My Doctor sent me to get more MRI's a few weeks ago. I saw her again last week and she was concerned about the pain going down my legs and the MRI results so she sent me to an Orthopedic surgeon with the suspicions that I needed Hip Replacements. Yesterday I saw him and he told me that I did not need Hip replacement and that my hip joints were as good as when I was a teen. THEN he told me what you need is two lower discs removed and that all of those years crawling around that Coal mine have really naffected your lower back. He claimed "your back is not worth a - which I knew that years ago. Every low coal miner has that back ache.

I believe the lowly miner part…..

Work on your lower core strength……

if your walking around now and still able to start and stop peeing

try the core strength exercises and stretches if you can work up to ball core strength exercises even better

a lot of us are walking around with couple decade old full ruptures in the lumbar spine I have 4 , core strength has been huge for me I am also a bit younger than you I messed up the lumbar disks in my early 20s

used to be every late winter early spring I was dying from the back ,and hip pain

been standing the last 15 years , I have a desk job but if I stand I don't loose the core strength like if I sat

moving and doing is sometimes better than slowing down and resting

heat or working where , when it is hot can make things feel better also

surgery is a bunch of down time but it can be the right answer if it can't be made better with core strength , my dad has a titanium cage keeping his lumbar vertebra lined up

I salute coal miners.

My L3 L4 L5 have sever arthritis in them went to see neurosurgeon last week and I opted for a epidural got that yesterday and I can actually move without hurting I still keep my Cain In hand just in case and I was like you started hurting in winter till weather warmed up but this has been my worst year ever and it was a totally different experience so that’s why I opted for a shot but if it don’t get better I’ll look into other options

Try what GCP said first and do it via a prescription from your Ortho to a Physical Therapist. The Ortho will tell the PT what your issues are and the PT will develop a program for you. If it helps like you need it to, ask the PT what your maintenance program should be, and then stick to it. If developing your core strength works you will be much better off. The surgery can also solve your issues but with a guaranteed loss of range of motion.

A miner buddy of mine had back Surgery. He is not any worstoff but not really any better. I googledwhat GCP was talking about and am going that route. Now according to my sister in law who has no Doctor degree at all it is all in my head and that I just need a new Mattress.

Thank you. Low Coal is not for everyone.

I had a disc removed back in 2010 or so. Mine was a severely ruptured disc from an injury doing drywall work. My core muscles at the time were probably the strongest of my life. I was unable to walk for 4 months, until I had the surgery. I have permanent nerve damage to my left leg/foot, but rarely have pain anymore. Every case is different and I'm sure the treatment for chronic pain is different than acute injury. But, that's my story. I'd do it all over again, if I was in the same situation. BTW, I have a 1" scar from the incision and I walked out of the hospital under my own power at 2:00 PM the day of my surgery. Had 6 months of PT and lifting restrictions for quite awhile, but I am better for it.

Something that applies to improving all of these back problems, no matter which treatment or procedure you choose...or even if you have no back problems and want to prevent them.

Our spines are not great at holding our weight vertically throughout a lifetime. Vertebrae, disks, nerves - lots of pieces and parts that will compress and crush and send shooting pains through our spines, hips and legs during normal activity over time whenever we allow those muscles to relax. If pull your spine up taller as you stand, sit and especially jump, you spread those spinal components apart and protect against that crushing effect. The more often you can remember to pull yourself up taller, the better off you will be. It's hard to do at first because it can seem counterintuitive. If you think you are about to do something painful, you may instinctively hunker down, compress your back and suck your head in like a turtle. That compresses your spine and takes it closer to the damaging crush. It's hard to pull yourself taller when you're about to do something that will jar your back, but it works beautifully. It makes an enormous difference - and it's free. You just need to remember to do it. It really helps! Great thing to add to any of the treatments you're pursuing.

Taller. Taller.

You’ll have far more back pain working in high coal as opposed to low coal. Did seven years in 8’ coal, 30 years in 40” or under coal. Crawling in low coal, you never use your back. It goes along for the ride. Duck walking is harder, but I didn’t work much in mines where that was done. Plus, everything in low coal is smaller. A three foot post is a lot lighter than an 8 foot + post. It’s a lot easier to build a 36” stopping with 4” block than it was to build an eight foot high wall with 6 or 8 inch blocks in high coal.

I'm amazed and impressed by you coalminers. That is something I could never do. Don't like those tight places. Didn't mind them too much in the military, tanks, Bradley's, 113s and foxhole but couldn't imagine being cooped up like that all day for years.

I really liked being underground. As long as it wasn’t too wet. I preferred low coal to high. As long as it was at least 36”. We mined for 18 months, cutting 33 inches. That took some getting used to. Couple times I worked a double shift, 18 hours…I couldn’t stand up when I got outside. It’s 55 degrees all year long, perfect temperature to work in.

I couldn’t take heights….roof top would be ok…but not any higher. Or standing on a roadside as a flag man. Or timbering. Or dealing with people, like law enforcement. Lots of worse jobs than being a miner.