until the neurosurgery appointments leading up to surgery (maybe 1-2 months?)

Do we ever go back to what we were? I want to feel normal again.

I feel better than before surgery in the sense that I can actually sit, but my back is always very stiff and tight. I never sleep through the night because of it. Still some residual nerve pain and I am not comfortable to even try to start running yet. I also get tightness in the glute. I have returned to lifting very light but mostly all machines.

I was very active before surgery, training for Ironman,lifting, etc and wondering if I’ll ever get back to “normal” or if this is the new normal.

I have an appointment tomorrow to discuss another steroid shot (my first one was pre surgery). Last mri showed there was still a residual bulge but my surgeon said he would not opt for another surgery at this time.

Hi everyone, hoping for some input from those who have been in a similar spot.

​I’ve been dealing with a right-sided L5-S1 herniated disc since my back went out at the end of February. It’s been a rough few months, and after getting steroid injections at the end of March with absolutely zero relief, my doctor and I decided to schedule a microdiscectomy for July 9th.

​Here’s where I’m conflicted: About three weeks ago, I finally started to feel some genuine improvement. Don't get me wrong—I’m not 100%. I still have lower back pain and sciatica, but the intensity is nowhere near where it was when I first booked the surgery.

​Crucially, my symptoms are strictly pain-based—I don’t have any numbness, tingling, or weakness in my leg.

​Because I’m finally seeing progress, I’m second-guessing whether I should go through with the surgery or try to hold off to see if it continues to resolve on its own. Has anyone else been in a position where they had a surgery date on the books but started feeling "better enough" to consider cancelling?

​How did you decide if the surgery was still the right move when the pain began to subside? Any advice on what I should be asking my surgeon or what factors I should consider before I decide to keep or cancel that July date?

​Thanks in advance.

I am so happy and thrilled what this surgery gave back to me & in such quick time. Reading these posts got me so nervous but i feel amazing right after surgery. knocking on wood but i have no more sciatic pain and the back pain is sore but nothing like that sciatic pain and I AM ABLE TO WALK STRAIGHT. for the past 2.5 months of dealing with this my walk was getting worse and worse to the point i was walking with my back at a 45 degree angle and i am walking close to 100 percent normal. I can’t believe what a wildly successful surgery this feels like thus far and im very hopefully in my recovery i dont even think im going to need PT. for a back story i had a 22mm disc expulsion back in February which my dr said was the biggest he pulled out of a patient the past couple of months lol. He does a lot of these surgeries and definetly the man to go to if you live in rhode island or surrounding states. I’ll keep people posted since it’s been a pretty early post but i am feeling so relieved and hopeful. Best of luck to everyone who is getting one and i hope you find the relief you need. i just can’t believe how much better i am.

28 Male, Have had trouble with a bulged L5-S1 for nearly 2 years now. At first it was bad back pain and a bit of sciatic pain down the left leg, mri confirmed disc bulge. A few physio appointments and I was pretty sweet for a bit until around 8 months ago I started to get a bit of sciatic pain down the right leg and it gradually got worse. It has gotten to the point I can hardly walk until the drugs kick in or I can get moving enough to keep the pain down (movement is a massive help)

I’ve spent thousands now with Doctors, chiro’s, physio’s, MRI’s, I’ve had a steroid injection. Nothing is working. I do think lately I’ve had some slight improvement but I’m also eating a shit load of pain killers which I hate the idea of. I have seen a neurosurgeon early this year and he put me on the public waiting list for a microdiscectomy. They rang the other day to say we can get you in in about a fortnight. I told them I had a new physio and I would defer for 3 months and go from there. When the next time slot comes I have to give a yes or no answer.

Everyone is telling me to keep doing physio and avoid surgery. I agree, I don’t want back surgery at 28 years old. But it’s been 8 months of debilitating pain. I haven’t had a full nights sleep in months. I’ve lost most forward movement in my right leg. I can’t do half of the things I used to. I fear I won’t be able to pass a medical for my work when it’s due. I am laying in bed now knowing I’ll wake up around midnight and toss and turn in pain till my alarm goes off 5 hours later.

Basically what I’m asking from those in this position, do I stick out the physio? Is the surgery too risky? Is the likelihood of future problems too high especially for someone my age?

One side of me says to keep doing my exercises and see how it goes
The other side says I’ve done everything I can so far with virtually no improvement, what have I got to lose if I’m already fucked?

I’m week 4 post op. The emotional toll this has taken on me not being able to care for my daughter (18 month) is the worst part of recovery. Single mom here (33f) with no help other than my parents.

When were you able to push your children in a stroller again? (She’s atleast 30 lbs)

When were you able to care for your children alone? (She’s not potty trained yet. Still in diapers)

I would really love to go back home and be alone with my daughter again but I have severe anxiety about reherniating.

My left leg still feels numb but not burning with sciatica. So there’s that positive but I need to go back to being a mother already!

Hi there! I would love to hear from athletes who have had an endoscopic microdiscectomy. I am curious about your journey and healing, and whether you made it back to previous ability levels at your sport.

I (36F) am an aerialist (trapeze & lyra). I grew up doing gymnastics, and am still into acrobatics as well.

I have had lower back issues for about 6 years. It would come and go for the first 4 years. Then about 2 years I agitated it in a way that I never fully recovered from. One year ago I finally got sent for an MRI and found that I have a 1cm bulged/herniated disc at L4-L5. I tried PT last year without success.
I agitated my back in a new way about 3 months ago. Stupidly, I pushed through aerial training in prep for a performance instead of handling the issue. About 6 weeks ago it REALLY escalated to an extreme. I can barely stand up straight, cannot arch my back at all, and obviously can’t go to my aerial classes. I am scheduled with a new PT this week.
I had an epidural steroid injection that did not help. In my follow up, I was told that I am a candidate for endoscopic microdiscectomy. I have been looking up information about this procedure all week.
I would love to hear from any athletes who have had this done. Are you back to where you were before injuries? How was the process? What was your timeline?
I am really eager to fix this and just want to get back to my hobbies that I love. I have spent my whole life being very flexible and active, and it has been scary to lose so much movement so quickly. Not to mention, how it has impacted general walking, sitting, standing up, moving in general.
Thanks for any info you can share! I really appreciate it.

I am 12 days post op from an MD at L5-S1. I've been feeling great with very little pain. My calf strength returned after surgery and i was able to do a heel raise again, but still weak. I woke up this morning and my gait felt off again so i tried to do a heel raise but it wasn't feeling the same. I did it in front of the mirror to check and i'm barely getting it again just like before surgery. I know things can fluctuate a bit during heeling, but has anyone had the strength come and go? I don't see how that's possible unless some disc material was missed or I re-herniated. If I re-herniated it was completely silent because I still have no pain and I haven't so much as sneezed. Someone please tell me this is normal.

27M 20 months post op, Lower back pain that wasn’t there before surgery. Anyone else?
Hey everyone, just looking for some reassurance or shared experiences because I’m really struggling at the moment.

20 months out from my microdiscectomy and I’ve developed this very deep, constant aching pain in my lower back that genuinely wasn’t there before the surgery. Since my surgery I was getting better every month until around the 10 month mark where I feel like I hit my peak. Since then I’ve been developing this really annoying deep achy pain, it always feel like it’s deep burn in my QL muscles.

My original issue was sciatica and honestly that has improved a lot. I still get some residual pain down my left leg (ankle, calf, glute) but nothing like pre-op. The sciatica is manageable. The lower back pain is what’s destroying my quality of life right now.
It’s constant. I’m never comfortable.

I had a steroid injection about 2 weeks ago which hasn’t done anything yet. I’ve also had back spasms which I think come from tensing up and being anxious about making things worse, which just creates this awful cycle.

The frustrating part is I’m doing everything right. Physio every single day (cat camels, bird dogs, planks etc.), gym 3x a week when my back lets me. Weirdly the gym sessions actually help. I feel good after training and even better after the sauna. But I wake up the next morning and it’s back to square one. The relief never sticks.

I’m 27 and the thought that this is just my life now genuinely scares me. I hate that something that was supposed to fix me has left me with a different kind of pain.

Has anyone else experienced new lower back pain developing after microdiscectomy? Did it eventually go away? What actually helped you? Any advice would mean a lot right now.