00:00:00The Fear After Surgery
00:00:40Why Pain Can Return Normally
00:03:48What Reherniation Often Feels Like
00:06:39Simple Checks And When To Call
00:09:15Options If It Really Re-Herniated
00:11:19Mindset, Support, And Next Steps
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
That sick feeling after surgery when pain suddenly returns, and your brain jumps straight to “I re-herniated” is more common than almost anyone admits. We walk through what that fear looks like after a microdiscectomy for a herniated disc, why it can feel traumatizing, and how to slow the spiral when your symptoms flare.
We break down the difference between normal microdiscectomy recovery pain and true reherniation symptoms. You’ll hear why nerve healing can stay loud for months, why post-op inflammation can spike around 10 to 14 days, and why pain that shifts, eases with rest, or improves with icing may be a flare instead of a setback. Then we get specific about the red flags and the more classic “this feels like before surgery” signs: sharp shooting sciatica, worsening day by day, losing your windows of relief, and pain triggered by coughing, sneezing, or bearing down.
We also talk through what actually helps you make decisions: the simple self-check questions, when to call your surgeon, when to push for a new MRI, and why a steroid dose pack (like a Medrol pack) can sometimes calm inflammation fast. Finally, we cover your options if a reherniated disc is confirmed, including conservative treatment, physical therapy, injections, and when revision surgery may make sense, plus the long game of building a healthy spine so your muscles support your back like a brace.
If this helps, subscribe, share it with someone in microdiscectomy recovery, and leave a review with the question you want us to tackle next.
Was this episode helpful to you? If you would like to support my work on the show, you can buy me a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/bedbackandbeyond
Have a positive story of recovery to tell? Head over to https://bedbackbeyond.com/share-your-story/ to apply.
English
United States
SHOW NOTES 🔗
TRANSCRIPT 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.559
You've had your microdisectomy for your herniated disc, and now you're finding yourself wondering, have I re-herniated?
00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:10.800
The pain has come back, you heard a pop, maybe you twist it wrong.
00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:14.080
There's all kinds of things running through your mind right now.
00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:18.000
Let's take a breath and talk about it.
00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:31.920
Today I'm going to walk you through what a reherniation feels like, how to tell the difference between recovery pain versus reherniation pain.
00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:36.240
And we'll talk about what your options are if you actually reherniate it.
00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:38.560
You are not alone in this.
00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:40.000
Remember that.
00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:45.600
So, first of all, I want you to know that this is such a normal emotion.
00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:54.560
Almost 100% of herniated disc recovery patients worry about whether or not they've re-herniated.
00:00:55.439 --> 00:01:01.280
I have seen people crying on the internet saying, I think I've messed up my surgery.
00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:06.319
People asking on the forums, I twisted, did I just ruin my surgery?
00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:07.760
Maybe I went too far.
00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:10.799
Or how come this pain is coming back?
00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:15.840
First, I want you to remember that your nerves were compressed.
00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:21.920
Think of a garden hose and one that has been kinked and pinched for a very long time.
00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:30.159
When you remove the thing that's pinching the hose, the hose doesn't automatically pop back into normal shape.
00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:31.519
It takes time.
00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:34.879
It shifts and it pops and it moves.
00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:36.959
And that's what your nerves are doing.
00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:40.959
All that is part of the regeneration healing process.
00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:42.719
And that causes pain.
00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:47.680
And it causes pain sometimes for months after your surgery.
00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:56.640
Also, your body has a normal healing process called inflammation after any kind of surgical procedure.
00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:03.359
And I think most of us go into surgery thinking that inflammation is only the first couple of days.
00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:06.400
But unfortunately, inflammation can last.
00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:17.439
And two weeks after surgery is a very common time for people to start having some return of pain, numbness, or tingling.
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:23.199
10 days to 14 days is when people will start asking, is this pain normal?
00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:26.000
And it can be, it can be very normal.
00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:33.599
My pain returned at two weeks post-op, and I started popping Tylenol every six hours.
00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:39.680
I even would set an alarm overnight and take Tylenol overnight because my pain was that bad.
00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:44.960
Finally, I called the doctor, and the nurse, of course, yelled at me for taking Tylenol so much, ruined my liver.
00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:51.199
But they prescribed me a medrill dose pack, which is a type of steroid that reduces the inflammation.
00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:56.240
And after several days of being on that steroid, the pain went away.
00:02:56.479 --> 00:02:59.599
But I was not aware for that return of pain.
00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:01.039
It was traumatizing.
00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:02.560
I was defeated.
00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:06.879
And I had a return of pain again when I started physical therapy.
00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:12.159
My muscles were atrophied, they were weak, and my brain was convinced I was still injured.
00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:18.800
And so just moving again when they were lift when they lifted the no bending or lifting or twisting rules.
00:03:19.039 --> 00:03:21.919
That movement made my sciatica flare.
00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:24.479
I went back and I checked my records.
00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:27.840
I got two MRIs after my surgery.
00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:29.840
My surgery was in August.
00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:34.639
I got an MRI in November, and I got an MRI that following July.
00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:39.759
Both times I was convinced I had re-hernieed it because I had such a return of pain.
00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:48.800
But both times I called the doctor, got a steroid, and the pain went away in a few days after using the steroid.
00:03:48.960 --> 00:03:51.919
But what does a re-herniation feel like?
00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:59.680
Now, unfortunately, if you talk to a thousand people who've re-hernieed it, you're going to get a thousand different stories.
00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:02.400
But these are the most common.
00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:09.120
A return of nerve pain that feels just like the pre-surgery nerve pain.
00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:17.360
That sharp shooting sensation, the electricity sensation, the intense numbness or tingling down the leg.
00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:22.720
Pain that is progressively getting worse, not better.
00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:31.839
The rule of thumb is to give any new pain four or five days to see if it goes away before you start to get scared about reherniation.
00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:36.879
Most of the time, a flare will actually start to go away in a couple days.
00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:40.399
Loss of any windows of relief.
00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:48.399
Typically, after you have surgery, you will have windows of feeling great, but if you reherniate it, those windows go away.
00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:57.040
And sometimes a specific movement will trigger pain, like coughing, sneezing, or bearing down to use the bathroom.
00:04:57.279 --> 00:05:00.560
Those pains can be signs of reherniation.
00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:05.680
It usually feels like regression and not just a flare.
00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:11.040
So what type of things are not necessarily a reherniation?
00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:24.480
Like I said, at the two-week post-surgery mark, if that pain starts coming back right around that time, 10 to 14 days, it's most likely the post-inflammation rearing its head.
00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:32.639
The inflammation will actually cause fluid to kind of build up around the nerves and the cells are activated and that adds pressure to your nerves.
00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:34.399
And that's what's causing some pain.
00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:36.560
Pain that kind of moves around.
00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:40.800
It's in your glute, but then it's in your back, or maybe it switches sides.
00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:42.079
You'll hear that a lot.
00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:44.319
I have pain on the opposite side now.
00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:50.639
I had that and I was convinced my disc was so bad that it was now re-herniating on the other side.
00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:51.680
That never happened.
00:05:51.839 --> 00:06:00.000
What the physical therapist told me was it's just the body compensating for how we're moving and the inflammation in the body makes the nerves pull funny.
00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:07.199
Tightness or soreness, especially in like the hamstrings or the calf, that can happen post-surgery.
00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:10.399
It's not necessarily a re-herniation pain.
00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:17.839
And symptoms that improve if you ice and you rest, that could just be a sign of normal inflammation.
00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:25.279
What you need to understand about this healing process is it's not linear, it's not a straight road.
00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:28.079
It's like riding a roller coaster.
00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:31.279
You'll have ups and downs, scary twists.
00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:36.800
Sometimes you'll feel like you're going backwards and then you're moving forward again.
00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:39.439
It really is a messy recovery.
00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:43.920
So, how do you know for sure if you've re-hernieated it?
00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:51.519
Well, unfortunately, the only 100% surefire way to know if you're re-herniated is to get a new MRI.
00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:59.920
That's how we can see the disc, see if it's come back out again, but the MRI will also show if it's just inflammation.
00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:05.360
Here's a simple way to think about the difference between reherniation or a flare.
00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:07.680
Just ask yourself these questions.
00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:12.720
Is the pain gradually getting better or getting worse?
00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.680
Do I still have the windows of relief?
00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:19.680
Does rest or changing positions make it feel better?
00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:23.120
If the answer is yes, then most likely it's just a flare.
00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:27.519
So let's say that you're still really concerned that you've re-harnated.
00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.240
First off, don't panic.
00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:33.920
I know that's so it's such a terrible piece of advice, isn't it?
00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:35.279
Don't tell me not to panic.
00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:39.839
I'm in pain and I'm scared that I did this whole surgery for nothing.
00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:41.279
Trust me, I was there.
00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:43.279
I remember how that felt.
00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:46.959
But fear can amplify your pain.
00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:49.600
So you need to stay grounded.
00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:54.639
Your mental health is so important during this recovery.
00:07:54.720 --> 00:08:01.360
And I need for you to be looking at this entire experience as a challenge you can overcome.
00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:05.360
The people who recover well are people who have that mindset.
00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:08.480
Next, scale back on your activity.
00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:15.680
Maybe you got overzealous and you started walking 50,000 steps a day and it's only been a week since surgery.
00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:18.560
Calm down, don't walk so much.
00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:20.560
Your body is trying to heal.
00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:25.040
And just remember, if you raise your heart rate, you raise inflammation in the body.
00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:30.800
So maybe scale back on the activity you've been doing and give your body a chance to rest.
00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:36.879
Please do not be embarrassed or scared or think you're annoying.
00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:38.799
And don't call your doctor.
00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:42.000
Please call your doctor if you're concerned you're re-harniated.
00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:46.320
He can walk you through these same symptoms, these same guidelines.
00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:53.360
And if you feel like you really need it, he can give you a prescription for a steroid and see if that helps take your pain away.
00:08:53.519 --> 00:09:01.759
And of course, if you have any of those red flag symptoms like a loss of bladder control, you can't relieve yourself, or you can't hold it.
00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:06.159
You have even more weakness in your leg than you did before.
00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:11.679
Or if that pain is so severe and unrelenting, push for an MRI.
00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:13.840
Please advocate for yourself.
00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:15.679
You are allowed to do that.
00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:19.600
So, what are your options if you did reherniate?
00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:24.639
So this might surprise you, but not every reharniation needs another surgery.
00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:29.279
Most herniated discs will actually heal on their own.
00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:32.240
And the same is true about reherniations.
00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:40.000
So you can go the conservative route again with the reharniation, physical therapy, maybe a steroid injection.
00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:43.679
But revision surgery may be what you need.
00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:57.039
I guess this is kind of a silver lining, but if you re-herniate it within the first couple months of your surgery, that's actually a good thing because not a lot of scar tissue has built up.
00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:04.320
And it's actually easier for the doctor to go back in and redo your surgery if it's in the first couple months.
00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:09.600
And that is typically when people reherniate within the first couple months.
00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:16.720
Now I have reherniated seven years after my surgery, and I know why.
00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:22.240
The why is because I didn't do my exercises like I was supposed to.
00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:31.039
Your goal after you've herniated a disc and gotten surgery is to build a healthy spine.
00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:34.639
Don't just get the surgery and think the treatment is over.
00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:41.279
You want to build your muscles to be a back brace to your spine.
00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:52.559
I've interviewed tons of people, and I even interviewed a Pilates instructor who gave such wonderful advice about building a healthy spine, and I haven't followed it.
00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:53.519
I'm lazy.
00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:54.159
I'm sorry.
00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:56.639
And now I've reherniated it, and it's my own fault.
00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:03.440
Thankfully, my reherniation is nowhere near as painful as it was when I first herniated seven years ago.
00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:12.080
But I knew it was a herniation when I would try and go to the bathroom, cough, or sneeze, and the pain was just stabbing me in my glute.
00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:17.600
I even I did try the steroid pack, but it didn't touch the pain at all.
00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:19.679
So I want to leave you with this.
00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:25.440
Feeling pain after your microdisectomy does not necessarily mean you've re-herniated.
00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:31.360
I understand it's scary, it's defeating, it makes you feel like you're gonna lose even more time.
00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:34.159
But remember, recovery is noisy.
00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:39.759
It's there's it's unpredictable, there's ups and downs, and your mind plays tricks on you.
00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:44.879
You want to have a correct mindset during this recovery.
00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:54.960
If you are going through this right now, I want you to know that I see you and I understand this pain and fear that you're going through.
00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:57.679
And so do many other people.
00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:02.720
If I've helped ease your mind just a little bit, please say so in the comments.
00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:08.399
Let me know what treatments you're trying, if you've reached out to your doctor and got and gotten some steroids.
00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:13.120
Please remember that you are healing even if you don't feel like it.
00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:18.480
Hey, I would like you to check out this video by Salone, a Pilates instructor.
00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:30.000
She talks about her herniated disc and microdisectomy experience, but then she goes on to talk about how Pilates is such a great tool for building the strength that your spine needs.
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.559
You've had your microdisectomy for your herniated disc, and now you're finding yourself wondering, have I re-herniated?
00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:10.800
The pain has come back, you heard a pop, maybe you twist it wrong.
00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:14.080
There's all kinds of things running through your mind right now.
00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:18.000
Let's take a breath and talk about it.
00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:31.920
Today I'm going to walk you through what a reherniation feels like, how to tell the difference between recovery pain versus reherniation pain.
00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:36.240
And we'll talk about what your options are if you actually reherniate it.
00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:38.560
You are not alone in this.
00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:40.000
Remember that.
00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:45.600
So, first of all, I want you to know that this is such a normal emotion.
00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:54.560
Almost 100% of herniated disc recovery patients worry about whether or not they've re-herniated.
00:00:55.439 --> 00:01:01.280
I have seen people crying on the internet saying, I think I've messed up my surgery.
00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:06.319
People asking on the forums, I twisted, did I just ruin my surgery?
00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:07.760
Maybe I went too far.
00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:10.799
Or how come this pain is coming back?
00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:15.840
First, I want you to remember that your nerves were compressed.
00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:21.920
Think of a garden hose and one that has been kinked and pinched for a very long time.
00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:30.159
When you remove the thing that's pinching the hose, the hose doesn't automatically pop back into normal shape.
00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:31.519
It takes time.
00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:34.879
It shifts and it pops and it moves.
00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:36.959
And that's what your nerves are doing.
00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:40.959
All that is part of the regeneration healing process.
00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:42.719
And that causes pain.
00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:47.680
And it causes pain sometimes for months after your surgery.
00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:56.640
Also, your body has a normal healing process called inflammation after any kind of surgical procedure.
00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:03.359
And I think most of us go into surgery thinking that inflammation is only the first couple of days.
00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:06.400
But unfortunately, inflammation can last.
00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:17.439
And two weeks after surgery is a very common time for people to start having some return of pain, numbness, or tingling.
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:23.199
10 days to 14 days is when people will start asking, is this pain normal?
00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:26.000
And it can be, it can be very normal.
00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:33.599
My pain returned at two weeks post-op, and I started popping Tylenol every six hours.
00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:39.680
I even would set an alarm overnight and take Tylenol overnight because my pain was that bad.
00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:44.960
Finally, I called the doctor, and the nurse, of course, yelled at me for taking Tylenol so much, ruined my liver.
00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:51.199
But they prescribed me a medrill dose pack, which is a type of steroid that reduces the inflammation.
00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:56.240
And after several days of being on that steroid, the pain went away.
00:02:56.479 --> 00:02:59.599
But I was not aware for that return of pain.
00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:01.039
It was traumatizing.
00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:02.560
I was defeated.
00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:06.879
And I had a return of pain again when I started physical therapy.
00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:12.159
My muscles were atrophied, they were weak, and my brain was convinced I was still injured.
00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:18.800
And so just moving again when they were lift when they lifted the no bending or lifting or twisting rules.
00:03:19.039 --> 00:03:21.919
That movement made my sciatica flare.
00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:24.479
I went back and I checked my records.
00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:27.840
I got two MRIs after my surgery.
00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:29.840
My surgery was in August.
00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:34.639
I got an MRI in November, and I got an MRI that following July.
00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:39.759
Both times I was convinced I had re-hernieed it because I had such a return of pain.
00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:48.800
But both times I called the doctor, got a steroid, and the pain went away in a few days after using the steroid.
00:03:48.960 --> 00:03:51.919
But what does a re-herniation feel like?
00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:59.680
Now, unfortunately, if you talk to a thousand people who've re-hernieed it, you're going to get a thousand different stories.
00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:02.400
But these are the most common.
00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:09.120
A return of nerve pain that feels just like the pre-surgery nerve pain.
00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:17.360
That sharp shooting sensation, the electricity sensation, the intense numbness or tingling down the leg.
00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:22.720
Pain that is progressively getting worse, not better.
00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:31.839
The rule of thumb is to give any new pain four or five days to see if it goes away before you start to get scared about reherniation.
00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:36.879
Most of the time, a flare will actually start to go away in a couple days.
00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:40.399
Loss of any windows of relief.
00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:48.399
Typically, after you have surgery, you will have windows of feeling great, but if you reherniate it, those windows go away.
00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:57.040
And sometimes a specific movement will trigger pain, like coughing, sneezing, or bearing down to use the bathroom.
00:04:57.279 --> 00:05:00.560
Those pains can be signs of reherniation.
00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:05.680
It usually feels like regression and not just a flare.
00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:11.040
So what type of things are not necessarily a reherniation?
00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:24.480
Like I said, at the two-week post-surgery mark, if that pain starts coming back right around that time, 10 to 14 days, it's most likely the post-inflammation rearing its head.
00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:32.639
The inflammation will actually cause fluid to kind of build up around the nerves and the cells are activated and that adds pressure to your nerves.
00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:34.399
And that's what's causing some pain.
00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:36.560
Pain that kind of moves around.
00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:40.800
It's in your glute, but then it's in your back, or maybe it switches sides.
00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:42.079
You'll hear that a lot.
00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:44.319
I have pain on the opposite side now.
00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:50.639
I had that and I was convinced my disc was so bad that it was now re-herniating on the other side.
00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:51.680
That never happened.
00:05:51.839 --> 00:06:00.000
What the physical therapist told me was it's just the body compensating for how we're moving and the inflammation in the body makes the nerves pull funny.
00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:07.199
Tightness or soreness, especially in like the hamstrings or the calf, that can happen post-surgery.
00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:10.399
It's not necessarily a re-herniation pain.
00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:17.839
And symptoms that improve if you ice and you rest, that could just be a sign of normal inflammation.
00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:25.279
What you need to understand about this healing process is it's not linear, it's not a straight road.
00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:28.079
It's like riding a roller coaster.
00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:31.279
You'll have ups and downs, scary twists.
00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:36.800
Sometimes you'll feel like you're going backwards and then you're moving forward again.
00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:39.439
It really is a messy recovery.
00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:43.920
So, how do you know for sure if you've re-hernieated it?
00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:51.519
Well, unfortunately, the only 100% surefire way to know if you're re-herniated is to get a new MRI.
00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:59.920
That's how we can see the disc, see if it's come back out again, but the MRI will also show if it's just inflammation.
00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:05.360
Here's a simple way to think about the difference between reherniation or a flare.
00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:07.680
Just ask yourself these questions.
00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:12.720
Is the pain gradually getting better or getting worse?
00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.680
Do I still have the windows of relief?
00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:19.680
Does rest or changing positions make it feel better?
00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:23.120
If the answer is yes, then most likely it's just a flare.
00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:27.519
So let's say that you're still really concerned that you've re-harnated.
00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.240
First off, don't panic.
00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:33.920
I know that's so it's such a terrible piece of advice, isn't it?
00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:35.279
Don't tell me not to panic.
00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:39.839
I'm in pain and I'm scared that I did this whole surgery for nothing.
00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:41.279
Trust me, I was there.
00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:43.279
I remember how that felt.
00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:46.959
But fear can amplify your pain.
00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:49.600
So you need to stay grounded.
00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:54.639
Your mental health is so important during this recovery.
00:07:54.720 --> 00:08:01.360
And I need for you to be looking at this entire experience as a challenge you can overcome.
00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:05.360
The people who recover well are people who have that mindset.
00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:08.480
Next, scale back on your activity.
00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:15.680
Maybe you got overzealous and you started walking 50,000 steps a day and it's only been a week since surgery.
00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:18.560
Calm down, don't walk so much.
00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:20.560
Your body is trying to heal.
00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:25.040
And just remember, if you raise your heart rate, you raise inflammation in the body.
00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:30.800
So maybe scale back on the activity you've been doing and give your body a chance to rest.
00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:36.879
Please do not be embarrassed or scared or think you're annoying.
00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:38.799
And don't call your doctor.
00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:42.000
Please call your doctor if you're concerned you're re-harniated.
00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:46.320
He can walk you through these same symptoms, these same guidelines.
00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:53.360
And if you feel like you really need it, he can give you a prescription for a steroid and see if that helps take your pain away.
00:08:53.519 --> 00:09:01.759
And of course, if you have any of those red flag symptoms like a loss of bladder control, you can't relieve yourself, or you can't hold it.
00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:06.159
You have even more weakness in your leg than you did before.
00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:11.679
Or if that pain is so severe and unrelenting, push for an MRI.
00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:13.840
Please advocate for yourself.
00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:15.679
You are allowed to do that.
00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:19.600
So, what are your options if you did reherniate?
00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:24.639
So this might surprise you, but not every reharniation needs another surgery.
00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:29.279
Most herniated discs will actually heal on their own.
00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:32.240
And the same is true about reherniations.
00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:40.000
So you can go the conservative route again with the reharniation, physical therapy, maybe a steroid injection.
00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:43.679
But revision surgery may be what you need.
00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:57.039
I guess this is kind of a silver lining, but if you re-herniate it within the first couple months of your surgery, that's actually a good thing because not a lot of scar tissue has built up.
00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:04.320
And it's actually easier for the doctor to go back in and redo your surgery if it's in the first couple months.
00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:09.600
And that is typically when people reherniate within the first couple months.
00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:16.720
Now I have reherniated seven years after my surgery, and I know why.
00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:22.240
The why is because I didn't do my exercises like I was supposed to.
00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:31.039
Your goal after you've herniated a disc and gotten surgery is to build a healthy spine.
00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:34.639
Don't just get the surgery and think the treatment is over.
00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:41.279
You want to build your muscles to be a back brace to your spine.
00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:52.559
I've interviewed tons of people, and I even interviewed a Pilates instructor who gave such wonderful advice about building a healthy spine, and I haven't followed it.
00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:53.519
I'm lazy.
00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:54.159
I'm sorry.
00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:56.639
And now I've reherniated it, and it's my own fault.
00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:03.440
Thankfully, my reherniation is nowhere near as painful as it was when I first herniated seven years ago.
00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:12.080
But I knew it was a herniation when I would try and go to the bathroom, cough, or sneeze, and the pain was just stabbing me in my glute.
00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:17.600
I even I did try the steroid pack, but it didn't touch the pain at all.
00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:19.679
So I want to leave you with this.
00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:25.440
Feeling pain after your microdisectomy does not necessarily mean you've re-herniated.
00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:31.360
I understand it's scary, it's defeating, it makes you feel like you're gonna lose even more time.
00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:34.159
But remember, recovery is noisy.
00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:39.759
It's there's it's unpredictable, there's ups and downs, and your mind plays tricks on you.
00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:44.879
You want to have a correct mindset during this recovery.
00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:54.960
If you are going through this right now, I want you to know that I see you and I understand this pain and fear that you're going through.
00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:57.679
And so do many other people.
00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:02.720
If I've helped ease your mind just a little bit, please say so in the comments.
00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:08.399
Let me know what treatments you're trying, if you've reached out to your doctor and got and gotten some steroids.
00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:13.120
Please remember that you are healing even if you don't feel like it.
00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:18.480
Hey, I would like you to check out this video by Salone, a Pilates instructor.
00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:30.000
She talks about her herniated disc and microdisectomy experience, but then she goes on to talk about how Pilates is such a great tool for building the strength that your spine needs.
SEARCH PAST EPISODES
Search past episodes of Bed BACK and Beyond.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Christine King, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.
EDIT
Thank you for helping to keep the podcast database up to date.
