Exercising with a severely herniated disc? I need surgery but don't want to aggravate
Hi all--- although I'm young, I recently found out that I need surgery (a diskectomy) on my lower back. I have a severely herniated disk in my L4 and L5 that has a free fragment... surgery might be around April, I'm waiting to hear from a 2nd opinion in 2 weeks.
Anyhow... I have had severe sciatica for one year until all of a sudden I was in AGONIZING pain for a week and out of work... had to go on steroids and pain killers to be mobile... the pain finally went away (all of it, for the most part) but has been replaced by numbness--- I can't feel my right ankle and the entire top of my right foot. My reflexes are severely affected as well...
Anyhow--- I am TRYING to lose weight and I would LIKE to put exercise into it, but I'm so deadly afraid that I'll go from numb to AGONY if I do something stupid. I can live with the numbness for now, and if that means I can't exercise, than so be it.
I was thinking about Yoga or Pilates, b/c my physical therapist for when I had sciatica was all about strengthening your core to take the pressure off your back...
Basically... what can I do? Should I even bother and risk throwing it out again or just wait until the surgery? The Dr. is very serious about my back and he says I have "the winner" of herniated discs... ::sigh::
Any help?
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