- Joined
- Apr 23, 2018
- Messages
- 6,569
Every case is different, but here's my story. I found myself with a geriatric muscleoskeletal system as early as my mid-twenties. By the time I hit 30, my lumbar spine was toast, causing all sorts of nerve pain and intense, blinding spikes. I tried physical therapy, weight loss, massage, and several epidurals. The epidurals were hit or miss, literally. If they hit the spot, they would work for a few months, if they missed (2 out of 3 times) I would end up in even worse pain from the botched epidural. Eventually, a total disc replacement was offered, and I took it. I got another decade of insane mountain biking out of it before I started having pain again, but at least I never lost my range of motion. These days I need to be just as careful as ever, but I do not have nerve pain at all. Whether or not to go ahead with surgery is a complicated decision. If you can live with the pain, then stick with the devil you know. If it is impacting your quality of life and you fear for the future, then get surgery, it can improve things.