Dude, for my herniated disc, I had a discectomy. They basically took a little bit of the disc out that was pushing against the nerve. It was rough, man. I mean, back pain is overwhelming—it just consumes your whole life. But I also think there are other options out there, like stem cells. I mean, I’ve heard good things about that for herniated discs. It’s just like, when you’re dealing with this kind of pain, you gotta explore everything. That pain, it can really mess with your ability to do everyday activities, let alone jiu-jitsu, you know? Those feelings of frustration when you realize you've been treated by someone who didn’t really know what was going on? Yeah, that’s maddening. Just gotta be careful with your body, man.

Ah, man, herniated discs can be brutal. You know, I've dealt with my fair share of back issues. The first thing you gotta understand is that everyone's experience is different. Some people go full-on for the surgical options, like a discectomy or fusion, while others might try out things like chiropractic care first.

In the case of Ronnie Coleman, he mentioned treating his herniated disc with chiropractic for a long time before surgery became a consideration. But honestly, he didn’t really do anything significant when he first herniated it. It’s wild, right? He was dealing with that pain for years before finally getting to the point where he had to face those surgeries—thirteen of them, if you can believe it!

For me, I had a discectomy too, where they take out a piece of the disc. I mean, it's a tough call—part of you wants to push through and get back to lifting, but then that pain can just take over your life. That’s why I think stem cells are super promising for treating these kinds of issues. It’s all about finding that balance, you know?

So, I had this bulging disc in my neck, right? I went to this guy, this chiropractor, for a year thinking it was just a muscle injury. He’d push down on my head and say, “Does it hurt?” And I’d be like, “No,” and he’d go, “Then you’re fine!” I mean, how ridiculous is that? Finally, I got an MRI and boom—bulging disc. I was angry, man, because I’d wasted all that time with someone who didn’t really know what the hell they were talking about.

But then, I went to a real doc. They did this regenikine treatment on it, which is like a PRP thing but with a bit more to it. They used my own blood, and it actually fixed it in about two weeks! So, I guess it just goes to show you—sometimes you gotta really advocate for yourself and get the right help.