Ruptured or herniated? If your pain is lessening over time, that's actually good news.
In 1995 I ruptured one and herniated another (hard parachute opening). Felt like someone was sticking a hot iron into my ass cheek. Longest 30 days in my life (I would scream trying to get into and out of the car). Finally confirmed with an X-ray when it didn't get any better. If it's herniated and not ruptured, sometimes Physical Therapy, drugs and or an epidural can help, but if it's ruptured, surgery is about your only choice. I got THREE CONSULTS before I make a choice on who I thought was the right guy and I SUGGEST YOU DO SAME.
Mine was done the old fashioned way (loupes) by a well- recommended neurosurgeon. He did a great job - woke up and the searing pain was gone. Took a few weeks to get to walking again, and a bunch of PT, but 6 weeks later I was sport-jumping again.
Off and on for a decade afterwards, I could sometimes 'pull' (what I called it) something out of whack, and it would take about a week to get over it. Maybe once every 3-4 months. So, in about 2005, my wife talked me into going to a chiropractor to see if he could help me.
That was a monumental mistake. He put me on that drop table and 'adjusted' me. The pain was back (thought he'd re-ruptured it), but what he'd done was badly irritate the sciatic nerve going down my right leg. Spent another 30 days in terrible pain - there was NO contortion move I could make, no position I could sit or lay that it didn't hurt like hell. Took all the painkillers I still had just to be able to sleep at night.
After about 30 days of this, I went back to my doctor. I told him I didn't want surgery unless it was last resort (as it will NEVER be better than the last operation). He sent me to a neurosurgeon who told me that he'd be willing to try an epidural and 6 weeks PT; if that didn't help he'd probably have to operate. So I got the epi (a separate story in itself) and went to PT, and DAMN that would HURT. The Thearpist would put me on a table, and for 30 minutes take his elbow bone and grind it into my ass cheek just as hard as he could - while I laid there and screamed (you could hear me clean across the facility), then afterwards ICE/Heat. But guess what, it worked, and I actually think I'm BETTER than I was after the 1st surgery (not nearly as many 'pulls').
Advice would be to look around, get more than one consult, then make your choice based on the guys recommenation. If you can get one who would rather NOT operate and try therapy first, THAT would be a plus. No matter what, surgery or not, you MUST gut your way thru the therapy as it will make a huge difference in how well you later heal up.
P.S. I still skydive (just for fun now) and ride motorcycles really hard on the racetrack so I know it's helped. I am careful about how I lift heavy objects.
Good luck I know it hurts like hell and I feel your pain.
Last edited by skydivr; 01-03-13 at 18:23.
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Originally Posted by Crow Hunter
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