Ruptured disk in lower back?

i have been told i have a ruptured disk in my lower spine i knew something was wrong cause i kept losing feeling in my leg and actually lose use of my leg at one point. doctor wants me on physical therapy before we proceed to surgery has anyone had good results from the therapy or did they end up having to have the surgery anyway?? also any suggestions for at home exercises that might help im sick of having to take pain meds to ease the pain enough for me to be able to walk..Thanks yahoo nation for the help

also for extra info the area ruptured is the L 4 and L 5 regions completely ruptured so is protruding and extruding as well physical limits at this point are only the left leg

When you say ruptured, I assume you mean that the disc is completely sequestered (the fluid has completely leaked out) and the annular wall is no longer intact.

When this happens, there is no reason to believe physical therapy will be of any significant benefit. Once the fluid dynamics of the disc have been lost, it cannot be restored to normal position.

However, in some cases of disc sequestration, the body will naturally absorb the fluid over time and the problem might naturally take care of itself. In this case, maintenence exercises to prevent the nerve root from scarring down can be of benefit in the long term, but the patient is still usually left with some chronic pain (albiet, better than the initial episode).

So, there is no need to rush off to surgery yet unless you are experiencing loss of the ability to urinate or control your bowels or you have enough weakness that it causes you to fall.

Physical therapy can be helpful for the prevention of chronic nerve root scarring, but will not completely resolve your problem if the disc is complete sequestered...time will usually give you the same benefit.

If the disc is only herniated or bulging, you very well might make a complete recovery.

This depends heavily on your physical assessment (including xrays).

Surgery is a last resort method. That is most likely why your doctor is telling you to go to therapy.

I could not tell you how to deal with your situation, because I would need to know specifics on the location of the rupture, if there is any bulging and in what direction, also needing to know about your phyical abiliities.

Go to threapy and make sure you link up with a good therapists.

Also Painkillers are never a good thing they just hide the signals your body is trying to tell you. You get more mobility but at the cost of causing more wear and tear.

Hey I currently have 3 ruptured discs in my lumbar spine and have similar problems. I have been doing the PT for 3 to 4 weeks now and it actually makes it more sore some of the time, but over all its better. What I suggest is trying to lose some weight which takes some strain of your lower back, strengthening your abs to counter balance the back muscles. Going under the knife should be the last resort, its a risky procedure. I take Advil twice a day, but you could try relafen or celebrex...I would avoid pain killers they are addictive and don't help the problem. Also your doctor might want to try steroids to decrease the inflammation to reduce the pain and allow the disc to return to its normal position. Seeing a acupuncturist or a back specialist is also a good idea they might beable to make some adjustments so that the nerve that is being impinged get some relief. Good luck to both of us!!

I Feel For You!! I had 3 ruptured discs in my lower back 10 years ago...L2/L3; L3-L4; and L4/L5. I did Physical Therapy for 6 months and it actually was tolerable afterwards, as long as I kept up the exercises. I am a Nurse so I really needed my back; after 3 years, I did end up having surgery on one of the discs...L4/L5. I was in so much pain at the time, that they preformed the surgery and I didn't take ANY pain meds after, 'cuz there was much less pain then before surgery!! I have never regretted the surgery! As far as specific exercises...I have found that Pilates works wonders to strengthen your core muscles and helps eleviate pain. There are other back exercises to do...go to WebMD.com...BUT PLEASE ASK YOUR DOC BEFORE YOU DO ANY OF THEM!!!!!!!! Sometimes they can do more harm than good. I also LOVED my ice pack!! get one that is a gel inside and is about 9x11 so it goes across your entire back, they can be just placed back in the freezer for later. The only other thing that I 'enjoyed' (LOL) was something called a 'TENS' Unit, it gives your back little electrical shocks in strategic areas. Again, PLEASE ASK YOUR DOC FIRST!!!!

Good Luck
Momma P

p.s. you can e-mail me for more info if you want

So if you loose the use of your leg how are you expected to do PT? I have a prolapsed disc have lost certain sensory areas of my legs but not the full function yet, however I do get weakness when the Disc moves, depending on which nerve root it hits. I was sent to PT, they did the sensory reflex tests and refused to touch me, had to go to a Neurologist. Good Luck

An exercise that might help is to lay on your stomach and slowly push up with your arms while keeping your hips on the floor. This might help to decrease your leg symptoms. If it makes it worse - stop, but this might help to move the disc forward and take pressure off the nerves. Do the exercise like push-ups - slowly - breath fully - try to do 10 for each session. If it helps, do about 4 sessions per day. If not, your best chance to avoid surgery is a good chiropractor! Try one that uses Cox method of flexion-distraction.

If you can find a way swimming will do wonders for you. It takes the stress off you spine and allows you to exercises with less impact on your spine. It really is the best form of therapy I have found and I have tried them all over the years.
Make sure to see an orthopedic doc not a chiropractor or regular MD.