Back pain is one of the common problems faced by the human kind. It is the second most common problems after common cold.
Even I was not spared I had a initial mild back pain. Being a person with athletic outlook, I thought that lifting more weight will cure my problem. I started lifting more weights and started doing more bending excercises. This further aggravated my back pain and I gradually started feeling discomfort even whilst sleeping. I was taking my daughter on a regular walk on my shoulder and the length of walk was gradually increasing, this led to further increase in pain.
One fine morning whilst reaching for my shoes, I felt sudden increase in pain in my back and had to lie on the floor and my pain increased due to spasm of the muscles. As the time passed the pain grew more. Finally I had a feeling that I have a slipped disc/disc prolapse/disc rupture/sciatica. I immediately called an ambulance to take me to the hospital. Till the ambulance arrived I was feeling severe back pain and was not able to make any movements. The ambulance came and the Nurse asked me to get up and walk upto the ambulance. I said I cannot move then they brought an stretcher. They asked me to get onto the stretcher, I was not able to move, they realized the gravity of the situation and asked for a bed sheet and put it under me and lifted me with the help of bed sheet. Finally I was placed on the stretcher and taken to the hospital in an ambulance. The pain during the journey was unbearable. I was immediately given pain killer (diclofenac sodium) injection and then given paracetamol 500mg. I requested the doctor to give me more pain killed but they told me that I have to wait as I was already given the right dose of pain killer. My X-ray was taken and then I was sent for MRI (Magnetic Resource Imaging). I was told that I will be operated upon for my slipped disc condition. The process of MRI was very diffcult for me as I was suffering from severe pain and the tunnel was looking like a grave. I was also feeling thirsty, as the procedure needed me to stay stiff, which I could not. This led to multiple re-takes and my pain and suffering.
Inspite of insistence by the surgeon for operation I decided not to get operated as my brother and father being doctors recommended me not to undergo surgical procedure. I was given Feldene three times a day along with paracetamol and I was put on traction for full day. This provided me little relief. Finally on third day I was asked to sit and take bath. I felt comfortable on third day and gradually started with mild Walk and Physiotherapy. I was told in no unclear terms that I was like a three tyre car and can collapse any time as I have not undergone operation. This gave me a lot of negative feeling. However being a regular exercise freak I was able to recover fast with Physio-Therapy. The Physio-Therapist was good and was able to know the condition of the disc and prescribed right treatment. He even suggested bending excrcises. First I was put on hot plate then declofenac sodium tube was applied on my back and then I was asked to do exercises. I gradually recovered. I had two levels of disc prolapses L4-L5 and L5-S1. I had sciatica in my left leg. With gradually self built procedures and consulting numerous Orthopaedic surgeons, Neuro surgeons, general physicians and physio-therapists. I was able to devise my own excercise program to combat the pain and trauma. Alhamdullillah with regular updates and experience of 11 years of back pain and sciatica I was able to overcome it. Ultimately I was able to make myselves fully fit. I was able to find the solution and cure for my slipped disc problem. However this does not mean that everybody should avoid surgery. In certain cases surgery becomes must.
