Ruptured Disc! Advice needed.

[atakacs]

I ruptured a disc (between the L5 & S1 vertebrae) in August and am having trouble getting over it. My orthopedic Doc suggested I never run again and do some pansy-assed swimming and elliptical workouts. I used to laugh at those people. I've gotten back into running but I haven't run over 3 miles yet and even for a 2 mile, my time is extremely slow (~8 minute miles). A year ago I ran a half-marathon in 1:54 and ran my 2 mile APFT in 13 flat. I'm also a little worried about doing sit-ups. I used to max with time to spare and now I hear my back grinding with every sit-up. I was wondering if any of the other Rangers on here have had any experience driving on after a ruptured disc.

[Baseplate]

Ruptured mine playing rugby 5 years ago. I did not let it heal properly and I blew it out again 4 months later. If I try to do any squats or lift anything more than 150 even when I use my legs I am laid up for almost a week. Let yourself heal our you will be fucked forever.

[Slowpoke]

If you truely ruptured a disc, it will never heal. Once it's torn open it's torn open. If you caused a disc to bulge, it will go back down with rest but that spot is weakend and prone to "re-bulge". Most likely you have a bulging disc and the only true cure for it is to operate and do a procedure called a hemilaminectomy where a neuro-surgeon goes in and cleanes out the disc filling and leaves the "skin" (think of a catsup package). They are loathe to do this unless there is an indication of nerve damage that could become permanent......paralysis or total numbness to a limb or extreme pain that will not go away with rest.

I wouldn't think any neurologist would recommend jumping out of airplanes. If God had intended for men to jump out of airplanes, we would have been born with a parachute up our ass!

I had L4-L5 operated on thirty years ago and have been pain free until three years ago....now I'm waiting for VA to operate to get rid of the arthritus there.

[atakacs]

Thanks for the quick replies and for sharing your experiences. The disc in question is a ruptured L5/S1. The fibrous annulus (outer ring) was completely severed and nucleus propulsus (acidic jelly) squeezed out onto the nerves of the lumbar plexus - affecting my sciatic nerve. This was confirmed by MRI. I had extreme pain which gave way after a few days (and a lot of narcotics) to numbness and total muscle failure. I could not flex my foot down, nor did I have any feeling from my ass to my toes on the back and outside of my left leg. The orthopedic doc said I could get surgery but most people do the same whether they get the surgery or not after 2 years because the body adapts well. I opted against the surgery. I couldn't walk straight, much less run or ruck for months. An update: I ran 3 miles today for the first time since the incident and feel fine.

[Slowpoke]

I disagree with you Ortho Doc. I suffered with mine for 10 years before they finaly operated. Like others have stated, the pain will go away for a while, but then will return with the slightest wrong move. And you risk permanent nerve damage by allowing it to continue.

[K.Ingraham]

DO NOT equate pool training with "pussy/pansy ass"--that is ignorant and wrong, period. Because a hard workout in the water usually doesn't bring on the pain like a hard run does does not mean that it isn't a superior workout. Set aside your ignorance and get in the water, swimming is the best all around fitness activity you can engage in. It's all in how hard and properly that you work it, now get smart.
The others here have given you some sage advice. My bad back comes from a fall at a fire scene, not from workout abuse--there's a good reason why I don't suffer from the same afflictions as Lunch & 'Poke etc. partly good, nay, great good fortune, but I also gave prevention the highest priority. Give it time to heal, do the stretching/warmup type stuff & get in the water--take time to heal and so prevent the next one.
End of lecture, thanks for reading, now I'm back to my own issues.