back surgery

[thumper15]

I haven't been on the site or pasted for quite awhile but considering recent events and possibility of having back surgery this is the best place to ask this question. First, the details recently I have made multiple doctor visits for lower back pain as in extreme lower back the tailbone area shooting pain down my right leg. After electro testing something called EGM or something like that I was told I had mild piching of the L1 and S1 in my back. That S1 is the sciatic nerve on the right side of my spine. After an MRI to look for the cause I am being told to consult a neorosurgen for possible surgery. Now although it's not comfirmed yet that I will have to have surgery I'm prepareing for the worse ie. hate the idea of going under the knife. My question to those who have had back surgery is has it effected your shooting in any way? I haven't gotten in much shooting this year and if I have to have surgery this season will be done before it starts for me. Not a major thing but am wondering if it would effect my shooting. Any ideas, insight, or experiance from you all would be appreciated very much.

[kojac]

I have simular proble L5-S1 and most of my pain was a exstreme tooth ache like pain in both my legs switching from leg to leg over the last few yrs.

Here is what I recommend and have done. Find a chiropractor or a specialist that pratices a deap tissue message tech. called "A.R.T" which stands for "Active Release Techniques." here is a website to find someone in your area.  www.activerelease.com  

These people are what I would call a nerve specialist and within a couple visits you will most likely see some very good results and by the way most health insurance will cover the guy I gone to.

If you don't get relief you may indeed have a disc putting preasure on a nerve.

In my case ART treatment worked on one leg but the other leg I did have back surgery to relieve the pain (6/20/2007) and I can feel my feet again with NO pain in my legs or back. But I believe one of the reasons my back surgery went so well is because of the ART treatment I recieve prior to surgery.

Good Luck and I DO feel you pain  
brian

PS prior to this I had several stairoid shots/reg chiro/massage/Physical therapy and you name it I tried it. ART was the best of all consurvitive treatments by far

[charlie brown]

thumper15
I have had 2 lower back sur.Left shoulder and 4weeks out of neck sur.I see the Doc. tomorrow hoping to get back shooting in a week or two.
Back 89
Back 95
L Shoulder 2000
Neck 07

Back Sur.was not a fix all for me I had to retire it mite slow you down a bit and it mite be a fix all for you if you have the Sur.Good Luck.
Charlie Brown.

[Coop]

I had back surgery in 2005 and I am facing another because the next two discs up are  out now. I tried Chiropractors, physical therapy, epidural; you name it nothing worked.

Best of luck to you.

I have great difficulty shooting and haven't been able to get a bow to full draw in months.

[thumper15]

Thanks for the replies guys. I go today to review the MRI with the doctor and talk over what might be needed to get this taken care of. I'm hoping that I can get it resolved without surgery but over the next few weeks I'll find out what all the docs have to say and recommend but I'm hoping for the best.

[beachbowhunter]

The chiropractor put me in the hospital! I would only go there for mild, muscular discomfort. Quacks!

I got 4 verts fused in 1999 around L4-L5 and have had no problems, it was a very succesful surgery. Your problem is much lower and will actually have less impact on your flexibility. I say go for it, get it over with and start healing up.

[Keefer]

I just had my L-5 fused 41/2 weeks ago and also had some rods& screws put in with a doner disc.I had some pain when I came home the first few weeks but now I feel like a new man.I have to wear this brace for another week or so till the Dr. releases me to go back to work.I haven't shot my bow yet but had to get in my shop to make a few walking sticks and my first drop point knife just to keep from going crazy. If you have to get surgery just listen to what they tell you No BLT'S no not a bacon lettuce, or tomatoe sandwitch but that sounds good. No Bending ,Lifting, or Twisting till things heal.Let the M.R.I. AND THE DR. explain what needs to be done because everybody has different back problems and some can heal without surgery and others may need it,let the Dr.s make the call and get a second opinion if you are unsure.I got two and both said basically the same thing.Take care &  God Bless ! Keefers <")))><

[Matt Stuckey]

Recently there have been several large scientific studies comparing the results of lumbar fusion surgery and physical therapy intervention.  the outcomes appear similar in both groups.  If you are unsure of surgery ask your Dr. if he would recommend a certain physical therapist, like any profession some are better than others.  If you don't respond well then you could still have surgery.  Just my opinion.

[beachbowhunter]

Keefer, I got the rods and screws too. No donor disk. "New Man" says it all. The only thing that has never quite gotten right are the muscles that they have to push out of the way to get in there. I still get cramps and tightness when I hike, etc. but I'll take that over the leg pain any day!

[Jeff Hren-Renegade]

Thumper: Just had my 3rd back surgery June 25th. I now have L3,L4,L5,S1 all fused, Front & back!! The Good news is it is not a bad surgery. The bad news is No one can gaurentee that you will be pain free after the surgery.
  I had L4 through S1 fused in 04 & just had L3 added in June. I am on Very Serious NARCOTIC Pain meds.
  It Can change how you shoot. I had to retrain myself to use only upper back muscles & Arm muscles to shoot! It was fairley easy & you may not have the trouble I had.
 Good Luck, I do Recomend you have the surgery!! It can get bad enough that sometimes your legs just disapear & you fall down. Your vertibrea shift & hit the nerves & Bang no legs. Mine would come back in a few seconds but it aint no fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 Good luck

[DAGATOR]

I had the L3&L4 herniated. The sciatic nerve was pinched in my left leg. I'm sure you know this pain! After the MRI I elected to try the shots. Got two of them. After 4 days the pain finally went away. My left leg went totally numb. Long story short, I'm now fine. A little numbness is still in one small area of my leg, but I'm told I will get the feeling back in time. It has been two years now.
I say give the shots a try before surgery.
Clay

[Coop]

Just an update. The Epidural didn't work. This past weekend my back took a turn for the worse and now next Thursday I am having a second back surgery. Looks like this archery season will be shot unless I recover quicker than expected. The surgeon said often a second surgery in the same area recovery can be worse. Take care of your back, because it's hard to imagine every thing you can't do with a bum back until it happens.

[MAC]

Avoid the surgery if at all possible, in 2003 I had pinched nerves in lower back, causing pain down legs and legs going numb, I elected for a lumbar lamenectomy that is where they remove some of the bone to give the nerves room so they arent pinched. Felt good for 3 years was supposed to go to a lighter duty job but could not. One day last December lifting something at work I blew out a disc in the area where the bone was removed (surgery made the vertabres unstable) Have been off work since and now my work wont take me back because they dont have a light duty job to meet my 30lb. ligting restrictions. Have been told by a surgeon that even if I have the surgery I will be in the same boat. I have had 2 epidurals and they have seemed to helped.

[owlbait]

Good luck with your decision. I had 2 lumbar spine and 1 cervical spine surgery. They relieved the pain. In one case I was hunting elk in Colorado within 8 weeks. Everone is different, if you feel unsure get a second or third opinion.

[Larry247]

In Oct 2000 i broke my back between L-2 L-3. Snapped it into. I felt it when it happened. But i could still function. Imediatly my right leg started to have sharp pains all the way to my foot. I did alot of nerve damage before the doc found the break. Its a long story. It took me a good while (1yr) before i could really shoot alot and i had to drop 18lbs of bow weight. I was determind not to let the new hardware in my back to stop me from doing what i love!!And that is shooting a bow!!

I have 2 rods and 4 screws in my lower back. Some arthritice to go with it...I can shoot 45# now and am happy with that. You will do fine, keep a positive attitude and all will go well...

Prayers sent....  

[Tatonka777]

Thumper,

Before you have any surgery, get the book "Pain Free" by Pete Egoscue.  I have had many of the symptoms and diagnosis you have and thought I was going to go crazy from the pain.  A friend of my wife's told me to get the book before having surgery.  I did and it changed my life.  

I have recommended this book to everyone I can with back pain and the reports back are pretty universal - they all say the the results are AMAZING!  I started a thread on this a while back and have attached a shortcut to the thread below.  

Buy the book ($11) and do the exercises.  You won't believe the results.

JPW


Thread:  Neck - Back - Shoulder Pain - READ THIS!
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