Hello I am a 24 year old male trying to figure out if this injury will affect me my entire life or if I can absolutely treat it. This is what my MRI says: At the L4-5 there is a broad disc protrusion eccentric to the right which indents the thecal sac and abuts the traversing right L5 nerve root. Again the neural foramina appear patent. At the L5-S1 level there is a broad disc extrusion which effaces the anterior epidural fat and nearly abuts the traversing S1 nerve roots. Marginal osteophyte and facet arthropathy minimally encroach upon the neural foramina. Some diminution in lumbar lordosis is noted however possibly due to muscle spasm. I love to play sports and do a lot of running. Will this injury keep me from doing things I love? I forgot to mention I work at a bank as a teller and I stand all day on dress you shoes. So standing after a long period of time makes my back hurt really bad what can I do to alleviate some of this pain while I am at work??
2015-02-05 04:35:28
Hi! I am sorry to hear about your medical problems. Well you have inter-vertebral disc herniation between L4 and S1. The upper herniation does not press on the spinal cord or the spinal nerve. The lower one presses on the spinal nerve. Also between L5-S1 there are osteophytes which occur due to degenerative and pressure changes. These partially block the holes through which spinal nerves pass. The condition can be managed conservatively. The treatment is a combination of pain killers muscle relaxants physiotherapy manual therapy hydrotherapy weight loss (if required) and exercise. You should avoid standing for long in one position and keep moving your feet slightly from time to time wear heel cups in your shoes or wear shoes with soft pads. You can work with an occupational therapist to learn ways to manage your job without straining your back. Initially you may have to avoid exerting yourself too much until the herniated disc falls back into place. Thereafter you can resume running and playing sports. Competitive sports may be out of question but you should be able to play sports for fun and recreation. Please however discuss with your treating doctor. I sincerely hope you will find this information useful in your journey towards better health. Hope you get well soon! Good Luck and take care!
2015-02-05 04:36:09
