"Partially" Ruptured Disc?

[matt3sa 0]

I'm a TI with around 800-1000 tandems. For the last couple of years I've experienced neck pain at one point during the year that set me back for a week or so. This year I'm on my second flair up with more continuous pain over the last two weeks that comes and goes. Got an MRI that revealed 2 bulged discs in the mid back area of my spine and a "partially ruptured" disc much higher up at the base of my neck. I can't get a straight answer out of the chiropractor. He assures me that no one will operate surgically until the disc is completely blown out. Health care absolutely sucks where I live and I'm not exactly sure what type of doctor I should be seeing. I'm extremely concerned that at age 29 I've got an irreparable condition that will prevent me from doing what I love for the rest of my life.

Anyone experienced issues like this in the past? How did you get through it and what was your overall recovery time? Suggestions?

[Fast 0]

A Sports Medicine Clinic that has a spinal specialist is where you really should be going, imo.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

Simple:

Get your ass (and your neck) to a NEUROSURGEON soon.

Drive 6 hours if necessary... it will be worth it.

Remember that the chiropractor has a potential conflict of interest when saying that no one will do surgery... that keeps you in HIS income stream.

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[-ftp- 0]

get a 2nd opinion, travel somewhere with better doctors if you have to.

I would do this, even get a 3rd before I would hang it up.

[skyjumpenfool 2]

Many years ago, when I was a gymnast, I damaged a shoulder exiting a High Bar in the wrong direction. The doctor at the hospital told me I would never do Gymnastics again. Basically, he was giving me the bowling speech.

I went to the best orthepedic specialists I could find for a second opinion. Long story short, I was competing at the nationals 4 weeks later. All Doctors are not equal!!

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[TEB6363 0]

I had neck pain years ago that was causing pretty bad headaches. The MRI showed asymmetrical discs - bulged on one side.

I ended up going through a Pain Management Specialist then to a Pain Medacine Dr. The Pain Medacine Dr ended up doint TWO epiduarl injections into my neck between the vertebrae. They were 3 months apart.

He said I may have to follow-up in a year or so..

Well, it's been 10+ years and I have not needed to go back for that problem..

Yep, still jumping, still doing Tandems...

I just started with my GP and went from there. Check your options..

Good Luck

Once the plane takes off, you're gonna have to land - Might as well jump out!!

[PiLFy 0]

Hi Matt,

Do you have a copy of the MRI report? What exactly does it say? A disk is leaking or it isn't. Partially???

Do yourself a big favor, & stay on the ground until you get this sorted out. Let's hear the report. PM me if you prefer.

[VideoFly 0]

There are a lot of issues that may occur between healthy and herniated discs. There are bulges, annular tears, nerve damage, sac ruptures, and much more.

I’ve had L3, 4 & 5 removed (2 surgeries on 4 & 5; 20 years apart) and lamenectomies on those vertebrae, and I had C5, 6, & 7 fused with my hip bone and titanium. I dealt with severe pain for years until I found out how really severe pain can get.

You don’t want to cut prematurely, nor do you want to wait too long.

My recommendation is to see a great neurosurgeon and get another opinion.

[matt3sa 0]

Quote

Hi Matt,

Do you have a copy of the MRI report? What exactly does it say? A disk is leaking or it isn't. Partially???

Do yourself a big favor, & stay on the ground until you get this sorted out. Let's hear the report. PM me if you prefer.

The terminology was actually "partially herniated". I clarified that today. He explained that a herniation is ultimately a larger disc bulge. I don't have leaking fluid at the moment, but I'm in a lot of pain. I couldn't even lift my head off of my pillow this morning and I'm having severe muscle spasms.

[matt3sa 0]

Quote

There are a lot of issues that may occur between healthy and herniated discs. There are bulges, annular tears, nerve damage, sac ruptures, and much more.

I’ve had L3, 4 & 5 removed (2 surgeries on 4 & 5; 20 years apart) and lamenectomies on those vertebrae, and I had C5, 6, & 7 fused with my hip bone and titanium. I dealt with severe pain for years until I found out how really severe pain can get.

You don’t want to cut prematurely, nor do you want to wait too long.

My recommendation is to see a great neurosurgeon and get another opinion.

Thank you. I have an appointment with a neurosurgeon today.

[riggerrob 558]

Sounds familiar. About 25 years ago, my left leg cramped up solid. When a sports-medicine doctor examined me, he diagnosed me with a herniated disc and recommended physio-therapy.
Therapy alone only helped a little.
The first winter I lay around and felt sorry for myself.
The second winter I swam three times a week and felt better.
The third winter I attended aerobics classes. That got me back in the air.

Four years ago - today - I herniated a second disc in my lower spine and suffered another year's worth of sciatica (cramps in my left leg). The difference was that now I knew how to straighten out my spine. I did thousands of sit-ups, and hundreds of hours of stretching to pull my pine back into alignment. Now I only get leg cramps when I slack off on exercises.

Bototm line: find a specialist who will show you some exercise to pull your spine back into correct alignment.

[Andy9o8 0]

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Bototm line: find a specialist who will show you some exercise to pull your spine back into correct alignment.

Ah! You mean like a chiropractor? The end is the beginning.

[Foggy 0]

Had my c5,6,7 fused in 2001 after a hard opening partially paralyzed my right arm. Took a year off then got my AFF rating. Thought about tandem but the class 3 bs didn't work out. Get it checked out by a neurosurgeon. More on the line here than tandems.

Foggy

[matt3sa 0]

Quote

Had my c5,6,7 fused in 2001 after a hard opening partially paralyzed my right arm. Took a year off then got my AFF rating. Thought about tandem but the class 3 bs didn't work out. Get it checked out by a neurosurgeon. More on the line here than tandems.

Foggy

In what way were you disqualified from a class 3 medical as a result of this?

[riggerrob 558]

Mike Hage, "The Back Pain Book" (1992 and 2005,Peachtree Publishers, Atlanta).
ISBN 13: 978-1-56145-342-9

[matt3sa 0]

Quote

Mike Hage, "The Back Pain Book" (1992 and 2005,Peachtree Publishers, Atlanta).
ISBN 13: 978-1-56145-342-9

Thank you

[pirana 0]

Quote

Quote

There are a lot of issues that may occur between healthy and herniated discs. There are bulges, annular tears, nerve damage, sac ruptures, and much more.

I’ve had L3, 4 & 5 removed (2 surgeries on 4 & 5; 20 years apart) and lamenectomies on those vertebrae, and I had C5, 6, & 7 fused with my hip bone and titanium. I dealt with severe pain for years until I found out how really severe pain can get.

You don’t want to cut prematurely, nor do you want to wait too long.

My recommendation is to see a great neurosurgeon and get another opinion.

Thank you. I have an appointment with a neurosurgeon today.

Very similar experience. Had the same neck surgery very close to 10 years to the date following the rupture. Thought I knew what pain was until then. The few days between the last MRI and surgery I was eating a minimum of 200 mg of percodan daily just to keep from losing my mind. I obviously waited too long.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[Captcha 0]

Hello Matt

As a general rule, as long as you do not have any radiating symptoms or weakness in your extremities, surgery is not necessary. If you do decide to go surgery route, they have a descent success rates with cervical discs, but not so much with lumbar...either way I would advise against it until you have exhausted other options.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, as there is a very good chance that your pain is muscular in nature and can be taken care of with some soft tissue modalities and traction in conjunction with exercises and/or anti-inflammatory medication.
As for treatment duration, it can last between 2-8 weeks...though if you keep the area in descent physical shape, you can prevent pain from reoccurring.

Hope that helps

P.S. Also, flaring properly and avoiding low turns is advisable ;)

[gowlerk 1,902]

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Ah! You mean like a chiropractor? The end is the beginning.

I would say anyone but a chiro. The whole rational of chiropractic is to build a practice of ever returning lifelong clients. It's how there business model works, and it's a large part of their "training". Get a good physiotherapist and see a real doctor.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[PiLFy 0]

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Quote

Ah! You mean like a chiropractor? The end is the beginning.

I would say anyone but a chiro. The whole rational of chiropractic is to build a practice of ever returning lifelong clients. It's how there business model works, and it's a large part of their "training". Get a good physiotherapist and see a real doctor.

FWIW, my chiropractor treated me when I needed it. Then, he wished me luck. I haven't had to see him in >two years. They're not all bad. Chiropractory has its place.

[riggerrob 558]

Robin McKenzie "Treat Your Own Back" Spinal Publications, Waikanae, New Zealand, 1985
617.564 MCK

They also published "Treat Your Own Neck"

[Andy9o8 0]

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I would advise...

Based on what? Anecdotal experience? Professional medical training and/or experience? Neither your post nor your profile reveal this. Please specify.

[riggerrob 558]

Another friend - with a history of back problems - recommended Dr. Hamilton Hall's book "The New Back Doctor" Seal Books, MeClelland-Bantam Inc. Toronto, 1980 & 1995.
It has been through several editions and reprints.

ISBN 0-7704-2619-0.

I took a quick look through Hamilton's book and concluded that he has great illustrations of spinal details and recommends several of the exercises mentioned in my other two earlier recommendations.

My friend also had a book by Dr. Sarno, but discouraged me from wasting time reading Sarno's theory that "it is all in your head."

[JayhawkJumper 0]

Seems like a lot of back and neck injuries in skydiving... I ruptured a disc at c5-6 and have a bulging disc as well from an unholy opening wearing a heavy camera helmet. As is the story most of the time, a good surgeon won't operate unless you have numbness and weakness in limbs and/or pain so severe you can't function. I saw a couple different surgeons and physical therapists and I can echo what Rob and others have said. Exercise and stretching has to become as much a part of your day as brushing your teeth. Things like Yoga and swimming are very beneficial and also anything that strengthens your core to protect your spine.

[ctrph8 0]

The Neurosurgeon is definitely the place to start. Chiropractors are fantastic and certainly have their place, but I'm betting that if that had worked, we wouldn't be having this discussion. As a rule, the Neurosurgeons are not looking for reasons to do surgery, but this sort of thing is what they deal with every day. Chances are that they will start with pain management and physical therapy before moving on to more invasive treatments.

Every person is different so what was appropriate for one person might not be appropriate for anyone else. This means that you will hear a thousand stories from well meaning people telling you exactly what they did and what you HAVE to do. Take it all with a grain of salt.

I had spinal surgery almost 4 months ago and have been skydiving regularly for the last 3 months. I'm not 100% pain free but I can work and play and have taken nothing stronger than Advil since then. The methods they are using have improved so much over the last few years. They sent me home that day and I didn't even have a bandage. It was amazing. 6 or 8 years ago that would have had a much different ending.

One of the lessons that I learned though this was that if the physical therapists tell you to do something (and it will almost always be something unpleasant), do it. If they tell you to do something 3 times a day, do it 4. If they want 10 reps, do 15 of the most perfect reps you can do. The conditioning they will want you to do is really important. In my case, the pain didn't go away but my mobility got MUCH better. I also suspect that the conditioning helped speed my recovery.

Again, my condition, surgery, recovery and treatment may not relate at all to your current situation but from someone who has been down this long road, there are options out there.

Quote

I'm a TI with around 800-1000 tandems. For the last couple of years I've experienced neck pain at one point during the year that set me back for a week or so. This year I'm on my second flair up with more continuous pain over the last two weeks that comes and goes. Got an MRI that revealed 2 bulged discs in the mid back area of my spine and a "partially ruptured" disc much higher up at the base of my neck. I can't get a straight answer out of the chiropractor. He assures me that no one will operate surgically until the disc is completely blown out. Health care absolutely sucks where I live and I'm not exactly sure what type of doctor I should be seeing. I'm extremely concerned that at age 29 I've got an irreparable condition that will prevent me from doing what I love for the rest of my life.

Anyone experienced issues like this in the past? How did you get through it and what was your overall recovery time? Suggestions?