# Herniated disk



## Liam Bal (Nov 7, 2016)

My name is Liam I am a junior in college, I want to enlist after I graduate and hopefully get into 19th group and then attend SFAS. I herniated a disk(L4-L5) my freshman year so I have been dealing with this for two years now. Back pain is not really a problem for me, but the sciatic leg pain bothers me everyday. The only way to relieve the leg pain is surgery(yes I've tried PT and chiropractor). When I ruck it doesn't bother me it is mostly flexibility. My main question is after a waiver will I be able to get into the military?
Thank you


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## Ooh-Rah (Nov 7, 2016)

Have you spoke with a recruiter yet?


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## Red Flag 1 (Nov 8, 2016)

A herniated disc @ L4-5 & L-5 S1, are where things usually start with chronic Low Back Pain(LBP). The diagnosis can vary in severity. First is an Annular Bulge, which means the disc is a little out of line, and pushing into perispinal soft tissue. Second is a Disc Herniation, where the disc has been displaced, and has resulted with a narrowing of the L4-5 interspace. Third is a ruptured disc with disc contents, a jelly like substance, leaked into the surrounding soft tissue. The disc contents are rather caustic to the soft tissue around it, and it can be very painful. I have made the leap in guessing that you have already seen a doc, and have had your back pain worked up. Surgery is not the only way to treat the radiating leg pain you are having. 

With any of the above, I rather doubt that the Military will see you as fit for service. There are a wide range of treatment modalities, and surgery can be one of them. You should go to a recruiter, as @Ooh-Rah has suggested. See what they have to say.

I wish you luck with your back pain, and your efforts to enter active military service.


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## DocIllinois (Nov 8, 2016)

Life in your intended career path under a ruck, jumping out of planes, being on your feet for hours and hours at a time, and constant physical training to stay in top condition, among many other such things, will make the prognosis of your spine very bad in short order.  

I agree with @Ooh-Rah - how probable getting into the Army is starts with  a recruiter and, at this point, likely an orthopedic specialist who works with spines.

  19th Group would not be  getting a good product to work with, though, if your back isn't fixed and healed very, very well, IMHO.


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## Red Flag 1 (Nov 8, 2016)

[Q-


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## DocIllinois (Nov 8, 2016)

Red Flag 1 said:


> The US Army Regulation for physical conditions requirements, and limitations, is AR 40-501, Standards of Medical Fittness.
> 
> For spine issues, toggle down to 2-33, on page 15. I hope this answers some of your questions: http://www.brooksidepress.org/Produ...brary/MilitaryTexts/Training/Army/r40_501.pdf.



I see two entries you'd fall under just from a skim of that document, @Liam Bal, and doubt the current version of that AR says anything too much different.

Waivers do get approved for some off the wall stuff, though.  I'll be interested in your headway if you decide to step off on this mission.

As stated, be careful messing around with your spine with something like combat arms service, though.  Take it from someone who knows, and who regularly treats the chronically bad spines of vets who went_ into_ the Army with great bodies.


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## Liam Bal (Nov 8, 2016)

I appreciate the feedback I am meeting with a recruiter next week I will let you know what he has to say. 
Thank you


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## Red Flag 1 (Nov 8, 2016)

[Q


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## RackMaster (Nov 8, 2016)

As someone that spent over 10 years in the Army with a herniated disc in the same location as yours, among others, my advice is to find a new path in life.  It will only degrade over time, the pain only gets worse and can lead to paralysis.

If you want advice on treatments or how to live with it, I'm more than willing to help.


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## AWP (Nov 8, 2016)

Back issues are no joke. I can't imagine doing much of anything in the military with a herniated disk, but I wish the OP luck.


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## Snake (Nov 16, 2016)

Do everything you can to strengthen your back and attempt to ignore the pain when you really aren't hurting it. Give Traction, Electric therapy and accupuncture a try before you give up your goal.


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## Ooh-Rah (Nov 16, 2016)

Snake said:


> Do everything you can to strengthen your back and attempt to ignore the pain when you really aren't hurting it. Give Traction, Electric therapy and accupuncture a try before you give up your goal.



Dude are you qualified to be giving advice like that?  Especially about the back?


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## Snake (Nov 16, 2016)

Ooh-Rah said:


> Dude are you qualified to be giving advice like that?  Especially about the back?


I injured my back playing football and have done everything you could imagine to fix it and finally did a few years ago. I know what it took for me.

And those "therapies" are all ones that you don't need an order from a doctor to go do. Just like PT (for certain # of days until insurance would like a doctor's order) and chiropractic. I wasn't saying anything radical like getting x surgery because of x reason. I was just sharing what I've done.


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## RackMaster (Nov 17, 2016)

Snake said:


> I injured my back playing football and have done everything you could imagine to fix it and finally did a few years ago. I know what it took for me.



You're still a kid. Ignoring any back pain is idiotic at best, pain is there for a reason and should not be ignored.  Take it from someone dealing with back pain for over 15 years and ignored it for at least 5.  As for your "fixed" back, come back and say that in 5 or 10 years; especially after a few years of humping your body weight on your back.


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## Polar Bear (Nov 17, 2016)

Airrosti Rehab Center - We Fix Pain Fast - Home Page 
Something to look into. They have helped me.


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## Devildoc (Nov 17, 2016)

From a voice of experience....you do not, do NOT, want to join only to have big military medicine try to fix it or string it along and get worse.  I have a whole host of low back pathology, including disc issues, that can be traced to something that happened in the Navy.  If I did not have sciatica and chronic low back pain I would be sad....they have been constant companions for many years.

As an aside, if you are looking to not have surgery and treat symptomatically, ask about a referral for a nerve root injection/epidural steroid injection.


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## TLDR20 (Nov 17, 2016)

Snake said:


> I injured my back playing football and have done everything you could imagine to fix it and finally did a few years ago. I know what it took for me.
> 
> And those "therapies" are all ones that you don't need an order from a doctor to go do. Just like PT (for certain # of days until insurance would like a doctor's order) and chiropractic. I wasn't saying anything radical like getting x surgery because of x reason. I was just sharing what I've done.



So the answer to his question was "fuck no I'm not qualified"


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## TLDR20 (Nov 17, 2016)

A herniated disk isn't something to be shocked away, and working through the pain is certainly not the answer. I would not attempt to go through any type of intensive selection process with a severe INJURY. I capitalize injury because there is a difference  between being hurt, and having an injury. One can be driven through, but a diagnosed herniated disk is not one of those.


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## Snake (Nov 17, 2016)

RackMaster said:


> You're still a kid. Ignoring any back pain is idiotic at best, pain is there for a reason and should not be ignored.  Take it from someone dealing with back pain for over 15 years and ignored it for at least 5.  As for your "fixed" back, come back and say that in 5 or 10 years; especially after a few years of humping your body weight on your back.


As far as me ignoring it to some degree is what worked for me. It was almost like I was able to turn it off by blocking out the signal. I will let you all know in about 4 years when I finish college (will have been about 6 years at that point) how my back is..... As I've said just expressing what I've done and the shit ton of research I've done as well.


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## Ooh-Rah (Nov 17, 2016)

Snake said:


> As far as me ignoring it to some degree is what worked for me. It was almost like I was able to turn it off by blocking out the signal. I will let you all know in about 4 years when I finish college (will have been about 6 years at that point) how my back is..... As I've said just expressing what I've done and the shit ton of research I've done as well.



*.*


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## Red Flag 1 (Nov 17, 2016)

[Q


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## Devildoc (Nov 17, 2016)

Snake said:


> As far as me ignoring it to some degree is what worked for me. It was almost like I was able to turn it off by blocking out the signal. I will let you all know in about 4 years when I finish college (will have been about 6 years at that point) how my back is..... As I've said just expressing what I've done and the shit ton of research I've done as well.



I am glad what has worked for you has worked for you.  The OP can take what we say with a grain of salt, but at least one physician, an 18D, myself (I am no medical expert but I do play one on TV....well, no, actually I am), as well as people who have walked that walk of back injury/pain in the military have commented.  Ignoring pain or other symptoms of an injury which can be crippling and debilitating is unadvised.


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## Red Flag 1 (Nov 17, 2016)

[Q


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## Polar Bear (Nov 17, 2016)

Red Flag 1 said:


> My son is an Airrosti Doc here locally. Not  only are the treatment programs top shelf, their Company backing is outstanding.


Does he have thumbs of steel. They have had me in tears before but walk out feeling great


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## Red Flag 1 (Nov 17, 2016)

[Q-


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## Red Flag 1 (Nov 17, 2016)

OK,


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## MountainLife (Mar 1, 2017)

I can offer a little advice from the Navy side. I ruptured my L5-S1 disc back in 2015 and did my best to work with non invasive remedies. I had terrible sciatica pain down my whole right leg that eventually led to numbness and decreased reflex reaction from my knee down. The sciatica pain was the worst pain I have felt not being caused by an outside source. It was mainly very bad muscle spasms, stiffness, trouble standing for longer than 20 minutes, and an extreme decrease in flexibility. Medical was very slow to react to accepting it being an issue that required an MRI, and it took several months to get approval for an outside source MRI. I can't stress how important it is to get some imagery done so you can see what you're dealing with if you have the resources. Once the MRI was reviewed, Medical referred me to a spinal institute and I was scheduled for a Microdiscectomy, which is as un-invasive of a surgery as it comes to back issues. I am one of those people who is against going to the doctor for things and have almost never kept a cast on for the required amount of time, but your back is not one of those things you tough out. Don't just accept right away you need surgery, do your research and see what options are out there, I hurt my back early 2015, and didn't have surgery until November that year. I can honestly say that it was the best thing to happen to my back since the injury. I tried weeks of PT, traction, muscle relaxers, and everything under the sun to avoid surgery. However I am fit for full duty with no limitations currently. I run and pt at a harder and smarter level than I did before the injury even. If you listen to your body after the surgery and take things slow and do them right with quality over quantity, you can easily regain your old strength and build new better strength around your back. I am not a doctor or associated with the Army so I have zero insight on how any of this affects your future aspirations. I wish you luck in your healing and pursuit to serve.


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