I’ve been suffering through this for two weeks now. I can’t figure out a way to move ‘normally’ without experiencing intense pain. Even with medication, my pain is around a 6 to 8 out of 10. Walking triggers severe muscle spasms that push the pain to an 8. I’m currently using a walker and trying to keep weight off my bad leg, but it’s proving difficult. I’d appreciate any tips you have!
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I relied on a cane, though a walker is likely a better choice. During my worst period right before my surgeries, I couldn’t even stand or walk for a minute. Taking a shower was a nightmare. I really feel for you and hope you get some relief soon.
I was right where you are at the two-week mark; it just takes time. Now that I’m at week six, my walking is getting back to normal, but sitting or driving for more than a few minutes is still miserable. It’s a slow recovery process, so just take it one day at a time.
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Honestly, I’ve had to relearn how to walk, and I’m still in that process! The first few steps might feel okay, but after a couple of minutes, the pain builds up significantly, and I have to sit down. I’ve noticed that resting my hands on my thighs while walking helps for some reason.
I’m going through the same thing. When the pain hits, I end up walking on my tip-toes with my leg at an awkward angle, and even then, I can’t keep going once it really flares up.
Try to focus on resting for about a month. After that, start with very short walks. Make sure to see a doctor and get into physical therapy.
I had to rest completely and wait for the inflammation in my back to subside before I could walk right, along with doing PT. I couldn’t put weight on my bad leg either, which messed up my posture and balance, but physical therapy helped fix that once the pain went down.
It’s tough, but I found that trying to walk as naturally as possible actually helped. When I tried to avoid putting pressure on the painful leg, it just made things worse and started hurting my other leg. Walking normally felt better and the pain eventually began to fade.
Walking? I was basically hobbling for the first month and limping through the second. It does improve; you just need to be patient and keep stretching.
This might sound counterintuitive, but you have to keep walking. Just keep the sessions short. I spent two months just limping around my yard. Eventually, I moved to walking around the block, then two, and kept building up. It’s been 10 months since my disc herniated, and I can walk for over an hour now. It’s excruciating at first—I was often in tears—but it will get better or at least become more manageable.
I’m seven weeks into this and still in a lot of pain. I’m lucky if I can even limp around. I try to take my dog out and stay active, but it’s a struggle; he’s a small terrier and always way ahead of me. Stretching hasn’t helped, meds aren’t working, and I’m losing sleep because of the constant pain. It’s a really miserable situation to be in.