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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

38 Replies

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  • valerie94214
    valerie94214 jackie08900

    Posted

    Hi Jackie. Just found your note. I have similar symptoms. Had an MRI and my osteo took a look and confirmed degenerative disc disease in my neck. This is causing referral pain in the neck which travels down my shoulder and around the shoulder blade. If I don't rest it by laying on down with a heat pad around my shoulder, it gets worse until my whole back is very painful. Like you, it is fine when I am walking, but just standing or sitting is very painful. I am also very stiff in the morning. It takes ages for me to get up and about. I have been given Pain relief injections that haven't

    worked, and now Pregabalin that also haven't worked. I am going for more injections,

    this time on Botox, but to be honest, I have lost faith in anything, surgery doesn't

    seem to be an option. Have you been offered anything different? It is so depressing isnt it? 

    • n8ster
      n8ster valerie94214

      Posted

      So doctors like to give shot because your a patient for life . There is very little that they can't fix now . I went to one doctor and he was an injection guy . A month later my back hurt worse than it did before . I went to a surgeon and he repaired it . I am recovering right now . If you have something degenerated, it's not going to get better, it will get worse and can damage your nerves even more .
    • valerie94214
      valerie94214 n8ster

      Posted

      I saw a surgeon first and he said he would suggest pain relief injections first as they are less invasive. I got the Impression that because the disc degeneration is in my neck, it would not be easy to fix. 
    • frank24438
      frank24438 valerie94214

      Posted

      I had cortisone injection for lumbar pain, it worked. I hope yours will bring you some relief and as you say its less invasive. There seems to be a thirst for fusion surgery and none with a positive report back.
    • n8ster
      n8ster frank24438

      Posted

      That's great but it doen't sound like you have a degenerated disc or herniated disc . Shot don't cure that . They mask the pain .They can help muscle pain or something that can regenerate but you disc can't .
    • frank24438
      frank24438 n8ster

      Posted

      I had a injection for a prolapsed disc trappin a nerve, the idea being to get the muscles that tighten up in reaction to pain to relax and with therapist manipulation release the nerve(hopefully).

      As we lose the sponginess from our disc through ageing,a natural process, we are more prone to ailments like a trapped nerve and at 76 i have had a few myself, but as i am now experimenting  with medication for neuropathic pain caused by spinal stenosis  that is becoming a fond memory. God bless.  

    • frank24438
      frank24438 n8ster

      Posted

      In fact the injection was for a prolasped disc trapping a nerve, the idea is to get the muscles that tighten up bringing more pain to relax while manipulation rteleases the nerve(hopefully). As we loose the spongyness of our discs due to ageing, a natural process. getting a trapped nerve is part of life as is the process for releasing it,
    • n8ster
      n8ster frank24438

      Posted

      But a lot of the people here have herniated disc and degenerated disc that don't release or are squeezed into the spinal canal where they are actually squeezing the nerve against the side of the spinal canal , I asked the surgeon about my nerves and he said they were being squeezed a lot before he romoved the bone that was doing it .One problem is gtting someone that is really good at reading an mri . I seen mine and you could see that the nerves were squeezed so much it was black . Above and below the damaged disc you could clearly see the nerves. It was amazing that you could actually see it .
    • doofus
      doofus valerie94214

      Posted

      I've just read your message, I have disk degeneration in my neck. I had surgery almost 4 years ago, I had three disks removed cages put in the disk spaces and a plate and screws to hold it all together. It worked fairly well but i do still have bad days. Unfortunately its not the end of my problems as i have lower back problems, i'm trying to manage on pain killers for as long as i can stand it. I will only have surgery after all else fails.

      I hope they have found a solution that works for you.

  • paulette59
    paulette59 jackie08900

    Posted

    Hi

    ihave had low back and leg pain mainly down the front for ex months and no relief. Do you take medication every day.

  • n8ster
    n8ster jackie08900

    Posted

    I think trying an injection isn't a bad idea . Because you could just have a soft tissue issue but when you are having pain down your leg your nerve is being pinched or squeezed . If you have a pinched nerve a shot will just mask possible damage to it . It will feel ok but the problem is still there . And the idea that all fusions are all bad is  totally wrong . If you have a nerve that is being affected because of a prolapsed or herniated disc, it will only get worse . Your disc is not going to get better . I had a stenosis and two herniated disc and I actually had a lady tell me a chiropractor could heal it which is totally bs .No one wants surgery but if you have a pinched nerve and it get worse and worse over time you can have all kinds of problems including loss of feeling in feet and legs up to loss of bladder control . And the worse it get the longer it will take to improve .When you look at a picture of your disc and spinal canal, it isn't hard to see how easy it is to pinch the nerve . As we go through life we have accidents, fall lift heavy object and our bodies break down . We are lucky enough to repair a lot of these things now . And the results are much better than they used to be and are improving everyday . There are a lot of websites that describe these spinal problems and even have videos of them and how repairs are made . Most colledge that are teaching colleges have these . At least the american colleges do and you can search for them .Knowledge is power so find out what you can and be pushy with your doctor . A lot of them either want repeat patients or just want you to go away . But they are not living with the pain, you are .
    • frank24438
      frank24438 n8ster

      Posted

      But if there are all these Teaching Colleges where is the procedure for releasing a trapped nerve, it aint rocket science and it beats getting cut open and metal shoved in, fused and what not technology.Is it possible low tech answers  dont pay as much.

      God bless.

    • n8ster
      n8ster frank24438

      Posted

      It;s called a laminectomy  and they open up the spine where it is compressed or also called a decompression . They remove whatever is pressing on the nerve so that it can heal and not be damaged any more . I don't hear of a lot of people having it in the uk but it is pretty amazing . Most of the feeling in my feet and legs are back and I am 2 months out .
    • n8ster
      n8ster

      Posted

      you can read about it on webmd or spinal universe or spinehealth
    • roy47530
      roy47530 n8ster

      Posted

      Lucky you, I had similar treatment just before Christmas and the pain is worse, Surgeon has signed me off telling me that it has not worked and how it is is how it will remain, which is not what I was hoping to hear, not sure what to do now!!

      Very painful when standing and walking any distance is no longer possible due to the pain.

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