Sometimes, when I least expect it, my body likes to surprise me with some random ailment. Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised by anything involving my back; I seem to have inherited my father's spinal disc issues, so these things are just going to pop up from time to time throughout my life. Usually, it doesn't have too much of an impact on my daily life. As I said, though, my body likes to surprise me occasionally, and 2013 has been no exception.
A few months ago, this nagging pain towards the base of my spine gradually took a turn for the worse. After several visits to the doctor, and several "false starts" (i.e., assuming that the pain was related to something else), I was informed that I had a disc herniation at the L5 S1 level. In a way, I was relieved; at least the mystery pain was no longer a mystery. Since we knew what was wrong, it would make the treatment process a little easier, right? Well... yes and no, to be honest.
When you have a herniated disc, you actually have quite a few different treatment options. I learned about some of these options in 2006/2007, when I had a cervical disc herniation.
The first treatment option is physical therapy, which can be done with or without the assistance of a steroid injection to the affected area. This option tends to work well if the disc herniation isn't too severe. Apparently, the disc can sometimes heal itself. According to the specialists that I spoke with, nobody is quite sure how or why the discs can heal themselves, but if it works then they aren't going to question it! I think physical therapy is a good option, if the specialists feel that your disc has a good chance of healing on its own. Obviously, rest and medication(s) may also play a role in this treatment approach.
On the other hand, there are several different surgical options; a specialist will usually recommend the best approach based on your individual circumstances.
Personally, I've decided to try the physical therapy approach before resorting to surgery. On Thursday (9/12/13), I'll have an epidural steroid injection that will help my body with the pain/inflammation in the area. Helping my body to cope with the pain will allow me to focus more on physical therapy. I'm optimistic and genuinely believe that my disc will be able to heal with time and patience.
So, that's what I've been up to during my hiatus. Of course, other things have happened, and I'll be blogging about them as well. Never a dull moment!
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