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Rehabilitation of patients with lumbar disc herniation
I saw a question about patients with lumbar disc herniation in Zhihu, and I answered it, because I once suffered from lumbar disc herniation. I didn't expect to receive many replies and consultations. Now I record my own experience and recovery process, hoping to give some help and reference to patients who are deeply disturbed by it.

In the summer of 2009, there was a problem with the lumbar spine for the first time. Most patients with lumbar disc herniation have bad living habits, such as sitting for a long time, or not paying attention to the maintenance of lumbar vertebrae. Before the diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation, I often surf the Internet until late at night and sit in front of the computer all day at work during the day, which is extremely lack of exercise. Later, in order to lose weight, I did sit-ups every night before going to bed. After more than a month, I found something wrong with my lumbar spine (some people say that sit-ups can also cause lumbar disc herniation, and it is difficult to draw conclusions without scientific judgment, but I did start to feel lumbar pain after that, so I wrote it as a non-scientific reference). The initial reaction was numbness, acid fever and swelling of the right calf. At first, I didn't care too much. After walking for 10 minutes, I was numb and sour. I went to the hospital and took a photo, showing that there was a section of the right lumbar spine (I don't know which section for a long time) protruding by 0.7. The doctor suggested an operation now. I have to say that the doctors at that time were all surgeons, and they were not very responsible. They did not provide patients with alternative treatment plans, and after filming, they said they needed surgery. Dad used to be a serious lumbar patient, and he experienced various lumbar treatments such as massage, cupping and physical therapy. Finally, at the beginning of 2000, he chose surgery, ending his suffering for more than ten years. He became a doctor after a long illness. He has a certain understanding of lumbar disc herniation. After discussing with him, his father decisively denied the operation. In his view, the lumbar process does not explain its seriousness. As long as the prominent parts do not oppress the nerves and affect daily life, everything can be cured slowly. Furthermore, I have no calcification for the first time, and I can completely return to normal through self-exercise. Under the guidance of my father, I began to practice walking backwards every day, doing backward movements, and staying in bed when I was uncomfortable. About a month or two later, I found that my right foot was no longer numb and painful. My first lumbar process, in the absence of any drug treatment, unconsciously recovered.

It was the New Year's Day on 20 14. Before that, there was no discomfort in the lumbar spine. At the end of the year, due to busy work, one day I suddenly found that my lumbar spine was sore, thinking that I might be too tired, so I would have a rest at the end of the year. I held this mentality until the first month of 20 14. When I come back to work after the Spring Festival, my work is as busy as ever, and I can't guarantee the time for exercise and rest. At this point, my right lumbar spine continued to ache for two months, and the pain was more obvious after sitting for a little longer. Go home and lie in bed at night, and the symptoms will be relieved the next morning. However, because there was no so-called leg soreness and swelling before walking, I naturally recovered well for the first time, so I have always been lucky, thinking that as long as I have more rest and pay more attention, the old problems of lumbar spine will always get better. In June, the pain became more and more obvious, and because of the pain, the body unconsciously shifted its center of gravity to the left, which actually caused a limp when walking. Aware of the seriousness of the problem, I went to an orthopedic hospital specializing in the treatment of lumbar and cervical vertebrae on the recommendation of a friend. The result of magnetic resonance vibration is that the protrusion is close to 0.9, which is more serious than the first time, and the spinal canal is obviously narrow. The patient is an old director. He suggested doing minimally invasive fusion that their hospital is good at, but bluntly, because it is more prominent, it is impossible to guarantee the success of the first fusion, and a second fusion may be needed. Although the doctor clearly told me that conservative treatment was ineffective and minimally invasive surgery was only a minor operation, I was inevitably afraid of the risk of surgery psychologically. In addition, the doctor frankly thought twice and decided to treat conservatively first. Drip anti-inflammatory, acupuncture, traction, massage, and go to the hospital every week for the next three months, but the effect is little. Occasionally, I feel better after physical therapy, but it takes less than 10 minutes, radiation pain and walking difficulties. During this period, the work encountered the busiest period, and it was impossible to take a long vacation. The doctor repeatedly stressed that there should be enough time to stay in bed, but every time he asked for half a day off and hurried back to the company after physical therapy. In September, the symptoms were so serious that it was extremely difficult to get up every morning. In the first 20 minutes of waking up, my right foot can hardly touch the ground, and I rely entirely on the strength of my left leg to hold the wall and mop the ground to relieve the oppressed nerves after a night's sleep. These simple basic behaviors of dressing and washing have become every painful job, which takes more than half an hour to take care of than usual. At this time, I no longer think that luck will come again, and one day the lumbar spine suddenly returned to normal. Resolutely resigned, inquired online, transferred to the largest general hospital in the city, and hung up the expert number. The director has more than ten years of clinical experience in lumbar intervertebral disc and mastered the advanced endoscopic discectomy technology in the province. The re-photographed X-ray film shows that the L4-5 intervertebral disc protrudes to the right, the dural sac and the right nerve root are obviously compressed, and the right intervertebral foramen is narrowed. The doctor thinks there is no better treatment than nucleus pulposus removal. This time, I didn't have much ideological struggle, so I immediately went through the hospitalization procedure, and three days later, I had an anterior lumbar discectomy under intervertebral disc endoscope. On the eve of the operation, the attending doctor communicated with the patient again as usual, indicating that the nerve was no longer compressed after the nucleus pulposus (protrusion) was removed, which could relieve the radiation pain in the leg, but the protrusion still appeared after the operation, which was related to the personal physical condition and daily care. If you want to prevent re-protrusion, you need to do another internal fixation fusion, that is, put a screw on the lumbar spine for fixation. If internal fixation and fusion are done, the cost will increase, and the screw will be put in the operation. After discussing with his family, Dad has always advocated not using a knife to reduce the risk and sequelae of surgery. After comprehensive consideration, he still treated by stages, only choosing discectomy without internal fusion and fixation. When the doctor took out a jelly from my lumbar spine, I looked at such a handful of cotton balls on the operating table and thought that the bad thing that had tortured me for half a year was finally completely lifted, and I could finally live a normal life. It can be said that all the indicators at that time showed that the operation was still successful. On the third day, I got out of bed for more than ten minutes under the guidance of a doctor. I felt relaxed and my legs were free. I went through the discharge formalities a week later.

To sum up, the biggest reason why conservative treatment is ineffective is that there is no good rest during the serious period of illness. Bed rest is very important for the rehabilitation of lumbar patients. Only after enough bed rest, other treatments and proper exercise methods can we cooperate with the relief of lumbar vertebrae, and such conservative treatment can be effective.

Postoperative observation period is needed, during which bed rest is the main method. A month later, I checked again. Because I occasionally feel something strange in my right lumbar spine, the doctor prescribed medicine and stressed that I should continue to rest, and then take a film three months later to see the results. Idle at home for three months. I was going to study hard before looking for a job. During this period, I fell in love, met my husband, and my life developed in a beautiful direction. I thought it was a great pleasure, but I was extremely happy!

Three months after operation, the recovery period was basically good. I always thought that the reexamination was just a formality, so when the lumbar intervertebral disc recurred again, my psychological defense line was almost defeated. 2065438+0565438+1One Saturday in late October, I got up in the morning and felt a little uncomfortable in my lumbar spine. Something was obviously wrong at lunch, and I could hardly sit still. After eating a few mouthfuls, I lay in bed. In the evening, my husband (then a boyfriend) made an appointment to go out for dinner. After eating, he found that his lumbar spine could not move, and he dared not even bend. He can only stand up straight and walk on the right. End the date early, bullet back to the dormitory and lie in bed. After lying in bed for two days, the situation didn't get better, but it got worse. The discomfort of the lumbar spine shifted to the right buttock, so I couldn't help limping to the nearest clinic for acupuncture. It usually takes less than half an hour 10 minutes. Doctors diagnosed piriformis syndrome. As for why this symptom occurs, whether it is related to lumbar disc herniation, the doctor can't tell the reason. This time, the symptoms are different from before. The biggest pain point is the sciatic nerve, which is very painful. I can't sit still. If my whole nerve moves a little, I feel like I've been pulled, and I turn over and sweat. Two or three times, my calf seemed to be cut by a knife, and I was awakened by a sharp pain in the middle of the night, and even I had to take painkillers to relieve the pain. At this point, my psychological and physical endurance has reached the limit, I lost confidence in the doctors in the hospital, and even had contradictory ideas. I don't even want to go to the hospital for a reexamination. I am not a fragile person, but in the face of such a bad situation after the operation, I am afraid that I will just waste myself in bed and cry when I wake up in the middle of the night. It is difficult for people to be rational when they are desperate. At that time, as long as they heard what methods were helpful to the lumbar spine, they would try and practice all kinds of methods.

Later, I found a forum specially established for patients with lumbar process on the Internet-Lumbar Forum. This forum brought me a little hope and courage in the most desperate time. The forum focuses on new and old patients and people with rehabilitation experience. Everyone will share their symptoms, treatment plans and treatment effects with each other. After rehabilitation, people will also introduce their rehabilitation paths in detail to provide help and advice for new patients. The rehabilitation experiences of many critically ill patients are quite inspiring, which has restored my confidence that I can recover. Combined with the professional knowledge of the forum, I realized that I probably caused the edema and inflammation of the nerves by the lumbar intervertebral disc. In this period, there is no better way than rest, slowly reducing swelling and diminishing inflammation. Trying to exercise in a hurry is not conducive to the regression of inflammation, but it will be counterproductive. According to my own symptoms, I checked some rehabilitation tutorials of my predecessors and made a rehabilitation plan for myself. After lying quietly for more than half a month, I feel that the inflammation has subsided (the basis of judgment is that the pain is no longer severe and it is no longer difficult to get out of bed). Do 100 abdominal lifts in bed every day (this is also a method provided by a predecessor of the forum, which is more effective than Yan Fei) and leg stretching (mainly stretching). When you feel tired, practice sitting cross-legged against the wall, making your waist comfortable and your legs numb. Insist on walking backwards for half an hour to an hour during the day, and find fitness equipment near home to practice the horizontal bar. It lasted for more than half a month, and the Spring Festival of 20 15 was ushered in in a blink of an eye. After rest and exercise, I was able to walk normally in the first month. Although I can't walk for a long time, my walking posture is a bit awkward, because the center of gravity is pressed on the left side for a long time, and the right pelvis has obvious extroversion at this time, but compared with the bitterness of lying in bed, these have become minor problems. In April, the lumbar spine basically recovered, during which the main focus was on practicing retrogression, which was the most effective method to correct pelvis, assisting leg pulling and sitting cross-legged. Five months later, the third lumbar protrusion finally recovered completely and the right deviation of pelvis was improved.

It can be said that the third lumbar process is the most painful. Many netizens asked why it recurred soon after surgery. Because they didn't go back for follow-up, it was difficult to make non-medical judgments, but personally, there are several aspects that lumbar patients need to be particularly cautious:

1, rest is necessary during the onset! Although I didn't go to work at that time, I often went out on dates because I just fell in love, and I walked a lot with my husband for too long. At that time, I was in the recovery period, and the amount of exercise was obviously too large. Sometimes I wore wedge shoes. Now that I think about it, it's death. Suffering from lumbar disc herniation, high heels and other shoes with heels are basically to say goodbye, so if the beauty who loves beauty has a bad lumbar spine, it is better to wear practical flat shoes as soon as possible for health.

2, pay attention to keep warm, especially the waist can not catch cold. Winter is a disaster for patients with lumbar intervertebral disc, so we must pay attention to keep warm. It was cold for a while before recurrence, and I often felt cold in my legs, but I didn't pay attention to adding clothes to keep warm. After the waist catches cold, the blood circulation decreases, which will stimulate the nerves to aggravate the lumbar disc herniation and aggravate the pain.

3, pay attention to diet, try to eat less cold and irritating food. At that time, I often went out to eat and didn't pay attention. I ate a lot of crabs. Crab is a cold thing. The compression and stimulation of lumbar disc herniation on nerves makes nerves more sensitive to external stimuli and cold-stimulated foods, which is not conducive to the relief and recovery of lumbar disc.

4. Keep a calm mind and exercise step by step during the onset. From personal experience, lumbar intervertebral disc can be recovered slowly through exercise. The best treatment during severe period is bed rest. Don't worry and despair. Make a proper rehabilitation plan according to your own symptoms, most of which can be alleviated. Of course, the encouragement and care of family members are also very important. During the treatment, my parents and husband have always given me positive guidance and help, giving me great psychological support and motivation.

The above is the history of struggling with lumbar disc herniation for more than a year. I've been crying and complaining, and I'm grateful to have finally recovered. Now I am in good health, I am going to be a mother, and I have no serious lumbar discomfort during pregnancy. I hope to give "sudden friends" a positive incentive and wish everyone a speedy recovery!