Anyone got experience of coming back from a slipped disc or can recommend a physio?

I've been off the bike since slipping a disc over Christmas, I had a discectomy on Wednesday and am now out of hospital and working on my recovery. Bearing in mind getting up off the toilet currently constitutes a major physical challenge, it's going to be a while before I'm back on a bike, but I (unsuprisingly) want to do everything I can to ensure as speedier and fuller recovery as possible. I slipped my L4/L5 disc, which apart from causing me major sciatic pain has also caused me to lose motor control of my toes and the outside edge of my right foot. This is what I'm most concerned to work on.

Astonishingly (to me at least) I'm not going as a matter of course to be automatically referred for post-operative physiotherapy, so it looks like I may have to arrange this for myself. Sorry for the longish post, as always I struggle with brevity, but would really appreciate any advice anyone who's come back from a similar injury could offer or even better the recommendation of a good physiotherapist. Thanks :-)

speedier and fuller recovery

These two things - speedier and fuller - are mutually exclusive i'm afraid. You can have one but not the other. I slipped a disc about 4 years ago while bowling and it was awful, took ages to get better and to this day I have problems with my lower back from time to time as a result. Don't rush it, get physio, and really do not at all in any way push yourself to get better "faster" because you'll just be left with a back that gives you jip for the rest of your life..

I wish you a speedy recovery.

not sure if this is what you need but check this out http://www.lfgss.com/thread24439.html

Is it shameful to recommend myself?

Thread: http://www.lfgss.com/thread29902.html

Website: http://www.complete-physio.co.uk/

PM if you have any queries.

Michael.

Top marks to bluerip00.
Knowledgable, professional, a tough pounding and poking (acupuncture) motherfucker!
Gave me a very good exercise programme to do in my local gym with the various machines to work on my cycling related injuries, helped immensely.
Highly recommended.

This happened to me five years ago. I am now more or less back to normal. At least my back is.
I was completed wrecked after it happened, mentally and physically, I could do almost nothing, and I became incredibly depressed.
I would recommend two things, one is lateral pull down exercise, which I joined a gym specifically for. I started really light and within two years could lift the whole stack as my back and everything connected became so strong.
I also recommend swimming, In fact I can't recommend swimming enough, it has become a really important exercise for me. It allows me to do all sorts of stuff based on the fitness and general conditioning it has given me, so whereas even three years ago I felt extremely restricted now I am better able to do stuff than I have been since my mid twenties.
In the early days I had a monthly trip to an osteopath too to ensure everything was in balance.
So be patient, work at it every day and you will in the not too distant future have it all back and then some!

I compressed my L1 disc onto my siatic nerve when I was 21 and lost all feeling in my left leg for 3 months.

Physio was excellent in both recovery work for back/legs, and motivation to properly exercise. Got mine though the NHS. I would highly reccomend speaking to them in general though. Their advice was suited to the specific injury I sustained, but also has a general grouding in lots of current yoga/pilaties teachings now, albeit for those wanting ato build a base core, rather than train.

You will need to pay attention and actually do the exercises, which can be a complete bore, but it's your body, only you can put in the effort required to recover.

In terms of swimming, I was told under no circumstances was I to swim as part of my recovery in the early days, too much pressure through the spine when curved in the pool was bad for the very lower element of my back. I suppose it must be injury specific, but in doubt, speak to someone who would know.

http://www.faversham.org/pages/business_directory_item.aspx?i_PageID=131655&i_DirectoryID=1137

My dad works here as an Osteopath shameless family plug but he comes highly recommended.
I guess its another alternative and probably cheaper than london prices? Although it is in Faversham (Kent).

Good luck getting back up to speed fella. Never had anything as bad as a slipped disc - but put my back out in the gym a few weeks ago for a few days and it was really quite horrible.

I slipped mine (L1/L3) at some point after a long period of sporadic sciatic pain which i didn't realise until the leg pain started increasing. Same story as the OP (except you seem to be worse off than me)... Getting off the toilet was the worst thing imaginable.
After extensive physio I was finally reffered to the specialists and an epidural was administered.
A week or two afterwards i felt good, really well in fact (considering I'd been downing cocodomol for nearly a year, makes you fart like crazy that stuff)....... Anyway, I work in furniture and ended up having to lift on an imporatant job when i was meant to be supervising... The first box I picked up the disc popped out.. FUCKED. Now in pain again.... Back to Physio next week. Back / leg the works. Thing is I'm self employed so no sick pay, no paid time off... NOTHING...
Although after the initial physio I felt that riding helped loads. I did fit a brake after that though.... Too much pressure on the spine skidding everytime you need to stop.
Heal up well and take it easy.....

Thanks to everyone for their input, sorry I haven't responded sooner.

I had a bit of a choppy time of it in the first 6-12 hours after surgery, basically stopped being able to pass water, so they had to (briefly) catheterise me. I know this is medically fairly run-of-the-mill, but I really, really don't recommend this while you're conscious, coz it really hurts! Only slightly less than not being able to pee.

So, under the circumstances, I thought I'd done brilliantly getting out of hospital 48 hours after surgery. I may have been a bit too cocky about that. Over the weekend I developed a major allergic response to my wound dressing, had a load of blisters come up that then became infected. Sufficiently badly that my GP sent me back hospital on Monday to get the infection under control. Hence the lack of a response on my part. Anyway home again now, looking okay and ready to plan my recovery. Will let you know how it goes :-)

It sounds like you have had a rough time of it.
One thing it did for me was literally do my head in, and I was lucky enough to find something worthwhile to do. This showed me that people don't know how lucky they really are, even when I was at my very worst I was helping a few people who were much worse off then me. I actually felt lucky, changed my outlook, and I am sure it helped with the physical recovery.
Good Luck!