May your decision and procedure be full of victory and healing.  Be well brahhdah Vic...

   I had and dealt w sciatica for a long long time. I was in so much pain all the time 24/7   Finally I had the surgery in 2015 and will highly recommend it. Not as mobile and have to think before I pick something up or bend over wrong way. But I am pain free and don’t care what I can’t do anymore. The only thing I miss is the Percocet. That pill is no joke to try and get off of. Do it. You won’t regret it   Dr Piscetti is who did my procedure. Very highly regarded. He’s a neurosurgeon out of Sacramento. Sutter hospital

Hit by a drunk in '87. Fractured my lower back in 2 places.
Ironically it's how I got here. Got into ab diving because being in the water takes the pressure off my back. One thing led to another......anyway........
Opted not to have surgery and been dealing with it since.
About 18 months ago I was done dealing with the pain and told my Dr I wanted to get cut.
He wanted me to try one more PT even though over the last 30+ years I've done it all.
I agreed to see this one last guy.
Man did he know his stuff.
I just lay down and he deals out the pain, but holy crap what a difference.
No need to have surgery. Still hurts but it's manageable.
A one month supply of pain killers lasts me about 18 months. Only take them on days where I need to get over the hump.
Still hurts but not "I need surgery" hurts.
What exactly did the MRI uncover?

Yea spiff, like mine went south in a hurry and it was failing by the week. When it goes, it goes fast.

Good luck in finding a good surgeon and in recovery.

Quote from: dan916 on February 18, 2019, 06:08:12 PM

I have a back and neck injury from a training accident when I  was in the military. They said I'm a candidate for surgery but my age is keeping them from doing it. I also really dont want to go through it either and will probably push it off until I couldnt get out of bed. Deffently do as research as you can on the place. Might make you feel a little better if there are a lot of good reviews and hear how their recovery is went. Have you gone to pain management and had injections or acupuncture? Acupuncture seams to help take the edge off pretty good for me and injuctions were hit and miss because I found out later I was getting it done by students training to be pain management doctors. Im starting injuctions over again but at specialist so I wont be a live training dummy for student. So hopefully in 2 weeks I'll know more on if it's going to work better. Try not to stress... only make you hurt more. I wish you the best luck and speedy recovery if that's the rout they end up taking!

Thanks ,

Yeah did Chiropractic, Osteopathic manipulation, PT , Acupuncture with good results just not working any more .Never really had " pain" save the original injury and a few episodes over 15+ years. Getting old !

I completely understand the pain getting old!! Keep us in the loop and take care!

had a holistic doctor send me to a surgeon. My nerves were pinched, my discs all screwed up, constant pain interspersed with intense kill me now pain.  My left butt cheek was  half the size of my right, could tap my toes on the left side. Yup Im half assed.  The surgeon actually said "these dont work out that well, try pilates for 3 months. No classes, one on one every week. If it doesnt work we fuse, scrape etc."

that was over 10 years ago and have been doing 1 on 1 pilates every week since. It works for me. If my pilates person goes on vacation and I miss about 3 weeks, the pain starts again. I have two pilates instructors one I call the ass kicker. She finds your weakness and makes you suffer.  The other is more PT based and works on body motions that I do wrong. The wrong motions often are the underlying problems.

Give it a shot, worst case your core gets rock solid. Under my piles of belly fat, there is a six pack 

Hey Spiffy,
Sorry to hear about your back troubles.  I don’t know how your condition compares to mine but I too have suffered intermittent pressure on nerves due to disk damage and after seeing acupuncturist/chiropractic/Massage started studying relaxation breathing techniques, qigong  exercises  and self massage (hands, ears, feet and anywhere and every sore spot that I can reach) to great effect.
 My latest episode started when trying some yoga classes where I actually threw my back out by over stretching (oh also happened the day after kayak crabbing at tomales too)and after  being bedridden for a week and not being able to ride in cars or go to work I came across the book “The Healer Within” by Roger Jahnke (free to download on SF public library  or search the web for videos on Qigong for spinal health)  and find it easier to do these types of exercises by yourself in the comfort of your own home instead of in a group setting where you might not be totally focused on your healing or where you might feel a little silly/Self-conscious. It’s been a little over three weeks and I am 90% recovered and feel I’ve passed the hump. I still see Dr. Ruck at North Oakland chiropractic clinic and think that his practice is great!  They start each visit with a short massage before adjustment and focus on hip alignment and lower extremities, not just spine.  They also offer laser therapy which coupled with massage and adjustment had a significant impact on my second visit.  They recommend to ice spasm area but I find heat, hot baths and electric heat pad to be more beneficial to me.
 I have begun a regimen of simple daily breathing, self massage Qigong  and PT core strengthening type exercises that is having a profound effect on my health and general well-being. I still go to see a chiropractor and love massage too  but I think the medicine generated by intentionally focusing on myself to be more beneficial and don’t underestimate the power of food as medicine, make yourself some nice nourishing broth soups and simple balanced meals (plenty of fish  ), drink lots of water and noticed the difference in how you feel.
 After suffering a steady decline over the past decade I realize that it’s really up to me to pursue avenues and lifestyle changes to bring myself back into Health instead of trying to rely on others or outside manipulation for relief. I know I’m outing myself as a new age, hippydippy, greenie, energy field type a guy but truth is I am not religious, don’t consider myself very spiritual and generally speaking am a big believer in science. In the past I have always felt a little silly waving my arms around trying to gather this invisible qi (chi) energy but for whatever reason I’m starting to notice that it does help.  Even if you don’t believe in the invisible energy the physical compression and relaxation of tissue and new blood flowing in an out is very noticeable and why exercise and movement lubricates the joints, keeps us healthy and in balance. Hope you do don’t stay laid up too long, got to move to stay loose 
 I’m not insinuating that you haven’t tried to make yourself better or that you don’t need surgery however I think most healthcare practitioners, except surgeons, would agree that surgery is a last resort.
 I hope it doesn’t come to that for you and if you do  go through with surgery, wishing you a speedy recovery and lots of healing!
 Hope my story helps and that you feel better soon!

Two surgeries in, and awaiting the third. At this point you realize how good you used to be, at everything!