The Attractively Named "Bulging Disc" - anybody had one?

[BaronVonDingDong]

I've had a buggered shoulder for almost six months. Mostly just discomfort and a feeling like it's not properly in the socket, but also numbness in my hand and tingling in my fingers and elbow. In the summer, I went to PT and they told me something was up with two of the vertebrae on the left side of my neck (c4 and 5 iirc), and it was affecting the nerve. Today, I went to the doctor and he told me that I have a bulging disc in my neck - we're just waiting for the CAT scan to confirm it.

Has anybody had this before? What was the treatment? How effective was it? Any tips for alleviating the problem (I've already changed my bed and pillows, which has helped a bit).

[Ming Loyalist]

you might want to read the work of dr. john sarno from the NYU medical center. in his books he argues that most cases of bulging discs are actually in no way related the pain that doctors associate them with. i struggled with horrible back pain until i read his books and realized that it was due to tension. in my case, an MRI showing nothing wrong with my back made his theories easier to accept, but he is adamant that for most people, a slipped disc should not cause them undue pain or restrict their activities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sarno

i got one of his books used for $1.50 and my back pain has mostly gone away. i directly credit his book as the impetus to get me into judo, which i was previously afraid to do.

realize that i'm not saying that you have TMS, but that you ought to consider his ideas before even thinking about surgery to correct this.

[Goju - Joe]

you might want to read the work of dr. john sarno from the NYU medical center. in his books he argues that most cases of bulging discs are actually in no way related the pain that doctors associate them with. i struggled with horrible back pain until i read his books and realized that it was due to tension. in my case, an MRI showing nothing wrong with my back made his theories easier to accept, but he is adamant that for most people, a slipped disc should not cause them undue pain or restrict their activities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sarno

i got one of his books used for $1.50 and my back pain has mostly gone away. i directly credit his book as the impetus to get me into judo, which i was previously afraid to do.

realize that i'm not saying that you have TMS, but that you ought to consider his ideas before even thinking about surgery to correct this.

This is fascinating, but I wonder what the results are for people who have verifiable problems such as a disk hitting a nerve.

To the Baron / op

I had a neck and shoulder issue with tingling.

I found it was an issue of using a lap top at work and how I was sitting.

Once I changed that

AND ICED THE **** OUT OF THE AREA FOR WEEKS

it went away

\

[BaronVonDingDong]

Thanks guys - interesting stuff.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was related to both tension and posture. I sit at the computer all day and a terrible sloucher, and (like everyone else on the planet), I've had some cause to be anxious this year.

As a side note - I ran my first competitive 5k this year, and the night before it hurt like hell - the night after, not at all. Nerves, see.

[cyrijl]

I have bad c6/c7 and IT WAS pushing on the radial nerve which was causing pain in my elbow. It took an MRI to diagnose. 2 weeks naproxin, and some pt helps. Posture while working at my computer is the biggest help. I was told there isn't much I can do procedure wise to fix it, but the pt helped alot. Most of it was just imbalances in muscles from being bent over. My pecs were pulling my shoulders forward and shoving my traps into my neck.

Most likely you'll get PT. Just make sure you do the exercises they tell you. The other thing which was about 50% of recovery came from El Macho and that was to go get a sport massage (dt or clinical).

One more thing to add. I read in Inside-Out: The ultimate Upper Body Warm-up that you should fix your posture everytime you look at the clock. He says the avg person looks 3/4 times an hour.

[Goju - Joe]

Thanks guys - interesting stuff.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was related to both tension and posture. I sit at the computer all day and a terrible sloucher, and (like everyone else on the planet), I've had some cause to be anxious this year.

As a side note - I ran my first competitive 5k this year, and the night before it hurt like hell - the night after, not at all. Nerves, see.

This, getting a proper ergonomic set up is well worth the money.

And hitting things and choking people is great for tension

[Kaoz]

It is amazing how the smallest pressure on your back can effect you over time when you're sitting for long periods. My dad has a desk job, earlier last year he came home with pain in his hip and leg with a lack of strength. Over a few days the numbness and weakness went up his back and I noticed it was the same side that he kept his wallet in his back pocket. Boom, he stops sitting on his wallet and within a day his symptoms were alleviating. Little stuff can make a surprising difference, don't tough out an uncomfortable working area, fix it.

[BaronVonDingDong]

Yeah, it really is weird. It reminds of something I read about about David Beckham: the doctor at AC Milan fixed a hole in one of his teeth and it cured his back pain, strengthened his legs and helped with his overall posture.

"We pay a lot of attention to the teeth and how teeth come together," said Meersemann [the Milan doctor]. "All information comes from your brain all the way down. And it passes through a big hole (at the base of the skull) which sometimes gets a little distorted."

Sounds crazy, but seems to work. Full story below:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Sho...15462142?f=rss

[Kaoz]

that reminds me of the mouthguards that some NFL players wear that give them greater ROM in their necks. makes you wonder if that improves their strength too.

[chainpunch]

I got hurt on a parachute malfunction while in the army. The damage squeezed out some fluid from my L5 and for 10 years I had random pain.

10 years latter I fully blew out my L5. The damage to the disk is not painful at all its the fluid that leaks out, solidifies, then randomly tickles your nerves. It my case it put a strangle hold on a few of them. I lost 50% of control of my right leg. I taught class carrying a bar stool so I could sit in between walking around. Good doctors like to perform surgery as a last alternative. PT was not very helpful and I informed the doc that if I can’t move I lose the ability to teach. He performed a microdiscectomy cleaning out the loose debris and I started to regain control of my leg in 7 months.

I still had phantom pain for 1 year after the surgery. What got rid of the pain was an alkalizing diet. I believe the enzymes in organic foods gave my body the ability to heal the nerves.

There are numerous PT exercises that supposedly help your body loosen and or massage the bulge so that it does not hit anything. If you have an excessive amount you need to have it physically removed. Everyone’s body is different and everyone’s situation as well. Hopefully you have a good orthopedic surgeon that can identify if he can do something for you. If you have not had your cat scan yet maybe you should ask about an MRI. If you don’t know for a CT they will inject you with radiation then scan your body. If there is no need to nuke yourself maybe go with the MRI.


I also studied acupuncture in China for a short while and some docs had good results for the neck bulges. Note there are two ways to treat: local and root. If the doc does not identify and treat the root problem you will have pain relief but it wont be lasting.