Comments on: Degenerative Disc Disease

By: Auto Glass Shop

Auto Glass Shop — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:20:50 +0000

Intelligent ! I would like to pose a video to illustate your article, but I don’t know how to do ? Can someone help me ?

By: Terry

Terry — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:48:08 +0000

Hi, i am 49yrs old i have been dealing with ddd for three yrs now, i worked for one yr with pain to the point where i was stalking products sitting on the floor, so in that time it was best to go on dissability and i have been since and its two years not working now, i have ddd from my L3 to my S1 and on pain killers , this has effected me in so many ways, and i am sure most of you ddd understand all this! i also had all the test and the discogram was the test that told my story where as the mri showed i had some degenrative issues, but also been thru all the physio and chiropractor and spents thousands which never help me so in that its not for everyone and personally i do not think practioners know what is best but to give you pain killers to lesson the pain, but in that it only helps till you have to up the dose so now u have another problem other than pain,which is addiction, but my self i montitor my meds hoping i am not addicted i would rather have a little pain and suffer to which it will not cause me to crazy, which i fine i does get to me emotionally and has effected my quality of life, i am depressed but can not take any depressants due to contradiction with my meds, so in the long run i am thinking some thing i have to live with as i find there is no solution to my ddd and the levels of my disc, try to do the best i can to be positive but in the end i am beaten down with pain and the things i can not do anymore! so for all you suffers do whats best for you and hopefully some miracle comes along and we can improve our lives, HERES TO HOPE, but i am thinking thats along way away!!!!

By: Patricia

Patricia — Fri, 28 May 2010 03:16:59 +0000

I am 33 and have DDD. I have been dealing with it for about 3 or 4 years now. It started in my neck. I woke up one morning almost like I had slept wrong. I had some tenderness in the neck and in the shoulders. Almost like muscle strain. I saw my MD and he put me on soma as a temporary solution and I began to see a chiropractor for that and other issues. I went a few weeks thinking that the pain would get better. But in fact it only became worse. I returned to him and they scheduled for MRI. Then I was soon referred to a surgical specialist. When I saw the specialist he wanted to do surgery the very next day. Of course that freaked me out. I did not have the surgery the next day of course because I could not just not show up for work for a month or two…lol It was about a week later or so that I did finally go in for the surgery. They did a 2 level anterior cervical fusion. I went back to work in about a month (full time.) I of course had to change my position from dental assistant to receptionist. I now have a plate, 6 screws and two metal cages with donor bone. The fusion took well and have very little problems with my neck. But a little before that diagnosis I had also suffered from chronic lower back pain caused by DDD as well. It is effecting L4,L5 and S1. I had an MRI in ‘08 and have been taking pain meds, muscle relaxers, PT, steriod injections, heat therapy and on and on. I recently had another MRI this year and have learned that the disease has gotten worse along with the pain increasing. The doctor wants to do injections again and PT. I told him with the last injections a total of 5 treatments I gained about 30 lbs. His comment “Boy you need to put a pad lock on your mouth” Can you say OUCH!! I tried to explain to him that it wasn’t JUST me. I have always enjoyed food but never really increased eating with the injections. My concern is with the weight gain from the injections…You know that’s just gonna increase the back problems. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. He says that he doesn’t want to do surgery now on the lumbar because I am too young. But my thinking is wouldn’t it be easier for me to recoupe being younger verses being 60 and doing the surgery???? Just makes no sense. Also why would you just straight to fusion as the solution if he were to do surgery instead of disc replacement surgery? The pain is not being handled well by meds or the injections or PT. I am constantly using a heating pad with helps somewhat. I have used one to the point where I have permanantly scarred my back (just the pigmantation) from the heat. I am like alot of you…Young and still have alot of life left to live. I have two kids and would love to be able to do more with them and be able to go their activities such as softball and barrel racing and be able to stay for the entire thing. But NO!!!! When will they find a permanant solution for us with these conditions. Life or at least an active enjoyable one is almost null and void. I only hope and pray that someday someone will find a cure or at least some sort of treatment that won’t make us have other problems arise because of those treatments or meds. May God Bless you all and wish the best of luck in your treatments.

By: mark

mark — Tue, 25 May 2010 03:33:15 +0000

First and foremost let me be totally frank. There is no cure for degenerative disc disease. Only treatment. You will live with this for the rest of your life or until arthritis sets in and takes over where Degenerative disc disease left off. I have two herniated disc and am looking at a possible two level fusion. Long term studies show that historically surgery does no better than doing nothing. Physical therapy helps of course but it’s not a cure. The 5 year outlook is more pain. So in fact when the back gets severely injured you have to manage the pain. Don’t do things that hurt. Let pain be your guide. Surgery or any other treatment can only help ou manage pain. This site is a crock. Anyone who ever had serious back surgery will tell you they can’t do things the way they use to. Thats for life. They will always have to take special care of their back. Once you hurt your back it is hurt for life. Sure you have good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks but the care free lifting, endless exercise, sitting anyway you like, and many other things are over once your back is hurt. Thats the facts and anyone who tells you different is not being truthful. The first thing you should do before surgery is lower your expectations. Good Day,

By: Andrew in Texas

Andrew in Texas — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:30:46 +0000

I have been suffering for well over a year with DDD in the lumbar region. I am a 47yo male, relatively active with sports and fitness. I just had a discogram to determine the extent of damage. My L3/4, and L4/5 discs are damaged severely. I am going through with the surgery because I cannot go through life with this pain. It affects my entire life and need relief. I will comment on the results after mid-June, when we are scheduled.

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 03 May 2010 05:57:03 +0000

I was diagnosed with DDD in 2005, I had gone on in major pain for 8 months. I had physical therapy, chiropractors, regular docs, and did things like the traction and heat therapy and nothing worked. I had a discetomy done on April 1,2005. It was alright for the first couple of years but for the last 3 I have been in pain that isn’t as bad as it was when I was first diagnosed but it is still a constant battle, and even though I had the surgery done I still have alot of problems stemming from the DDD. I have lost the feeling in my left leg and have tremors really bad now. I continue to deal with the pain, and I don’t use the pain killers or any over the counter drugs anymore. All the painkillers have started to affect the function of my liver so I quit taking them. All of this and I am only 27. I was diagnosed at 22 and my doctors said that I was way to young to have this kind of problem with no injury to my back to speak of. I feel all of your pain and I hope that someday they can find a solution. My sister was also diagnosed with it and she is younger than I am. I don’t know if this is a hereditary disease or not but I know that for some reason it hit my family pretty hard.

By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:42:35 +0000

I have been diagnosed w/ DDD for about 16 years now. 8 years ago I underwent “Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion” and have had tremendously fabulous results. My surgeon was Kevin Foley @ Semmes Murphy Clinic in Memphis, TN. He is an awesome miracle worker!! Since you’ve been everywhere else, I’d give him a call. His office phone # is (901) 259-5340. I hope this helps! Best of luck.

By: m moss

m moss — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 01:50:56 +0000

I have ddd had 2 screws and a plate put n 3yrs ago.did fine but now i have devolped tingling in my right hand and pain in my right leg. i thought that the surgery was suppose to help,but that is not the case. have a dr appt on the 27th of this month to talk about whats next.I am scare of what the outcome maybe.if you have any answers please help.

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:08:32 +0000

I have severe DDD and severe DJD, accompanied with fybro, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. This has been going on for over 4 years now, and my doctor says that once a person is diagnosed with Any one of these conditions, and has had any of them for more than a year there is nearly no hope in 100% improvement. These are all autoimmune diseases.
The best form of relief is pain medication. Surgery should only be a last resort. I take my medicine as prescribed at the same times every single day, and have been on them for 4 years. It is not good to take narcotic pain meds, but you know what? It helps me tremendously. I strongly suggest that you talk to your doctor about pain meds. Have him start you on the lowest dosage as possible because you will become tolerant. You can slowly increase the dosage as you go. if you are at the point of giving up then you definatly need to consider this. My doctor told me point period. Supplements do not work if a person already is damaged. The meds really help and you will feel like you can perform taskes much better while on them. I know this is not the best way, but from what you are stating. It may be the only way for you to get relief, and be able to perform more effectivly.

By: buddy I.

buddy I. — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:17:20 +0000

I had DDD and moderate stenosis in L3,L4,L5, with Arthritis. I went through treatment with 4 different chiros, before I hit on one with a DRX9000, computer-controlled, mechanical-traction machine. I experienced relief almost immediately but as I neared the end of the 7-8 week treatment, I realized I would need this expensive treatment again sometime in the future because of the force that gravity is placing on all of us! You owe it to yourself to try inversion therapy. I bought a table 4 years ago and have never regretted it. I am back to cycling 5 days per week and even took my son on a 40 mile backpacking trip last year! Here is a link:
http://www.teeter-inversion.com/