Back Tingling

[PainsMyName]

Ok I have 2 large herniated disks for the past 4 years. I just recently got insurance. State insurance so everything is covered. My doctor wants to make surgery a last resort. My herinations are pushing on my spinal cord and the other one a nerve. The pain that radiats down my left leg has not gotten better over the past 4 years. Also I now have severe problems going to the bathroom and its not cause by the medication i take. Its not getting better threw all the doctor has asked me to do. I am now getting very severe tingling in my les and both feet when I am sitting or laying down. When standing or sitting upright my whole entire back goes numb and tingling. Its getting worse each day. Like from the waste down I am losing motion and am getting very weak. Just at a checkup the other day the doc checked my leg reflexes and there werent barley any when she tapped my knee.

I am worried that if I dont soon get something done I will be in big trouble. I am starting to think surgery is the only option. Does anyone else have these tingling problems? The disk herniations in my back are the 2 lowest disks in my back.

I dont know what to do. Should I just urge my doctor to do surgery asap before things get worse. I have tried all medications, nerve blockers. Never tried muscle relaxers or xanax or valium or anything. I am scared I am going to end up in a wheel chair because the obvious herniations are getting worse for me. Most movement, walking hurts. For a while I felt like I was getting better but I think that was the medication covering up the problem. The tingling gets so bad i lose my footing and my legs give out and same for my back.

How bad is this tingling thing. It dont hurt but it does severly affect me and my strength in my legs, feet and back.

Help!

[Tired]

typo..button happy..lol

[Tired]

I am so sorry to hear you are having such a rough time of it PainIsMyName. I can however relate. I have a simular condition it sounds like. My spine was fused at my lowest discs to stop movement for a grade4 spondylothesis. My discs were moving forward and causing nerve pain and leg pain. I had the fusion and also a surgery to free a trapped nerve. I do get the tingling still and my legs will go out from under me. My reflexes are barely there and not there in my ankles. I have learned how to work through as my surgery was when I was 12 years old and at 34 now , and 3 children later my back has had its ups and down and right now is down. My surgery did not fix my pain or back problems but did make it possible for me to walk painful or not.I was told flat out that without this surgery I would not walk.My parents and my choice was the surgery. There are many different opinions out there I am sure but this to me is more of a personal one...no one not even a doctor can promise anything.It is my experience that becoming informed and asking ALOT of questions is the best way to make your choice. You have made the first step though in becoming informed and that is wonderful.

I hope that you find the answers you are looking for ..I know I have found that everyone is different and so it is never exactly the same for everyone.And that alone can be very frustrating.I am sorry this is not exactly what you are looking for as far as defiant answers but I hope it helps in some small way.

[David Berg]

I'd say first priority is to get a second opinion with the best spinal surgeon you can find. What state are you in?