A guide on recovery from a Herniated disk (from someone who had one)

This is a guide for anyone who is currently suffering from a herniated disc and is looking for advice from someone who has been there.

I want to say that this is not a medical experts opinion of what to do and how to do it but a guide from the perspective of getting through it, possible treatment options I have looked into and also a bit on pain relief too.

The first thing to say is that a herniated disk is an extremely painful 'condition' and one which it is hard for others to understand due to there being no visible symptoms (cuts bruises etc). One of the biggest problems I had was getting other people to understand the level of mobility I had, and what care I needed - at my worst I couldn't move more that 100 yards in a day, lift my arms above my head and barely even sit on the toilet (it was BAD!!). I had to spend all day lying on the sofa and couldn;t leave my flat for days at a time and when I did it would only be a VERY short walk. If you're having trouble letting others know what you're going through just sit them down and go through a list of what you need (pre cooked meals etc)... I think from my experience I expected them to 'know' and have some insight as to my level of immobility but in retrospect I wish I would have bluntly asked for all the help I needed.

Pain relief from a herniated disk

I got mixed advice on pain relief - some advice was to suffer through it so as not to make anything worse whilst I didn't feel the pain. Whilst there may be some element of truth in that I suffered more than necessary by heeding some of this advice - if it hurts that much (which it freakin does) then just take something! I found ibuprofen good and also for a long haul flight just as I was getting a bit better I found Tamazipan a life saver (yes I know I shouldn't have even got on the plane!!). Also ice packs on the back (or frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel) is actually recommended as well as feeling nice. Another great thing was a lower back support brace... and also a small pillow shaped wedge that goes behind your back when you sit on a seat.

How long does it take to recover from a herniated disk>

I big worry for me was 'would I ever get better?'. I went from being a physically fit guy to practically not being able to walk or sit upright even. I found that from when it was at it's worst (about 3 weeks after the first time I felt pain) I started to get better by 1% a day... 1% is such a small amount to be improving when you're in as much pain as I was in and it's hard to really 'know' if the improvements are real but for me they seemed to keep on adding up. After about 8 weeks I was able to sit upright for long enough to go out for dinner and after 5 months I can now slowly begin to train and get my fitness levels back up... although I'm sure it'll take time as I'm still relatively weak and have to watch certain exercises (dead lifts, any high impact on back etc.).

What treatment options work for a herniated disk?

I went to see a physio (I only had two sessions and found them not that helpful) and a chiropractor who I stayed with for the duration of my injury. I found acupuncture really helped and I was able to get some pain relief from the work he carried out. I supplemented my diet with fish oils and amino acids - this mixture was recommended specifically to increase the bodies own capacity for absorbing the herniated area of disk.

I found so much information on the pro's and cons of a physio vs chiropractor for herniated discs and in the end my decision was based upon the feeling after each session. As I said what the chiropractor did felt like it was doing good although in the end I think both have their good points.

At the same time as going through the 'conventional care' I was pursuing surgical options as a back-up. It gave me peace of mind to do this and having a plan B option just can't hurt if you ask me.

Final Advice

Just know that almost everybody makes a complete recovery without surgical intervention, and if you do need surgery the success rates are very high too. Try to get your friends and family to understand how incredibly painful it can be, and ho much support you need - get them to read this article even?

Good luck and if you have any questions please get in touch via this website!