How serious is a herniated disk?

I was diagnosed with a large herniation of the L5-S1. I see a Orthapedic doc next week, The nerve in my leg is also pinched in this herniation. Can this cause permenant damage? I am scared and need to hear from someone who has been through this too.

i am a chiropractor and specialize in spine related injuries. the disc acts as both a cushion and a spacer between each vertebrae. if a disc is bulging/herniated, that bulge can put pressure on the nerves exiting between each vertebra which causes a "pinched nerve." also if the disc is wearing out (getting thinner) you lose the space between the vertebra, which leaves less room for those nerves to exit--and again can pinch a nerve. those nerves in your low back form the sciatic nerve which runs all the way down your leg. if any are "pinched" they can cause pain, numbess, tingling, weakness from your low back to the foot. If nothing is done to correct this problem then yes, it is permanent. The disc will continue to degenerate further which then causes more compression on the nerve root. This, in turn, leads to increased symptoms (low back pain, leg pain) and to nerve degeneration.

i see this type of scenario on a daily basis. for those who have degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, disc bulging, etc.--normal chiropractic care can usually help with those problems. but there are also many people out there that have had this problem for many years and can't find relief with anything they try--including chiropractic.

but now there is a treatment that is perfect for your situation and the best part is: it's non-surgical and non-invasive. if you haven't heard of it yet there is a newer treatment out there called spinal decompression. this type of treatment focuses on disc injuries and the problems they cause. i use the DRX9000 spinal decompression system in my office and it works wonders for people with these types of injuries (approx. 90% successful). the DRX9000 is fda approved and is the best decompression system available (there are cheap knock-offs that don't give the same results).

my recommendation would be to see a chiro, especially if you've never tried it before-just to see what they have to say. also do some research on this treatment and then contact someone (usually a chiro) who uses it in their office. i would just google "DRX9000" to find info on it and doctors in your area who may have it (or go to axiomworldwide.com - the maker of the machine). this treament is able to encourage the disc to go back to it's normal orientation and also rebuild its height--which then takes the pressure off whatever nerve it is compressing. pain meds, cortisone shots, epidurals won't do anything to solve the problem--all they do is cover it up and they become less and less effective over time. surgery AT BEST is 50% successful and usually doesn't solve the problem either.

this treatment is extremely effective for degenerative disc disease, disc bulging, herniation, etc. and also sciatica type of cases, especially if you haven't had surgery yet. i've had many patients who were scheduled for surgery, tried this treatment as a last resort, and then ended up cancelling their surgery altogether after treatment was completed. it really does work and that's what my recommendation would be for you. good luck and hopefully this gives insight to others experiencing similar problems--there is a solution!!!

Yes it can be permanent damamge and may mean lifelong therapy. My mother had the same issue over 10 years ago and she still has problems. She is just now being given steroid shots to ease pains and to improve her mobility.

it is very painful. you can choose or not choose surgery either way it will always be a problem. i have four and no surgery. physical therapy helps. they will teach you what excercises will help your situation. good luck

In 1999, I had a herniated disc, a bulging disc and diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. The disc problems were at L4-L5, L5-S1, the degeneration is also in the lumbar area. I was told I had the back of a 65 yr. old truck driver (I was 32) I chose physical therapy over pain meds and surgery. My disc protrusions were "right lateral".
I won't sugar coat it, although my pain is manageable now, there is still chronic pain. I have to pay attention to what I do, and I know what will bring about extra pain. Going to the movies, long car trips, laying around watching TV on a day off, etc. I had to change careers.
I was told, at my age, the damage was permanent. I could strengthen what disc I had left, but it would never grow back. The physical therapy taught me what muscles to strenthen, to take pressure off of my low back, I learned that tight hamstrings, tight quadriceps, can aggravate low back pain. Poor abdominal muscles cause the low back muscles to "pick up the slack" causing low back pain.
I get regular chiropractic care, I listen to what my body is telling me and act accordingly. I do wish that I had gotten some pain meds in the beginning, just to help me get a good nights sleep. Any movement in the night would wake me up, and many times I was paralyzed by the pain. But I didn't want to take the meds during the day, I was afraid if I didn't feel the pain, I would injure myself further.
Depending on your age, the direction of the herniation all play into deciding the best course of treatment. There can be permanent damage if the nerve supply is cut off for too long. Explore all of the possible treatments with your doctor. I've managed to avoid surgery for 7 years. No treatment is guaranteed.
Good luck.

I have no disc left at L.5, S.1, I have had a problem with it only twice in my life.. each time I went to a chiropractor and had relief immediately. Follow up treatments were less than five. I continued working the last time but had daily treatment prior to going to work. Even as long as this condition has been present (50 years) the intra-vertebral ligaments have still not ossified, to fuse the area. I remain symptom free to this day. Am now in my 70's.

The condition is permanent unless this new method of replacing the disc becomes successful.