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Author Topic: Herniated Disc  (Read 5145 times)

psychodad

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Herniated Disc
« on: October 18, 2008, 02:43:04 PM »
I was diagnosed with a herniated disc in my neck at c-5 c-6. It started as pain in my shoulder and then moved into my arm. The pain is not as bad now but my thumb and index finger always feel like they are asleep. At time my whole arm starts feeling like it is being stuck with pins and needles. Of course the main thing that's killing me is I am not able to bowl right now. Has anyone out there had this problem and if so what did you do to get better and how long did it take for you to get back to bowling. This has been dragging on for about 4 weeks now. I'm tempted to go ahead and bowl but don't want to do something stupid and be off for even longer. Any free medical advice is greatly appreciated.

 

rockerbowler18

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Re: Herniated Disc
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2008, 10:50:23 PM »
Try a Chiropractor. If you find a good one, and I mean a really good one, you could be back to normal in just a couple weeks with stretching and exercises.

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BOWLGNUT

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Re: Herniated Disc
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2008, 10:52:30 PM »
I never heard of it being in the neck but if I were you get to a doc to have it check.If it is not what you mention then it is more likely a pinch nerve in the neck.
I hate ten pins but love the game of bowling with just the right ball to take them out.

BOWLGNUT

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Re: Herniated Disc
« Reply #3 on: October 18, 2008, 11:04:50 PM »
I went to google and there is such of a thing as herniated disk in the neck.Like I mention before go to the doc,do not bowl at all.
I hate ten pins but love the game of bowling with just the right ball to take them out.

psychodad

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Re: Herniated Disc
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2008, 11:20:22 PM »
I've already been to an orthopedic doctor and had an mri that's how they found the problem. I thought it was a shoulder issue but he said that's what it feels like when you have a nerve being pressed on on your neck. He wants me to have epidural steroid injections in my neck. I have had low back problems for years and have had the same injections in my low back with no help but this is totally different from how my low back feels. I have learned to deal with the low back and can even bowl with the help of tons of advil but problems in neck worries me. The odd thing about it is I just woke up one morning with it I didn't do anything that I can remember to set it off.

charlest

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Re: Herniated Disc
« Reply #5 on: October 18, 2008, 11:49:59 PM »
I was diagnosed with the same thing in C-3,4 and 6, if I recall correctly. I went to a neuro surgeon and had the MRI to document it. He said the cure was to operate, go in through the front of the neck and slice off the herniations, the expanded portions of the discs that are pressing against the nerve bundles. He said it takes about 3 weeks to recuperate fromthe surgery. He had just done his partner a few weeks before that.

When my wife heard about the surgery, she filled her lid. She has no foundness for doctors or surgery. But it's my neck!

My symptoms were similar but notwhere near as severe. I also have a numbness in my finger tips but when I had carpal tunnel surgery, they said it was carpal tunnel syndrome, not from the nerve bundles in the neck. I'd have that checked if I were you!!!

This was all about 8-10 years ago. I get the aches in my shoulder sometimes. Weight lifting helped strengthen my neck muscles. That helps a lot. Otherwise, it's life as normal.

My friend is a chiropractor and he tried some light therapy to help the shoulder pain BEFORE I learned the true cause. As I suspected, the neurosurgeon said if he tried serious therapy, he could have killed me. As with most good chiropractors, a full set of Xrays would have revealed the cause and they'd never do their real serious, heavy duty therapy on that neck. I don't recommend that course of action.

Oh, Advil/Motrin/ibuprofen(the chemical name) helps keep down the swelling. Herniation of the disc is just another form of inflammation. SO the ibuprofen cna help.

If the pain is debilitating, and you do say you can't bowl, I strongly, STRONGLY suggest taking those MRIs to a neurosurgeon, not just an orthopedic surgeon. (I do bowl 3 - 5 times a week.)


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MI 2 AZ

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Re: Herniated Disc
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2008, 01:36:12 AM »
Once again, I am going to agree with charlest.

Years ago, I suffered a herniated disc in my lower back and I went to my chiropractor because I thought it was only more lower back pain and stiffness.  He did not take an x-ray and only made my condition worse by causing more leakage pressing into the nerve so that after the second visit, I could barely walk.  I also went and saw an orthopedic doctor, but he recommended me to a neurosurgeon. Had the neurosurgery and am about 95% pain free.

I would be even more careful with a herniated disc in the neck and go see a specialist before doing any more bowling.



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Edited on 10/19/2008 1:37 AM
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Mike E

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Re: Herniated Disc
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2008, 07:39:04 PM »
I have 4 herniated discs in my lower back. I originally went to a chiropractor which turned out to be the wrong thing to do. In 3 weeks he had me so I almost couldn't bend over to tie my own shoes.The problem with herniated discs is the pain is caused by inflammation. Ice and rest are the best treatments along with advil,motrin,ibuprofen.Don't leave the ice on for more than 10 min. at a time. You can freeze the skin. I also dropped ball weight from 16 to 15 lbs. and that helped. I don't bowl as much as I used to and I don't throw the ball as hard. All this has helped but the next option is surgery.I'm trying to hold out on that as long as possible.

bshannon

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Re: Herniated Disc
« Reply #8 on: October 19, 2008, 07:53:44 PM »
I've suffer from something similar for 5-6 years now. My surgeon recommended surgery that involved installing plates to jack up the compression and basically fusing the C5-C6 .
I've used some therapy trying to put off surgery, part of my therapy is home traction that keeps it stretched out, so far so good