New member typing this from my bed. :(
 

Hey Guys,

New member here. I found this forum yesterday while researching disc replacement. What an amazing place, I've spent the past 24 hours reading as much as I can and hope to gain some good advice from here. This is my story:

I’m currently typing this from my bed, I’ve been here for four days now, this isn’t the first time it has happened. I’m a 40 year old active male and started having back problems about 8 years ago. It all started from a heavy dead-lift, my lower back went and I spent a week in bed recovering, after that it was fine with the odd twinge. Every few months it would lock up and I would see the local chiro who said my SI joints were locked and he’d free them up and I’d go on my way. Unfortunately this would happen more regularly and would end up being a monthly thing and then nearly a weekly thing.

I used to be very active and practice martial arts each morning and lift weights most afternoons, however it was the martial arts that would set my back off. Last year I decided to see an expert. I live on a small island in the Gulf of Thailand so travelled up to Bangkok to see the top professor here in Thailand at the spinal unit at BnH hospital. He took some x-rays and an MRI and gave me the news that I had some physical issues with my lower spine. The diagnosis was:

Lumbar Spine Ap-Lat-Flexion-Extension: Mild lumbar spondylosis, Narrowing L4/5 & L5/S1 intervertebral disc spaces

MRI Spine L-S Spine: Degenerative change of superior L5 & S1 and inferior L4 & L5 endplates, Mild L2/3 & L3/4 & L4/5 & L5/S1 discs bulging without nerve root compression

He recommended replacing the bottom disc which was very narrow. Anyway, I came away thinking I could fix this myself, so bought an inversion table, stopped martial arts and things have been pretty much fine since with the odd pain here and there. I really miss martial arts and thought I would be OK, so went back a few days ago and an hour in to the session felt the familiar twinge in my back and later in the day everything had seized up and since then I’ve been stuck in bed. It normally takes me a week to recover from this and then I’ll be back to normal.

Being in this state has made me think more about the disc replacement and I came across this forum.

After a lot of reading I am considering seeing Dr. Bierstedt in Germany to have the M6-L disc fitted (Maybe at both L5-S1 and L4-L5.

I am hoping that disc replacement could resolve my back issues and let me practice martial arts again.

Thanks for listening,
Cinders.

Hey Cinders...

Another martials pro will be reaching out to you soon by email. You are among friends and fighters now! Welcome to the family!:jacks:

Hi Cinders,
Welcome to the forums. I am sad to hear that also you are suffering from lumbar pain. It really limits your life. I just want you to know that there is hope.

Your best bet may truly be artificial disc replacement. You will have to do a lot of homework, checking that you are a candidate and that the operation you are choosing is optimal for you. If all is done properly, I think you have a good chance at returning to martial arts. The good thing about ADR is that there is a chance of being able to return to also more strenuous activities. Procedures like lumbar fusion would in most cases stop you from doing so.

Wish you all the best!

PS. I recommend staying away from chiros, both now and after the surgeries.