bad back - Newest

When you're recovering from slipped discs, then you will experience 'so many symptoms, for so long' that it shall feel as though 'you're getting used to them'. Unfortunately, the symptoms that you're 'getting used to' are really only 'side effect symptoms' (they are a result of your herniated discs 'pushing onto' your nerves somewhere). Whilst these are 'bad enough', they are 'as nothing' when compared to (what I call) 'primeval soup symptoms'. On some days your 'side effect symptoms' will take a break, and instead you shall feel your slipped discs fluid ACTUALLY bulging/oozing. When this happened to me, then I knew that my spine was 'badly damaged' and that I was in for a 'terrible time of it':

I am afraid that your 'time off' from your side effect symptoms WILL NOT BE a pleasurable one! For when you're feeling primeval soup 'bulging and oozing' from your slipped/herniated discs - then you're 'GOING TO PANIC' and ask yourself a question: am I EVER going to get better? You will also 'PANIC FURTHER' when your mind's eye 'refuses to look away from - the bulging and oozing fluid' of your damaged discs, that 'you can see' in vivid detail! It's a hard question to answer (especially in terms of time), but it's an easier question to answer 'once you realise' (and accept) that:

Your discs 'bulging fluid' will only 'go back in' - when it wants to, and NOT 'when you want it to'. You're not in control!

Whilst I was recovering from my three slipped discs (two lower back and one upper neck) I found that these 'bulging and oozing' sensations would only 'get worse' - whenever I was 'moving through' my daily routines (aka 'chores of motion'):

• Sitting - to do some work. It felt like the fluid was 'seeping out of' the back of my spine. That fluid would then 'become stuck', making me DREAD 'the simple movement' of standing up (when 'struggling up' from my seat).
• Reaching - to grab a toilet roll. It felt like the fluid was 'seeping out' the sides of my spine. Before injury, I'd 'reach to the left' to grab the toilet roll (if I wanted to 'blow my nose' whilst sitting down). With injury - NO, NO!
• Lifting - to 'pick up' a toy model. It felt like the fluid was 'seeping out, whilst being compressed downwards'. When I say 'toy model', I mean a 'tiny plastic toy' which is no taller than forty millimetres, weighing five grams.
• Playing - to 'relax' on my games console. It felt like the fluid was 'seeping out' gnawing away at me. Before injury, I'd play computer games every second or third evening. With injury, once a fortnight (with NO vibrate!).
• Dressing - to 'put on' my socks and jeans. It felt like the fluid was 'pouring out' for such a simple task. In the summer time, it's better to wear 'no socks'. In wintertime, that's 'not really' an option. Where's summer?
• Cooking - to get 'some nourishment' (for healing). It felt like the fluid was 'boiling up' for a meal 'I won't enjoy'. That fluid prevented me from 'dishing up' like I normally would. No 'twist' one-eighty here - 'shuffle, shuffle'.

Whenever you're 'feeling this fluid' - you're going to be 'feeling down in the dumps'. I felt like that 'for quite some time', and I was 'even glad' when those 'lesser' (if that's the right word?) side effect symptoms 'came back' - as I found that I 'could handle them' (mostly). Unfortunately, I could still suffer with these bulging sensations (although not the oozing sensations) within my 'later stages of recovery' - when I had 'done something' ... Such as when I helped my Mum 'to lift half a garden turf' (as the Garden Centre worker 'made it clear' that they were NOT going to help 'carry the turf - to my car'). For I am afraid that all of these 'bulging and oozing sensations' are tending towards - 'one SLOW realisation':

Just how 'hard it was' for that 'primeval soup' to evolve in the first place! With the primeval soup being 'what grants your spine its flexibility' (the discs) - and when you've damaged them 'good and proper' ... LIFE REPAIRS SLOWLY ...

'Out of all' the slipped disc symptoms that you can suffer with, there is 'none more frustrating' than that of pinched nerves! As in my third bout of slipped discs (two herniated discs lower back, one herniated disc upper neck) I have suffered with 'more pinched nerves' than I can remember having - in either of my two previous slipped disc bouts ... Whilst you can experience pinched nerves within 'any stage of recovery' - you may not realise 'that that's what your feeling'. Because I have found, in the earlier stages of recovery, that pinched nerves are usually masquerading 'behind a wall of pain' - and you won't notice them as much. But in the later stages of recovery, all you can feel 'are those nerves':

What is a pinched nerve? Your spine has countless nerves both in and around it - such as your spinal cord and 'nerve connections' to various organs, arms, legs, etc. When your spine's discs are 'functioning normally' then those nerves 'have plenty of room' to route 'both in and around' your spine's vertebra (i.e. your spine's bones). But when you have a slipped disc, then those nerves can be 'pressed upon' by either the disc (if it's 'moved out of place') or the disc's fluid (if the disc's 'surrounding membrane' has actually ruptured). Added to this, is the fact that the muscles surrounding your spine could also be 'as tight as concrete' (just like mine were!). All of this means, that the nerves both in and around your spine 'no longer have plenty of room' to route to their various connections - and you quite simply 'feel the nerve'.

To say that pinched nerves 'can be off putting' is an understatement! As when they have happened to me (for 'months at a time') I have felt: like not doing much, not wanting to go out, not wanting to spend time with family, not wanting to sit down (even 'when I could' sit down!), whilst becoming frustrated and wondering - am I ever going to heal? That last question was 'particularly prevalent' in my third bout, as those two slipped discs lower back, and one slipped disc upper neck - had pinched 'my entire spinal cord' from the base of my spine, to the top of my neck! Fortunately, after around twenty-one months (or so) the pinched nerves 'that I feel now' are usually located at either end of my spine (i.e. just at the base of my spine, or at the top of my neck - not 'both ends at once', although on 'some days' there are exceptions!).

For I am afraid that pinched nerves are subject to (what I call) the 'yo yo effect'. You might be feeling ok, but the next moment you have 'pinched nerves from hell', then the next day 'pinched nerves from hell', then you start to feel ok again, then you do something (such as 'putting your shoe on'), then 'pinched nerves from hell', then you're feeling ok, then for no apparent reason 'pinched nerves from hell' ... I have found that you can't really predict this sequence, other than (for the most part) if you have 'done something', then expect some variety of 'pinched nerves soon'. There are 'all sorts' of activities and tasks that can give you pinched nerves (again), with some 'prominent ones' for me being:

• August 2018. I helped my Dad replace his car battery - as his 'old one' was completely flat. Being sensible, I left Dad to 'lift the battery' and I just 'loosened and tightened' the various nuts. Not 'too much' I thought. I was wrong! That evening I was sitting 'in a restaurant' and all I could feel was my spinal cord (from the base of my spine, to the top of my neck). Whilst I had 'great fun smiling' - my smile was more of a 'death's head grin'.
• For most of 2018 and (so far) 2019. I attend my Mother's dance class every weekend. Up to around fourteen months of recovery, I was 'very inflexible' (just keeping to basic dance steps). Around twenty-one months of recovery, my flexibility 'started to return' (so I started to do 'turning steps' again). But in both cases, the dancing would aggravate the nerves in my spine, but 'you have to persist' (as it's the only way 'to get your fitness back'). Although for me, I am still not doing 'jumping steps' (as you have to be 'somewhat sensible' as well!). I tend to feel the nerves 'just at the base of my spine' - because the dance steps 'give my legs - a really good workout'.
• March 2019. My computer's Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) needed to be serviced (i.e. hoover all the dust out of it). It's really heavy, so I decided to 'work on it' under my desk - thereby avoiding 'lifting it'. Whilst my back and neck allowed me 'to do the work' - for the next week 'my reward' was: feeling my spinal cord from the base of my spine to the top of my neck! After a while, 'I got used to this one' (as you can 'get used to anything').
• For most of 2018. Whilst driving my car 'gradually became less painful' - there were two manoeuvres, which always resulted in pinched nerves (especially 'the next day'). These manoeuvres were: looking 'hard right' (e.g. when at junctions) and looking 'back over my shoulder' (e.g. when filtering in). Again, I would feel these pinched nerves - right at the base of my spine, and at the top of my neck (i.e. no change to usual then!).

If you have pinched nerves 'right now' - then a 'repeating question' that you will 'continually ask yourself' is:

How long will these pinched nerves keep occurring for?

I'm afraid 'I have no specific answer' to this question! Although I will say: I have now returned to being able to sleep normally. And I can't remember the exact date when that happened. From my two previous bouts (of slipped discs) - there shall 'come a time' when you no longer seem to be feeling pinched nerves, and you will forget that date as well!

Although when I felt my pinched nerves 'really badly' - there is 'one thought' that I found would help me:

Picturing myself as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, in the closing scene of Jurassic World - ROAR!!!

There's pain, and there's 'real pain'. Slipped discs are only ever concerned with the realms of 'real pain'. Within the 'dictionary of pain', you will find that pain EQUALS slipped discs, and slipped discs EQUALS pain! You will also find that this definition is printed in BOLD FONT. As you won't be able to hide from the pain! Nor will you be able to ignore the pain! In my third bout (two slipped discs lower back, one slipped disc upper neck) I came to redefine 'the meaning' of the word pain (yet again!), especially as I was 'forced to remember' the hard way, that pain is accumulative:

The more slipped discs you have, the more pain you shall be in. For 'special cases' like me, my spine was 'getting it' from both ends. You should think yourself lucky 'if you only have one slipped disc'. Although 'not so lucky' if that's a slipped disc in your neck! As I can tell you 'right now' that a slipped disc in your neck, is far worse (in terms of 'everything') than slipped discs in either your lower or middle spine (and those are 'bad enough!'). It's simple really: think about 'how much you move your back' - then think about 'how much you move your neck' (it's a lot more than your back!).

Before my 'three bouts' of slipped disc injuries, the worst pain I'd ever felt, was when I'd twisted one of my ankle's, around a tree root (whilst out playing paint ball). My ankle swelled to twice the size, and I was on crutches for six weeks. I thought that was pain. I was wrong, that was NOT pain. And neither are 'any of these':

• Being hit with a paintball - including 'the guy that was hit between his legs'. Yes he screamed, but with slipped discs - you can't really 'scream for months at a time' (as you'd have no voice left, after a few days!).
• I was running along (in circa 2016) telling some jokes, when an African Wasp 'flew into my mouth - and stung me on the tongue'. With slipped discs, you may as well have 'fallen into the wasps nest' (with no clothes on!).
• Stepping 'bare foot' onto a Bee (with the Bee 'leaving the stinger' in your foot). I've actually done this twice, once before my slipped discs (when I thought it was painful) and once whilst recovering in my third bout of slipped discs! Only here: I didn't feel the pain, my foot was 'twice the size' and I still didn't notice the pain.

For slipped discs have a 'World of Pain' just by themselves. You'll find it out beyond 'anything you've ever felt before'. Both in terms of 'the level of pain', and in terms of 'how long that pain lasts': six weeks here, you'll barely notice a difference! As in my third bout (of slipped discs), I was in pain for over ten months. And when I say pain, I mean the kind of pain where I cried myself to sleep at night (for months at a time). Where was the pain you ask? That's the wrong question to ask me. A better question would be: where didn't it hurt? To which I would say: nowhere really! For I had:

• Pain 'all across my back'. It felt like a steam roller had 'parked on top of me'.
• Pain 'down both my legs'. It felt like I'd been standing 'for ten thousand years' (whilst holding a cruise ship).
• Pain 'down both my arms'. It felt like I'd been punching 'for eternity' with lactic acid building (to infinite levels).
• BUT ALL OF THIS 'WAS AS NOTHING' COMPARED TO THE PAIN 'both deep inside and around my spine'.

For your spine is complex (both in terms of its 'bone structure' and 'nerve routing') - and when it's damaged (with slipped discs), you're going to know it! As like it or not, you're going to be hand-in-hand with pain 'morning, day and night'. And by the time that pain's finished with you, you're going to have earned 'something else' as well:

A 'first class honours degree' in the subject of Pain! Thanks 'Mr Slipped Disc' and 'Mrs Herniated Disc'.

Have you slipped a disc in your back? Feeling like your life's 'gone down the pan'? Then this book is for you, not because I'm a doctor, but because I've been through this wound-injury three times, and I've found 'what works'. It may work for you to :) At the very least, by reading it, you'll know one thing: you're not alone. Others have been before you!

In ten years, I've had three bouts of slipped discs (eight slipped discs in total). Being someone, who's used to being out running, swimming and cycling 'all the time', having a slipped disc (or three!), really gets in the way of your life, and inter-fears with your training routine! This book is meant to help you, through the 'darkest days' of injury, and help you 'get your life back'.

When writing 'Slipped Disc Help - Through Hell and Back', I decided to take the stance of: 'declaring war on my slipped discs, and fighting every day to get my health back'. I don't 'pull any punches' - as when you're 'busted back to the rank of baby' being basically 'unable to do anything' - it's hard! Yet even here, are there 'challenges within challenges' ... With one of the hardest being: just trying to sleep. And this is why I dedicated an entire chapter to 'Sleep, or Lack of It'. As to heal, you have to be able to sleep. But when you can't sleep? I show you the sleeping positions that I used - together with 'your second new best friend' of a pillow! So whether it's your first slipped disc injury (or perhaps you're second) - then welcome to the 'long hard road', where nobody wants to know, except for me!