Had an x-ray. Doctor thinks it is a compressed disc and a previously herniated vertebrate. I don't ever recall a back injury though.

Do you mean a previously herniated disc, not a herniated vertebrae?

Discs can herniate from something as simple as coughing or moving the wrong way.

Basic x-rays are far from the best way to determine what is going on with the spine, especially when it comes to discs and nerve compressions.
An MRI is a far more accurate way to view the spine.

You need to see a spine surgeon, either an orthopedic surgeon that specializes in spines or a neurosurgeon that specializes in spines only, and have a full spine evaluation.

Have the spine specialist order the MRI for you so that it is ordered the way the spine specialist needs to have it done.
MRI can be done with various weights and the spine surgeon will be the one to decided which is best for you and what areas of the spine need to be done.

In the mean time you should not be doing the exercises that you are doing as you can make any kind of disk compression worse if you are doing exercises that are incorrect for you at this time.

Your disc may be compressed from different causes and until you know what is causing the problem, better safe than sorry and do not do the exercises anymore.

Get in to see a spine specialist as soon as you can get an appt.

Good luck

Fran

Well I for sure have a herniated disc now... just don't the severity. I am going to start therapy and want to hold off on seeing an orthopedic surgeon until I am sure I am not responding to therapy.

Another question: does a compressed disc ever return back to normal? 100%?

It would be better to see a spine surgeon first before starting any kind of physical therapy.
A spine surgeon is the best to fully diagnose you spine problems and order an MRI to determine the full extent of what is going on.
The simple x-ray doesn't show the full extent of what is going on or how badly any nerves may or may not be compressed or if any of the disc material has escaped the disc.
there also could be more going on than just what the x-ray shows.

By going to a spine surgeon first for full evaluation, you will have a fully evaluation, MRI picks and a full treatment plan set up, starting with conservative treatments.

If physical therapy doesn't resolve your symptoms, then the next step would be ESI/epidural steroid injections, and if those don't help, then the potential for surgery would be the next step.

With the treatment plan in place, you can go from one step to the next for treatment.

By not going to the spine surgeon first, you have no full plan in place for treatment and if your first step fails, you have to then see the spine surgeon, get the MRI and continue from there.

As for your second question, once a disc as been "compressed" or "herniated" there will always be the potential for it to happen again.
The key is "potential". May or may not happen. You will need to be careful with your spine though now, for the rest of your life.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Fran