Hi K.,
I am actually a "husband" - I work with Mamasource (I helped them to start this, worked on the early concept, etc.) and I check out some of the activity just to see how things are going. Since I'm not a mom, I don't normally respond :-) But like your husband I have herniated discs in my lower back. I've had two back surgeries and now I live on pain medication. I can give you some quick info from personal experience:
1) My first surgery worked GREAT, then I fell and reherniated the disc!
2) To my knowledge, physical therapy cannot repair a herniated disc. It might help to build the muscles up and take some pressure off the back, but if it does it doesn't make much difference.
3) Steroid shots can work, but sometimes they don't do anything. I think it depends on if the doctor puts the steroid in exactly the right place. The effects of steroids last for a few months and wear off. Some say they last for a year, but I think that is rare. Steroid shots to not fix it, they just reduce the inflammation and take pressure off.
4) Pain meds are effective, and I have been on them for a couple of years. No, I don't like it, wish I didn't have to do it, but they work. To get proper treatment, your husbands Dr. needs to refer him to a pain management Dr. - I go to Mid-Cities Pain Management in Bedford (Dr. Don Enty). They also do shots.
5) Herniated discs do not repair themselves, they do not heal. Sometimes people get better, most of the time they don't. Surgeons can fix them and now they have minimally invasive laser techniques that are amazing. But I learned that your chance of success the first time is very good. The second time it is 50/50. After that, the chance of success goes DOWN.
6) A big problem that I am dealing with is SCAR TISSUE. After the surgeries, a lot of scar tissue has formed in the surgery area and it can cause serious problems. Scar tissue adheres to the nerves and pulls them. Not good!
If the prognosis for your husband is that surgery is the best bet, I recommend Dr. Rothbart. He fixed me 100% that first time, then a month later I screwed up and reinjured myself. My mistake. If I had just been more careful I think that surgery would have done the job. But the 2nd surgery was failure. SO now I live on pain meds with an occasional shot.
My goal is to go back in the future and get either a fusion or artificial discs put in. But the artificial discs are still in the early stages.
Last, I will say this. Being injured like this really sucks. It is depressing, and you really feel BROKEN. My heart goes out to your husband. He has some decisions to make and then this is a journey. Hopefully he will find something that works. He should have a skilled surgeon like Rothbart look at it and see what his options are. But I don't think physical therapy will do much, and absolutely STAY AWAY from chiropractors - they can make it MUCH WORSE.
I would be glad to talk to your husband and share any additional advice or thoughts, or just be someone that he can talk to that understands the pain and what he is going through. I wish you both the best.
D. H.
Mamasource Advisory Board Member
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