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Degenerative disc disease, anyone got symptoms like mine???

Posted , 24 users are following.

jackie08900
jackie08900

Hi, I've had back ache to a greater or lesser extent for about 2 years. An MRI scan showed degenerative disc disease (which I know is very common in people of my age).

However the pain doesn't feel as though it's in my spine! the actual pain is on each side of the spine, sometimes as far out to the side as my hips.

I'm incredibly stiff particularly first thing in the morning, and I get pain in bed at night and sitting still but it goes off pretty much completely walking about. I did a walking holiday this summer and it was fine! It hurts a lot to lift things though, especially from off the floor. Does anyone else have symptoms like these? Thanks v much.

2 likes, 38 replies

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  • angela192
    angela192 jackie08900

    Posted

    I have similar pain to yours.  I get low back pain which comes on if I have been standing which can be excrutiating and sometimes with this I get a pain in my abdomen low down ;on the right hand side.   In summer I never have this, so I suspect it is winter related.    I have osteoporisis which I suppose will affect the spine.    I am grateful however that I can dance the night away - no problem !

    Have you tried those heat pads that you buy from the chemist deep heat is one and Boots do their own as well. You stick them on to your skin and the heat does help.    Hope this helps.

  • joy47826
    joy47826 jackie08900

    Posted

    I would NOT start my day without a bunch of my stretches IN BED before I start my morning.....and I use topicals for back pain.

    My back issues came on when I was 18 and I'm 76, so it's all part of Life for most and and we have MANAGE it all.  We humans walk on 2's where as the animal kingdom walk and run on 4's.....

    I take a lot of supplements for OA and some otc pain meds but keep it limited and I've been working with my back all my life....Never a surgery and will not ever unless an emergency.   

    Ice and heat are my best friends and I have to say it has all gotten worse with age as it does for MOST.....chiro work and massage work is great too.   J

    • bharath_15801
      bharath_15801 joy47826

      Posted

      What was the problem that you have been diagnosed? And how did you manage so long without surgery.? Plz reply to this..

    • barry5353
      barry5353 bharath_15801

      Posted

      I have two slipped disk caused from a broken pelvis in 1989, this didn't start to become chronic until the last three years, could be age and arthritis part of it two, I am 64 yrs old.  Never have discussed surgery, as long as the pain injections are giving relief, I don't want to do surgery.   

  • frank24438
    frank24438 jackie08900

    Posted

    hello.  prior to developing spinal stenosis,@74, i had a few decades of coping with back pain, my work in engineering didnt do me any favours but it taught me the value of learning how to lift correctly even with the lightest object. Kinetic.

    also the value of a good bed, you never see an so-called orthopedic bed in a hospital orthopedic ward,not in the uk, they have very thick comfortable foam mattresses.  any low cost anti inflammatory tabs will help and i do hope your situation improves. thank god we didn't have mri scans back then, they tell what's wrong rarely how to put it right.

     

    • frank24438
      frank24438

      Posted

      Hello again, i should have also mentioned the value of driving a car with an automatic gearbox, since i did i found a lot of my back aches going and of course make sure your seat is adjusted correctly.
  • n8ster
    n8ster jackie08900

    Posted

    I had those pains . First in my hip . While I was driving it would ache, then start to go numb and then it would be numb down to my knee . I had a mild ache in my back and had just had shoulder surgery . I was on my last visit and my two right toes were numb . I ask the othapedic doctor what that was . He saif , oh , thats your back . So I had an mri and sure enough I had two bulging disk and a degenerative condition . Within a month both my feet were numb . I had spinal stenosis and when the degeration and bulging dik combination happened I was in trouble . In november I had stenosis surgery and a fusion . It is getting better, slowly .
    • frank24438
      frank24438 n8ster

      Posted

      You're very unlucky to have stenosis and slipped discs.  You say you had stenosis surgery, could you tell me just what this involved and its after effects.
    • n8ster
      n8ster frank24438

      Posted

      Well on november 5th I had the surgery . So thats like 40 days . It was a 6 hour operation where they cut off part of your spine to relieve pressure remove the disk and put the bones they removedin between the two disk  and put a plate with two screw to strengthen the weak disk . I guess after they do the laminectomy, it is weaker and they disk move 1 mm outside of what is permissible . So it is supposed to grow into one piece . I had numb feet and part of my right knee was numb also . So at this point I am much better but still have pain in morning and when I try to sleep . I am glad I had this operation and that I was lucky to have a very good surgeon .I am still taking 5mg oxycodone twice a day .

          That being said my time in the hospital was a night mare. I was drugged so much that it seems like a fantasy that I was even there . But after that type of operation I know they have to keeped you heavaly drugged or the pain would be to much to stand .Do I recommed it, if you have severe pain yes . I seen the MRI and above the stenosis you could see my nerves but where the stenosis was it was pitch black .And if it gets worse you can have bowell and bladder problems whitch I do not need .It is pretty amazing what doctors can do now days .

    • frank24438
      frank24438 n8ster

      Posted

      It may be the difference between USA and the UK, but i was told that that all they could do(in theUK) was to scrape the spinal canal to give the spinal cord more space and hopefully relieve the pressure on my spinal cord. Hopefully isnt good anough for cutting me open, so no thanks. Very glad you had a better result though and all the best for Christmas,
  • marshall71
    marshall71 jackie08900

    Posted

    Yes I've got the same as you my lower disc has DDD l5 I also get pains in both legs same as sciatia and pain in back of neck had a MRI came back with no evidence of compromise on the nerve root and even if there was it would not explain the distribution of pain that you have described both legs go numb feet and toes .

    The pain started in my ribs then went down left side SI muscle had physio and hydro going back in February to chat about it the letter said nothing about treatment 

  • susanavg
    susanavg jackie08900

    Posted

    Yes, I have exactly what you descrive. It's been 8 months now. I have seen a Rheumatologist and after an MRI I was diagnost with prolapsed disc L5-S1 with no nerve compression.  But the disc does touch the sciatic nerve, and that is what makes the pain irradiate to the sacred area and tighs . I am starting know Naproxen and have a referral to se a orthopedist.  Before this I was on co-codomol but it doesn't really worked because it's like you said, during the day everything is fine. But when seat or laying down to spleep is a night mare. The co-codomol takes one hour to have me complety pain free and only last like 2 or 3 hours. After that I would have to wake up, eat something in the middle of the night and take another one, wait for another hour for the pain to go away and sleep another 2 hours. So I decide to stay only with paracetamol since both is no use anyway and this one doesn't have addiction side effects. I have no hope to have a solution true NHS although my GP is amazing. But I read somewere that one Lady who suffered from low back pain for ages had goon to see a private doctor who performed a surgery to put a cushion on her spine that solved the problem. My goal know is to find this article again and find the name of this doctor... but I have look and look for days know and can't seem to find it again.  That's how I found this forum. So if anyone knows what I'm talking about, could please get in touch? ....  Oh I also tried to drink honey and cinnamon first thing in the morning and before bed, and it seems to make the inflamation go down and the pain is lower. I was surprised by this,  but after a couple of weeks I just can't take it anymore, not even smell it.
    • n8ster
      n8ster susanavg

      Posted

      So basicly you have a herniated disc that is touching or squeezing your nerve. I had this also. I had two herniated disc and at first I had sciatica but then it moved to my toes then up to my knees . The nerve that is being pinched is in the spinal canal and feels like it is in your hip .Degenerated disc can be bad but I think aren't that difficult of repair and may even call for a fusion .
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