November 2014 Moms

Herniated disc in pregnancy

Anyone else have a seriously messed up back and went through pregnancy?

I have a severely herniated L5-S1 that impinges on my left sciatic nerve, and bulging discs at every lumbar vertebra, as well as degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis of my spine, and mild scoliosis. My neurosurgeon told me 2 years ago that surgery was my only option, but as long as I can walk, I am not ready for surgery. He also told me that pregnancy would be excruciating for me.

He recommended I get a strong/maximum maternity support brace, and start wearing it early, before I am showing.

Has anyone survived pregnancy with pre-existing major back problems?
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Re: Herniated disc in pregnancy

  • I'm so glad you asked this. I have the same going on and then a little (my L5-S1 herniated disc had ruptured, and L3-L4, L4-L5 are herniated). I also have DDD and mild scoliosis, as well as old fractures and stenosis. Most of my sciatic symptoms are on my right side though. I was considering scheduling surgery after years of other failed treatments, but found one drug cocktail that brought me back to at least manageable pain levels as a last resort. Naturally, I'm now in the process of being weaned and my pain is returning with a vengeance. I have chiropractic adjustments and massage therapy every week, but that only helps so much & for so long. Please keep me posted on what you're doing & how things are going - I'm scared shitless!
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  • So I have back problems. My vertebree get dislocated and I have them put back into place a lot. Everyone in my family has steel rods in there neck and back. When I was pregnant with my son I had to go in starting once a month then every two weeks then weekly because the pain was excruciating and bc as he got bigger he would dislocate them even more. They were going to put me on bed rest bc I would fall all the time with it bc my legs would go numb and I couldn't get my back to straitened to stand back up. The reason they didn't put me on bed rest was that they need me to keep moving do my bowls would work. It didn't help that I gained 60 pounds either this time I have to count calories bc I can't gain so much weight!
  • AllisonvilleAllisonville member
    edited March 2014
    I had a herniated disk and had surgery to fix it when I was maybe 13 years old. My back had been fine since then, might get a little stiff if I do something extra strenuous but no big deal.

    I won't lie, the last trimester of my pregnancy was very, very painful. My sciatica came back with a vengeance. There are things that can be done, but I'm more of a "grit your teeth and get through it" kind of a girl. The best thing I can say about it, is that the pain went away after delivery.
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  • Are you currently in physical therapy? There are PTs who specialize in women's health. I'm a PT, but I work with little kids, so I'm not as up on the new techniques in this area. They will have some great exercises for early on.
    Married 10/10/2009
    MC 4/23/2014
    BFP 8/1/2014, expecting our rainbow on 4/12/2015

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  • I'm not in PT now, I was 2 years ago after the initial diagnosis. I had about 3 months of PT. I learned a lot of good exercises, and got approved for a TENS unit for home. A combo of PT exercises, NSAIDs and the TENS kept my pain very manageable without using heavier drugs. But now, no NSAIDs and no TENS. I know I'll still be able to do the exercises in my first trimester, but I worry about my ability to do it later. My biggest fear is how my body will handle the pressure of the growing baby.
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  • Hubs and I joke that Baby might readjust me with kicks & punches, and I may end up with an internal massage therapist. Ha?
  • Ha ha! I actually said the same thing - maybe Baby will pop that shit back into place! Well, here's to hoping for miracles for our messed up spines! Get to work, Babies! Fix us!
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  • mappAmappA member
    I have a desiccated disc in my L5-S1 joint space and carried my first daughter without a brace, big mistake. My pelvis dislocated at the pubic symphysis and I now have scar tissue over my L5-S1. I'm pregnant again and definitely wearing a strong back brace during the entirety of this pregnancy. Good luck with your pregnancy, I hope everything goes well for you!
  • I don't have back problems but my DH does and it is actually really encouraging to read your posts. He often feels so depressed that he is young and has had surgery and chronic pain. I will be thinking of and praying for you all until November.
  • Just checking in. I thought of you gals when I changed the sheets on the bed yesterday and had to lay down for an hour in tears before I could stand again. Most days haven't been that bad. I just keep moving, stretching, and getting regular adjustments and reminding myself that we'll both be better off without meds anyway.
    How are y'all holding up?
    Picked up a brace yet?
  • I am so sorry thAt your in do much pain right now! I wish there was something that they could do for you. I know it is hard to think of now but it is mind over matter right now! You are a strong woman that is making a miracle and you can totally do it!
    I haven't picked up a brace yet. I have been trying to convince my husband to rub my back some and my doctor for my back, and the one who did my hernia repair, and my OB all keep telling me if I keep my weight under control I should be fine and not have as many problems! My last pregnancy I gained 60 pounds. So they all decided that I need to count calories. I have always pretty thin and never had to worry about what I ate big bummer!
  • My back has been alright recently. It hurts all day, every day, no matter what I do, but I haven't aggravated it or had a flare up recently. I haven't actually seen the OB yet, just had my emergent visit and the nurse intake, but I see the OB next Thursday. The nurse thinks I can get a script from the OB for a medical-grade maternity back brace, which my insurance would pay for. If they won't, I'll probably get one soon, before I pop.
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  • lisarenlisaren member
    edited April 2014
    Oh wow. This all sounds so painful!! I broke my tailbone in December and I thought that was bad!!!
    I hope you all can stay as pain free as possible.

    Not the same thing but I have chronic ass problems due to my youngest daughters birth and the tears that happened rectally. I'm seeing a surgeon Monday because the pain can be severe. Yuck!





                                  
  • I have a spinal cord injury at L5-S1 and had no problems in my first pregnancy. This time I've have really bad pain - I almost went to the ER one day it was so bad. What kind of a brace are you using? I might try that. I bought one of those belly support things from babysrus but it didn't do any good.
    IVF #1 - DD born 2011 FET #1-3 all BFN IVF#2- BFP! EDD Nov. 3, 2014 1st US - March 28
  • Resurrecting this thread.

    Has anyone bought a brace yet?

    My back pain is getting much worse and is causing sciatica again. My husband and a friend I work with have been scolding me to get a brace, and last night Ryan finally put his foot down and had me place an order. One problem I was having was how do I know which one is right for me? So, in the end, I ordered 3 different braces from Amazon. I'm going to try them all on and whichever one feels right, I will keep, and will return the other two. I'll reply again when I get them and give them a try.

    I hope everyone else is feeling better than I have been!
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  • I'm anxious to hear your reviews. I asked my OB about a brace & he had nothing to offer. He just said it was safe to keep using my current brace for now, for whatever that is worth. It's not going to fit much longer and is insanely uncomfortable for any extended period of time as it is. I'm going to ask my chiropractor about another one tomorrow.
    In the meantime, I've continued an aggressive regimen of chiropractic care, massage therapy, physical therapy, yoga, task modification, and ice packs to help keep my pain (mostly) under control - at least tolerable on my chronic scale. My MFM also gave the okay for intermittent use of NSAIDs during flare ups, which was a huge relief (literally and psychologically).
    Good luck!
  • I'm weird with my medical conditions and sort of in denial that my body is as messed up as it is, so I still have the 3 braces I ordered sitting in the box they were shipped in. This is my weekend off, though, and I am going to try them out finally. I'll let you know how that goes.

    I did get the best news today that my massage therapist is venturing out on her own and she's going to make house calls! She told me she's available this weekend, so a massage may be on my Sunday agenda. Ahhhh...
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  • Ok, finally I can report my personal opinions/recommendations. I ordered my braces to wear mostly just at work, since I have a very physical job. I may find that I need it outside of work when I start getting bigger, though.

    I ordered 3 braces:

    Meditex Maternity Belt – Maximum Support: I ended up deciding that this is “the one”. It is the most annoying, but most effective. It has 3 separate pieces, which at first I did not like. The first piece is the lower belly band, which I then realized is just what most women would wear if they bought the typical maternity support band at BRU or Motherhood. I may wear this one alone later on for mild support when I'm off from work. After you have that positioned and comfortably strapped on, there is the actual brace. The material is uncomfortable to my very sensitive skin, but I figured out that I can put my belly band on first, then the lower support, then the brace. It keeps it from rubbing my skin. The brace itself is also kind of annoying, but again, because it is effective. It actually supports your spine and forces you to have better posture (mine obviously is horrible). You line up the brace on your back and pull it tight around your belly and fasten it to the lower support. It straightens your back while also lifting your stomach. I had to laugh at how hugely pregnant I looked with the brace, since it lifted everything up. The final piece is an upper belly band that seems pointless to me. Maybe I will feel like it is necessary later in pregnancy, but probably not. Overall, this one offered the most support and seemed like it will actually help me, if I can get over how stubborn I am and accept that I need help.

    Gabrialla Elastic Maternity Support Belt, Medium Support: I bought this one hoping it would be sufficient and less annoying, since it is smaller. I put it on and immediately realized this will do nothing to help my messed up back.

    Gabrialla Maternity Support Belt (Strong Support): Maybe this one just didn’t fit me right, I don’t know, but it didn’t feel like it was doing anything for my back. It was easier to use than the Meditex one, but I just didn’t feel supported.

    I hope this helps someone else out there. What worked for me may not work for you, and vise versa.

    I hope you're all feeling ok! I know my pain is just getting worse. Ryan gave me money for massages for our anniversary, so I had my massage therapist come to our house on Sunday and she gave me a 2 hour NMT/MFR massage. It hurt like hell at some points, but it really helped to release things. She is so awesome - she also had Ryan come in so she could teach him a few moves to help me out.

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