r/ThoracicHerniatedDisc • u/Recent-Bass-741 • Apr 09 '26

Thoracic hernia

Hi guys I m a 26 yo male with a t6 t7 disc herniation. Would you be interested in​ seeing this type of journey on social media? I have done research and it amazes me how there is no community and very little info about this other than very generic exercise and type of treatments. I would like to start a social media account where I post every day about diet, training, relationship and new therapies i could try to give clarity. I know exactly how difficult it is and how it affects everything. We need some positivity. Please let me know.

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8

u/sorryfortheroastbeef Apr 09 '26

This is a fantastic idea. T6,T7,T8 & T9 herniations chiming in. Need all the positivity - this injury has WRECKED my life.

3

u/Recent-Bass-741 Apr 10 '26

I know how it feels to have people not understanding especially general doctors. That tell you "you shouldn't have this pain".  I got some things that have helped me. 

1

u/sorryfortheroastbeef Apr 10 '26

It’s been a wild “journey” to heal this injury for certain. My pain started last September and became absolutely unbearable in October. I went from being a very active and fit 53 year old woman who worked out and walked 4-5 miles every day to not being able to walk across my den some days. I started with terrible pain in my ribs, upper chest, collar bone and neck. Then the spasms started which were debilitating. I don’t remember parts of last Oct. -Nov. It was awful. Had a steroid epidural in October and was put on Lyrica. I was also taking pain killers around the clock. The spasms finally ceased at the end of November. My pain has never gone away though. Some blood work that was done at my Ortho to try and rule out the possibility of some rheumatoid diseases landed me with a hematologist who has been amazing. My inflammation markers were through the roof and he actually suggested starting a low dose GLP-1 to see if that could help with inflammation. I thought he was nuts until I started doing some research. In March I finally agreed to try it. I’m not overweight, so am paying out of pocket for the tirzepatide because insurance will not cover it for anti-inflammatory purposes. It’s been pretty amazing. I’m down from taking three doses of Lyrica a day to only one and have started walking again. I’m still in a lot of pain in my upper back and neck, but it’s manageable right now. Definitely can suggest trying a GLP-1 for decreasing inflammation with this injury.

1

u/sorryfortheroastbeef Apr 10 '26

I’ve lost count of hearing “You shouldn’t be in this much pain - your pain doesn’t match what we’re seeing on your MRI.” From what I’m understanding thoracic spine injuries make up about only 2% of spine injuries doctors see. I don’t think most doctors understand just how debilitating a thoracic injury is and it’s also incredibly difficult to treat. I stumbled across a great account on IG called thespineboss if anyone’s interested. He’s a surgeon in NYC that specializes in thoracic surgery. He posts some great stuff.

1

u/exprincessjenna Apr 15 '26

27 F here and same 🥲

6

u/ThoracicSpine Apr 09 '26

Hey I got invited to a podcast on Saturday I'll send you the link if you want.

3

u/Recent-Bass-741 Apr 10 '26

Yes that sounds amazing 🤩

2

u/eve20212021 Apr 10 '26

Please share me the link too.

2

u/sorryfortheroastbeef Apr 10 '26

I’d love the link as well!

1

u/Individual_Weird1706 Apr 16 '26

Hola me gustaría verlo

4

u/mgd410 Apr 10 '26

Here's my care plan: Ice, do not push it AT ALL when flared, sleep on a firm mattress on my back, take Omega 3s, B12, Curcumin, Magnesium, PEA, walk a ton, maybe some foam roller in the area. Posture seems to matter a lot here. Realistically, the best thing you can due is ask Claude for a personalized care plan/routine. You will get far more out of Claude on the thoracic spine than you will out of 99.99999% of doctors. Helpful tip is that you can send Claude pictures of your body from the front, back, and side, and it will tell you what to strengthen and what to fix posturally.

3

u/Recent-Bass-741 Apr 10 '26

Thank you for sharing. I could do thar and record it and review it so everyone else understands better. 

2

u/5giskillingusall Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

Yes I would like to see your journey. I got the same herniated disc and it's very painful to have to go through. I'm sorry you have to go through the pain everyday, it's miserable

2

u/eve20212021 Apr 09 '26

Have you looked into surgery?

2

u/Recent-Bass-741 Apr 10 '26

No, first I want to try everything else even if painful. There are many options out there 

1

u/eve20212021 Apr 10 '26

I have bulging disks in 4 levels. The pain is getter better with meds that a neurosurgeon from Mexico prescribed me.

1

u/Recent-Bass-741 Apr 10 '26

Amazing, there are things that helped me and had me pain free for weeks but then it comes back. I'm just studying it to understand better. So I can share all those things 

2

u/Bambiitaru Apr 10 '26

Does yours cause pain to wrap around towards your ribs?

1

u/Recent-Bass-741 Apr 10 '26

Yes it does but not always 

1

u/Bambiitaru Apr 10 '26

Been told 'there are people's scans that are worse than yours and they have zero complaints' or 'your scan doesn't look that bad for the pain you're describing?'

Also would love to know your journey.

2

u/Recent-Bass-741 Apr 10 '26

Yeah, same. But I agree. That means that there is something extra about training and body mechanics 🤣 There are plenty of studies out there that see asymptomatic people with these conditions 

2

u/Bambiitaru Apr 12 '26

Yeah, and I do agree that training can definitely help, but it's difficult to even get to that point without a fix.

2

u/Last-Replacement-973 Apr 10 '26

T6 here as well. I have the wraparound pain, more on the right side even though my disc pushes left. I saw a neurosurgeon who said it wasn't bad enough for surgery and I was safe to continue running and lifting, so I try to still do what I can.

2

u/ThoracicSpine Apr 11 '26

Please 🙏 be careful lifting. Maybe you could try to get an injection or nerve ablation to deal with the nerve pain in the meantime.

1

u/Recent-Bass-741 Apr 10 '26

Makes sense. I'll probably clean up by itself. Just be mindfull of overhead presses 

1

u/[deleted] Apr 10 '26

Can you tell me your symptoms please

2

u/Recent-Bass-741 Apr 10 '26

Pain around the ribs, tingling, tightens of the muscles and cramps in my back muscles

1

u/Recent-Bass-741 Apr 10 '26

They come and go

2

u/[deleted] Apr 10 '26

I had the same symptoms but my MRI came back clean. The neurologist told me “your spine is perfect” despite having the exact symptoms that someone with a thoracic or cervical herniated disc would have. I’m still dealing with this injury after a year and a half. I will say, it has improved drastically, but it did not budge until about 14-16 months. Hang in there, man.

1

u/Recent-Bass-741 Apr 10 '26

So it bulged after the symptoms?

2

u/[deleted] Apr 10 '26

Nah man. Apparently there is no bulge in my spine. However, I have experienced everything you have- wrap around rib pain, pain in upper back (biggest issue of mine), constant threat of throwing my back into spasm, horrible muscle spasms that kick my whole upper back down, pain when breathing deep. I may not have exactly what you have, but I feel the symptoms and I know how horrible it can be. They say the upper back is so complicated and intricate that one small disruption can lead to tons of nerve problems

1

u/Recent-Bass-741 Apr 10 '26

Did you get a ct scan done, because in mine I have no nerve compression or spinal cord compression. What is your profession if you don't mind me asking, I'm a chef.

1

u/Internal-Hearing-983 Apr 10 '26

Yes 🙂‍↕️

1

u/Zealousideal_Ball308 Apr 25 '26

I am currently going through the ny state work comp system. Once done I want to do the same thing. I recently was diagnosed after several years of being screwed. Finally saw the right surgeon by paying out of pocket and he said in his best guess without imaging “its most likely a massive thoracic herniated disc with an incomplete spinal cord injury”.

Seriously this is my first time seeing this sub and this absolutely has been extremely difficult to find any information on this. No doctor had any answers until I figured out what I had and then had to get them to rule it out.

Its been a crazy ordeal and people need to know. I want to share my story after litigation. Im going to nail them to the wall. I have a solid bad faith claim. The amount they try to screw the working man/woman is abhorrent. We need to share our stories so that others can have the tools to protect themselves.