Hello everyone, 🙂
I'm new to this Forum and came across it by chance and as glad to see there are others out there in a similar predicament to me. I find having a prolapsed disc can alienate you as I have almost stopped doing the things I really enjoyed in the past i.e. walking (pain free that is), swimming and some exercising.
My problems began at work about 3 years ago when I fell awkwardly (my fault). Although I felt the most excrutiating pain initially through my hip area, I didn't feel much pain again until several weeks later when I was going up a ladder and that's when it all began. I went to see a specialist who said I had a bursa in my hip which was causing the problem and sent me for a corsitone injection, that actually made me feel worse for some reason. It wasn't until about 12 months later that it was decided I should be sent for an MRI scan on my back which showed a prolapsed disc at L5/S2 which accounts for the extreme pain I get in my groin, buttock, hip, thigh, knee and numbness in toes. I am cross that it took so long for anyone to correctly diagnose me. I was offered a spinal injection a few weeks ago but rejected this on the basis that it would only give me temporary and not permanent relief.
I have recently been diagnosed with having two miuniscus tears in my right knee, both horizontal and lateral, the lateral miniscus reveals a horizontal tear extending from the posterior to the anterior horn, the same side at the prolapsed sic, together with fraying cartilige. Although the pain is about a year old, I think I must have damaged it initially when I fell and it's got quite bad since then.
I take naproxen when the pain is pretty bad but do try to avoid taking it. I was taking diazepan for a while but that just made me feel drowsy when I didn't want to!! I recently purchased a walking stick and this definitely helps me get around and know that I can now start back with my walking again with the aid of it. I find I have to pace myself now and that definitely helps. Sitting, walking, standing for too long gives me grief also as does lying on my right side.
I am overweight and am trying my best to eat sensibly which is quite hard when you are housebound most of the time but I am trying really hard this time. 🙁
Anyway just hope I get some replies from like minded people. O'h yes I have also began back strengthening exercises I found on You Tube, every little helps I guess.
Good luck to all of you out there. Bye for now. Lou
Welcome 🙂
Your post hit home to me. You were lucky it was only 3 years! for me it was a lot lot lot longer! Every visit to the doc was met with a prescription, until one day I could no longer walk, or sit or stand, even then I was just given a higher dose and told to go and rest for two weeks and they would xray me later. The xray report said loss of disc space height. Hmm so little said when so much was obvious. I saw an osteopath, a chiropract, and then a physio, she then demanded that I was scanned....
I had an op on my knee for a meniscus tear due to a fall. it was brilliant and now I have been free of that gnawing agony in the knee for 2 years 🙂
You should take the Naproxen every day as it builds up, its not recommended for acute pain, so look into that.
Happy days 🙂