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Treatment For Lower Back Pain And Toe Numbness Due To Disc Slide?
I am a male adult turning 49 in July 2014. I have a severe lower backache. The pain usually starts when I am walking or if I stand for some minutes. When the pain starts it goes down both legs starting with the buttocks and gradually down until it reaches the feet. The toes get mumb. I went for MRI and the neuro-surgeon said there was a disk slide between the L5 and L4. He asked me to go for physiotherapy to try and find if it cannot be corrected without going for an operation. He has also said this is an operation with 50/50 chances of success. I have done 6 physiotherapy and 6 hydrotheraphy sessions at the local Medical Rehabilitation Centre with little improvement. However, I feel that the problem is not disappearing completely but is only reduced in frequency. I am hesitant to go for the opeartion and have booked for other hydrotherapy sessions. I am getting frequent "Sick No Duty" recommendations that I know this will ruin my career at work. Please help me. What do I need to do or to have. Tichaona Gomera [Zimbabwe]
Tue, 4 Mar 2014
Hi, thanks for writing to HCM.
The initial management of lumbar disc disease is always by conservative (non surgical) methods. Generally, most of the patients do respond well with this sort of management. If there is no appreciable symptom relief within 4-6 weeks, then propably Epidural steroid injections can be tried as the next option. If you fail to improve even with epidural steroid injections, then you may be a candidate for surgical decompression.
Hope this information is helpful. Good day
The initial management of lumbar disc disease is always by conservative (non surgical) methods. Generally, most of the patients do respond well with this sort of management. If there is no appreciable symptom relief within 4-6 weeks, then propably Epidural steroid injections can be tried as the next option. If you fail to improve even with epidural steroid injections, then you may be a candidate for surgical decompression.
Hope this information is helpful. Good day
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