OK...here's my
...
I've had back problems since after my freshman year in college, and it is was ended my college football career. Now this was in the early 90s, and treatmetns weren't as advanced as they are now. Surgery was not recommended back then, as those who had it generally didn't get the results they were hoping for.
Here's the story with my injury. I was doing squats with weight that was not a huge amount for me. I finished a set and racked the bar. As I did so, I felt pain in my hammy. I thought it was actually my hamstring and lightened the weight and finished all my lifting for the day (2 more sets of squats and 3 sets of cleans were included). Then I went and played ~5 games of basketball that night. The next morning, I couldn't move. PAIN and numbness on the back of my right leg from my hip to my heel. Went to a chiro for a while, and he thought pinched nerve. Got treatment for about 3-4 weeks and didn't see a huge improvement. He had me go get an MRI, adn that's when they found it. Herniation at L5-S1, and 2 bulging discs above that, plus the typical "degeneration" that they seem to throw into everyones report. Immediately had me see a neuro, who prescribed some steroids and told me to use Advil for pain. When I went back to campus at the end of the summer, I was in the trainers room doing therapy every day of the week. I had the classic foot drop, which they recorded me walking to use as a teaching tool. It got better and better. In the spring, I was able to play in spring practices and the spring game. I felt great, but had good and bad days, and then through the summer, so I made the decision to give it up. One thing the head trainer told me has stuck with me to this day. Eveyone will be different...You can look at an MRI of someone that looks REALLY bad, and they feel absolutely no pain, while someone who barely looks like they have anything wrong in theirs is in crippling pain. You gotta base your decisions on how you feel, in combination with how things look, not just one or the other. And he said he didn't feel that surgery was a good option.
Over the years since then, I've gone through periods of inactivity and that is when I had more flareups. I've played basketball with no issues, and in the last 2 years, I've gotten into triathlons. I still have been symptom free. I have a good chiro that I go see when I need to. he doesn't just do the crack here and there, so you're good. He adjusts where the body needs it, and the techniques he uses actually work. I've been very pleased with the results I saw from him.
All I can say is do what you feel is right and will work for you, and please get opinions from more than one doc. It will only serve to help you make the best decision.
