Warning: this will be a long post. But for those suffering with disc herniations, this may help with some insight.
Where to begin...
Back in 2020, I had written a post about my experience with sciatica, which eventually improved. The start of 2025 was uneventful. I had some random left leg numbness but it had been like that for years due to a disc bulge that was managed with physio and traction. The bulge was not compressing any nerves, but given how narrow the spine area is, they were not 100% sure if it was touching the nerve, or very close to touching it.
Forward to end of February/beginning of March. I was pretty much working 6 days a week (by choice), with desk duty Monday to Friday, and Saturdays were more manual labour. The usual nursing duty. Some time during this phase, I must have overexerted myself or had improper body mechanics because this force was enough to progress the disc from a bulge to a protrusion, which then became a herniation.
The first month was painful, bearable but painful. My first symptoms began with a sharp sciatic pain going from the left gluteus maximus (the bum), all the way down to the foot. If I can think of anything to relate, it's like an electric shock going down your leg. Now, this only happened when I was bending certain degrees forward (around 35 degrees) when that electric pain would hit. And when it hit, I did not want ANYONE to touch me. Lest they get yelled at or bitched at, but for the love of God just leave me alone and don't touch me. Those who experience sharp sciatic pain will understand this part. If you haven't, trust me, you don't want to experience it.
The second month, I was feeling pain in my lower back, along with the sciatic pain. It was at this time I had found a physiotherapist to assess what could be done, along with traction. My previous therapist had retired, and just like any other millennial, I was too lazy to try and find one for consistent treatment over the years. I thought I was macho woman.
The new physio had assessed me, and really couldn't figure out what was wrong - giving potential answers here and there. Traction was provided, and in the past it would always help and I would always find relief. This time around, it didn't do anything. The pain remained, and I didn't feel any different. That was the first sign that something was wrong.
Now, the physio had also recommended to try electro-acupuncture. If you are not familiar with this, I suggest reading up a bit about it. A lot of sports medicine therapists use this to help athletes with pain and has been effective. However, given my unknown status at that time, we were kind of going in blindly. I consented to treatment, of which the benefits and risks were discussed (such as infection from needle injection site, muscle ache). But the other POTENTIAL risk is nerve damage. This is rare but a possibility. This was NOT discussed and I only found this out after the fact.
Electro-acupuncture involves a mix of Western and Chinese tradition acupuncture pinpoints, except the needles are hooked onto electrodes, which send signals into the muscle and basically lets your body naturally heal your pain. At this point, I was willing to try it to see if it would help with this sciatic pain. The first 4 needles that went in were uneventful. The last needle, which went into the gluteal region, sent a shock down my body. I remember jolting and asking if this was normal because it felt like I got shocked. I was informed by the physio that "it's normal."
During the procedure (which lasted about 15-20 minutes), it was very uncomfortable and very achy. The physio did ask if I felt ok and I do recall saying that I don't know if I'm suppose to feel like this, but I didn't feel that comfortable. He tried to reposition me, but I mentioned it has to do with the needle position. Again, I was informed I was probably too tense and to try and relax. The entire treatment, it felt like torture. After that first and last session, I stuck with another session of traction before stopping everything.
That same day, I started experiencing something new: tingly sensation in my leg and foot. The numbness was also quite predominant. My bum felt VERY painful, like someone had stabbed it repeatedly. This didn't sit right with me.
I informed my doctor if he could send in a requisition for a MRI to scan the lower back, with a focus on the L5-S1 region. This was also another challenge given how slow MRI appointments can be. When I didn't hear anything after 2 weeks, I decided to stop by the office and follow up. I was informed that the scheduling department was way behind but the secretary could book me in - and miraculously I got a time slot the following day. The perks of working in health care I guess?
After the MRI was done, my family doctor then called me to come in urgently. Lo and behold, I finally have the answer to my pain: the bulge had become a herniated disc, that was now compressing my nerve root. This would explain all the various wild symptoms I was experiencing. Thankfully it was not near the spinal cord, but the nerve root is an issue, given that it feeds into the largest sciatic nerve in the leg. The doctor's solution? Keep doing physio and traction.
My next task was to find another physio clinic, which I ended up finding one much closer to home, and miraculously discovering a mutual staff member working there too. Crazy how small this world really is! I was referred to the best chiro, as they had access to the traction table. I provided all my medical records and scans for them to look at, and see what the next best course of action would be.
By this time, this would be end of May / early June. At the same time, I sought a RMT to help loosen up the muscles and hopefully the nerve as well. It was also at this point that I could not continue to push myself to keep working as it was starting to take a toll, so off I go on sick leave for a month.
During this time, I had to keep a record of my symptoms. The biggest challenge was not being able to stand or walk for a long time. The sharp sciatic pain had now become a constant ache that would not go away. The tingly sensation would start as soon as I stand up (about 18-22 seconds after standing up and it would last for about a minute before disappearing), the numbness would hit about 2 minutes in. I would be able to walk for about 2.5 minutes before a BURNING sensation started in my leg that I had to sit down and rest. No matter how hard I tried to keep walking, my leg would not let me. I had to sit and rest. For a good amount of time, I was not able to go out. Even walking in the mall was a challenge. I remember walking into the mall and having to sit down first, before I gathered myself to walk into a store which was maybe 50 meters away. If I didn't, the leg would start burning up and I wouldn't be able to keep balance.
This was probably the scariest part of my experience. I figured with this time off, and the physio/massage sessions that I was attending probably up to 3 times a week would help with recovery. I was given various exercises and stretches to try and relieve the nerve pressure. As time went on into the summer of 2025, another issue that I had was...all these stretches that I was able to do previously without issues, they were all now causing extreme pain. Unfortunately it was not improving, but I was making the pain worse with the exercises. Nonetheless I still tried it for the time being, that hopefully with pain it would maybe ease off later on. What I knew was that: standing and walking was torture, sitting was the most comfortable, along with laying down.
When I consulted with the family doctor, all he ever did was prescribe me more drugs to try. He didn't really recommend surgery so that was off the table. But for now, therapy and drugs. I informed that I was on so many at this time that NOTHING was helping. I started with Naproxen, which then turned to Gabapentin. They both had no effect on me. Just made me very drowsy and sluggish. Eventually I was referred to a pain clinic, and a requisition for an EMG was also sent out. This is a nerve conduction study to determine if there is any damage to the nerve.
Pain clinic recommended me to try some other pain killers (what a surprise!), along with epidural shots if they were not helping. On top of the Naproxen and Gabapentin, they prescribed 3 more things to try: Baclofen, Ketamine cream, and Celebrex. I was basically on the course of destroying my kidneys and liver, and potentially getting a heart attack. I thanked them for their time and decided that I would get another opinion.
By this time it is now mid July.
I asked for the second opinion from a trusted source. I asked if I should try the epidurals, given that all the oral medications were of no use. The first thing he said to me? NO! Don't do the epidurals. Given that the acupuncture aggravated your nerves, it would not be safe for the epidural. Don't do anymore needles. Instead, I was referred to an orthopedic spinal surgeon. I am forever grateful for him as he didn't just do any regular referral to this surgeon, but he had written a letter of recommendation to be seen urgently. This makes the biggest difference. I can't say it will work in all cases, because again it will really depend on symptoms and severity of each case.
Within a few days (days, not weeks or months!!), I received a call if I could send the office copies of my test results and was given an appointment date near end of August. Time line wise from the referral date to appointment date, for a specialist here in Toronto, it took 1.5 months. And this was classified as urgent. The normal time frame could take about 6 months, to a year.
Going into August, it was time for me to slowly ease back into work on modified hours. Keep in mind that I am still doing all my therapy sessions too while trying to balance work and pain. By the time the surgeon consult arrived, I was excited and nervous. Prior to this meeting I had done some research on the surgeon and saw much praise from patients. It also helped that a good handful of my colleagues also know this surgeon and said the same thing. I was in very good hands.
The surgeon had seen my scans and informed me that given my age/weight and symptoms, I was in a very good window for surgery - laminectomy and discectomy. Basically, they have to shave the portion of the lamina of the spine, and cut off the disc herniation. He recommended it, and although he didn't push for it, he did give me the option that if I chose to defer surgery, I could potentially risk the pain getting worse, and damaging the nerve completely. At this time it was greater than 6 months of constant pain, and fluctuating symptoms. Normally surgeons would not recommend surgery if the pain is less than 3 months, but again, this is dependent on each case.
It took about a week for me to decide, before I called back the office and told them I was willing to go forward with surgery. About a week later, they gave me the date of surgery: end of October. Wow, that was fast! This is now September. I was still not giving up my other therapies though. I still continued with them, that MAYBE miraculously one day the disc would slip back and all would be good.
Unfortunately with herniated discs, especially if it's been compressing the nerve root for greater than 6 months, the chances of a disc popping back in miraculously is slim to none.
From September to October, I was basically trying to ride out the pain and work, while attending my therapies. Given that a lot of the exercises were not working anymore, I had to stop them and hope that my back would recover.
About 2.5 weeks before the surgery, the pain suddenly took a nose dive. I thought it would be related to menstrual pain, but of course that didn't really help. Given how long this compression had lasted, and the inflammation that was happening, this started taking a toll on my body. I was not able to sit (instead I had to kneel on my chair while working...not very professional but it is what it is), standing and walking were the best options for me, while laying down also became a challenge. This is when sleep deprivation also took a toll on me. I went from sleeping 6 hours a night to barely 3 hours a night, and then having to attend work the following day. I was a walking zombie at this point. Laying position used to be comfortable but by this time, laying on my back or sides were causing burning sensations in my hip. It didn't matter how many pillows I would put under my leg (this would make my tingly and numbness worse actually), or my sides. All resulted in the same: my hip was on fire. Baclofen was helping for a month to help me sleep, but it eventually wore off, even after increasing the dose.
I was desperate at this point for pain relief and sleep. Once again, I went back to the family doctor for advice and if I could just get something strong to take so I could sleep. Unfortunately he recommended Lyrica (same class as Gabapentin), which is the best for nerve relief. I informed him it wouldn't work because I gave Gabapentin a try and it was useless. But he insisted to just try it for a week, and if it didn't work, to call him back.
Lo and behold, it did not work. I was in office after a week on a final recommendation. Finally, I was prescribed Hydromorphone to take only at night. This is 2-8 times more powerful than Morphine, so surely this SHOULD work. This is now 5 days before the surgery date.
Well, I hate to say it but Hydromorphone did not touch me, AT ALL. When people say Hydromorphone provided the best pain relief, I wish I knew what that meant because aside from the constipation, I did not feel any pain relief. I did not sleep. At this point, I needed to be knocked out by Propofol.
When the surgery date arrived, I was very relieved. I think I was more excited than nervous because I knew I was in good hands. The pre operative team of nurses were very good, and we had some good conversations. It was also my first time getting a peripheral IV inserted (into the hand), and man, that thing HURT. I was told it is probably the most painful IV insertion. I mean, the site was still hurting like 2 weeks later! So yeah, I believe that!
By the time I was wheeled into the OR, and doing all the prep checks, I thought ok God, this is it. This is happening. Praise this team, and may everything go smoothly. After verifying my information, I recall them giving me either Versed or Propofol (probably the latter), and I just remember this burning sensation, then a very funny tingly sensation throughout my body. Within 20 seconds I was knocked out. Surgery took about an hour before I was wheeled into PACU.
When I woke up, I felt relief for the first time in months (if not years). Understandably I was given pain killers during the procedure so it hadn't worn off yet. The only discomfort I felt was from the incision site. The nurses made me walk within the hour to ensure that all was well. This is also to prevent potential blood clots from forming.
It's been almost 2 months since the surgery was done and the recovery so far has been smooth. Aside from an episode of my blood pressure crashing at home the same night that I was discharged home (most likely associated with dehydration and all the drug combinations), I was pretty much walking the same night. The first week was torture though. I could definitely feel the ache and pain in the back, and there was some light bleeding which was expected. The dressing was done daily by a family member, and by the end of week 1, all the bleeding had stopped, and stitches were looking good.
They say the first 6 weeks of recovery are crucial: no bending, lifting or twisting. No sitting for more than 30 minutes. Aim to do daily walks of at least 30 minutes, especially around the 2-3 week mark. Do light physio exercises if tolerated. The key is movement, as it helps to prevent clots. The no bending rule is tough because we are all so used to bending, but trust me, your body will warn you. After one mistake, you don't make the same mistake again.
Recovery is a long process. Surgeon's guide is by 3 months, you're able to resume all your regular duties. However, if there are any nerve damage from the compression, it could take months to perhaps a year for almost full recovery. My numbness comes and goes, but compared to before, it has improved. There is also some pain when I raise my leg, like an ache (when it used to be a burning/sharp pain), but that also relates to the nerve compression that was there for 8+ months. I know it will take a while before I can start to feel normal again.
Post follow up, I learned that my herniation was quite large. Disc herniations are all different, depending on the type. For example, disc extrusions have a higher chance of reabsorption compared to disc protrusions or bulges. With my case, I had closer to 20mm of a protrusion/herniation (anything larger than 10mm is considered large). Upon looking at the MRI, the herniation was so bad it had compressed the spinal column all the way back and left less than 0.1mm of nerve left. That's why I was experiencing all those symptoms. Insane how our body just tries to compensate. The good news is I don't need any further follow up as recovery is going well.
I also learned that not everyone with disc herniations will experience the exact same symptoms at various intervals. Everyone also registers pain differently. Just like above, someone could be taking Morphine and they would find relief. In my case, Hydromorphone didn't do any justice to me.
I have no regrets with this procedure. I believe the biggest difference lies with the surgeon. If you have a very dedicated and experienced surgeon, it will make it 100x better. For those who are contemplating surgery, I would recommend it. But definitely do some research first and compare the pros and cons before you make the decision. It is now end of December 2025, and I've had both the consult and surgery completed. I am still awaiting the EMG test, which has been pending since July 2025. It's insane how long we have to wait for testing and consults here in this so-called first world country that we call Canada.
Also keep in mind, the discectomy is a treatment - it is not a cure. There is still a chance that you could re-herniate in the future if you are not careful. The more discectomies you do, the harder it will be to relieve pain. The more scar tissues you have, the higher the chance of complications. So this is another thing to keep in mind.
Keep your backs healthy. You only have one spine to deal with in this lifetime.
