Dehydrated Disc

Can you talk to the doctor that administered your nerve block injection?

If you can you might want to ask if they can give you some nerve pain medication to help. Something like neurontin or lyrica.

It's difficult to wait for appointments when you are in pain. I've been there and I know.

Sometimes the nerve blocks don't work and other times they do help a patient.
It can take up to 2 weeks for the steroid to start working.

Has the doctor given you any kind of pain meds? They don't help much for nerve pain, but it might be enough to take the edge off.

Have you tried to ice the area that is in pain? Have you tried to ice your hip and low back?

If ice doesn't help, you might want to try moist heat on your lumbar spine, hip and leg.

Good luck

Fran

Have you tried some GENTLE decompression? I'm suggesting "The Back Bubble" or inversion - but no more than -30 degrees, just to get the pressure off the disc and get some fluid back in it.
Some people have had success with the Pettibon System to rehydrate discs but I have no experience with this.

Good Luck

Seems like I am with you bubblesdorney .I have had numerous steriod shots with no help.I also have Osteo so the surgeon has said that fusion is out untill at least a year, that is if I can build my bones up enough and keep my bone density up. Every medication for osteo so far has made me so sick I can't pick my head up from Nausea.So I don't know what to do.I am taking Lyrica and that does help with the nerve pain,but I still scream in my sleep from pain and yes my hip rages. I have gotten to the point that I try to stay up all night because I can't stand the pain trying to get back up,the pain is so bad my Husband has to pick me up,it's like my bones are being grinded or I have an ice pick in my spine..I try to move and the pain pulls me back.I have applied for social security twice and have been denied both times. This time I have an attorney for what ever help that might be.This has gone on for 2 years because of appointments being so hard to get in a timely manner.For me it all started with a fall that broke my Pelvis 2 years ago.Moist heat will bring some relief for me but I can not sit or lay for too long so I have to do 15 minutes get up for 15 and so on.I wish you Luck on an answer for your pain.I am so sorry for you.I am 95% miserable all the time, and can't do anything but think about all the things I wish I could.

The clue is actually in the diagnosis. Dehydrated disc - the discs are just jelly spongey things and need LOTS of water every day. The number one thing is to drink a minimum of 1 gallon of water every day.

You will be surprised how well this will make a difference in a couple of days.

You can control this condition yourself without intervention of any type!

Susannah

Dessicated discs or dehydrated discs are a part of normal aging and not painful. In MRI a 2% change in hydration can make a disc appear dark on MRI leading the diagnosis of dehydration.

I am 50 and have several dehydrated discs that do not hurt. I am squatting 345 lb for sets of 10 without pain. I also compete in jujitsu... all without pain. If dehydrated discs produced pain, I could not be as active as I am. Your diagnosis may be incorrect?

Have you Goggled the phrase "Lumbar extension exercises" or thelumbardisc (one word)?

I am 20 years old and have the exact same problem except the leg part! Every now and then i get sharpe pains down my right leg. But during examination from a surgeon, found out that it is actually my left leg that is effected more. The whole of my left side infact, is numb compared to my right side! Not completly numb i must say, but there is a very noticable difference.
I have been told there is no operation that can fix this, UNLESS, the disc prolapses (Buldges even more) or dehydrates even the two vertebrer touch and trap a nerve (bad spelling i know) causing extream pain and will basically make me unable to walk. I asked the physio why nothing could be done now and to prevent this Prolapse from happening, but she had no idea why.
Anyway, the physio has given me a load of exercise's to do to build up the muscle around the disc. She made it very clear to me though, that they will not make the pain go away, but most probably will make it a little bit better!

I still would like to know, Why do we have to wait for it to get worse before something is done?

I am 20 and have a dehydrated lower spine. This was shown on an MRI scan. I am also fed up with all the pain and nothing working. You name it ive tried it. Dunno what to do anymore, just want to be an active normal 20yr old! help??

Have you seen a spine specialist, either an orthopedic surgeon that specializes in spines or a neurosurgeon that specializes in spines only?

have you been diagnosed by a spine surgeon or are you basing your diagnosis on the reading report of your MRI?

Fran

The report from the MRI said i had this. i am retuning to the doctor on thursday to moan to them again how its not better. shall i ask to see a spine specialist?

I am almost 50 yrs old and been with back pain since I was 20 yrs old. For the last 6 months I have been bedridden by my L5/S1 disc herniation that is putting tremendous amounts of pressure on my nerves (cant even see the nerve canal on the MRI). Sacrum, glutes, legs, and back have been in alot of pain. I have tried physical therapy, acupuncture, decompression by traction system, chiropractor, cortisone injections with ozone, McKenzie treatment, and many other exercises and forms of therapy. Nothing has worked. I have been going to a chiropractor who has been helping me so much to deal with this. After two months I have no pain at all anywhere. I have been using inversion table that has helped. I have met with 5 orthopedic surgeons who after taking one look at my MRI told me to do surgery ASAP. The gonstead chiropractor has gotten me back to being not only pain free but also healthy.

i never heard of that. how did he do it?

sounds like the nerve is being affected and that is why there is the pain in the leg as well. If you just had injections, you need to tell them if it is worse. If it is worse, they will get you in sooner because it could be from them hitting something and aggrivating it that they (the doctor) did not mean to hit on the injections. You can always go get another opinion.
Any er that says they can't treat you, bs. They can too. You just need to try again if your in that much pain.
The sciatica nerve runs down the back of the legs.
I am concerned about your hurting this long after the injections. You need to go back. Let them know everything that is going on.



Anyone in pain, please seek professional help. If your told something that dosn't sound or feel right, you have the right to go see another doctor. It is always wise to get second and third opinions anyway.
Good luck,
Temperwolf

hi... i too have been told i have degeneration of the spine and dehydrated discs which are trapping my sciatic nerves. i too get incredible pain down my leg, hips, foot and even big toe. i'm trying physio but have tried an osteopath which was really good. glad i'm not alone... it won't cure it but i feel better knowing i've not lost my mind and not exaggerating it.

thanks shoegal

I am 17 I have been experiencing pain since I was 15 in my last year at high school. I went for an MRI scan in May 2010 and only got the results in August. It showed that I had a dehydrated disc at L5/S1 Level with a diffuse disc bulge on the left side.
Since I started with the pain it has continued to get worse. at first it started off with me being in pain for a few days then not in pain for a few days and the pain was usually kicked off by me aggravating it playing badminton and doing all the other sports I enjoyed, but now it doesn't take anything for me to be in pain I am in constant pain.
The pain goes across my back and down my left leg mainly but occasionally my right. The pains I get across my back and down my leg are sharp shooting pains very frequently and they are debilitating. Along with these shooting pains I have a constant aching but sharp pain (it’s hard to describe) going across my back and down my legs. It is horrible I have played badminton since I was 5 yrs old and I have had to quit because of this problem.
I am so fed up the problem is affecting me getting a job, doing any sport, going out, my college work and it is affecting my chances of getting the career I want etc. I am just getting so fed up with it and the thing that makes it worse is that none of my friends seem to understand, especially when I tell them I need to sit down after about 5 minutes of standing. The past few weeks have been the worst though, I’m currently supposed to be doing a placement for my college course. I got through 1 day of it and I couldn't go in today because I can barely walk, every time I put my left leg down I get a sharp shooting pain down it and across my back.
It is ruining my life at the moment it has stopped me from getting into university and it is affecting my chances of passing my college course. I have an appointment to see my consultant this Thursday; I am just really hoping he will do something about it. last time I saw him he told me that I have to do physiotherapy exercises every day for the rest of my life which I have been keeping up with so far but they don't seem to be doing much and he said because of my age he doesn't want to operate on me yet so he just sent me to physio.
I’ve had acupuncture, I’ve used the tense machine, I have an exercise ball at home which I do exercises on, i try to go swimming when I can, I use a hot water bottle at night and I am on pain killers which aren't very strong because they don't want to put me on anything too strong because of my age. I feel like I’m not getting anywhere with it and just going down hill. I just hope to god that my consultant will listen to me and will hopefully be able to do something about it.
Sorry about the massive rant, I just feel quite alone at the moment and I feel like nobody listens and understands.

Hi Jem - have you been able to receive relief yet? If not, see if you can find someone to do a bio-impedence test on you. It measures your cells water retention ability AND more importantly, your body's ability to access that water for your spine and organs. I have the same kind of lumbar pain running down my leg into my foot and just learned from the cellular biologist in my alternative medicine clinic that my test showed that even though I had the water storage of a 40 year old (I am 69) that I had the ability to access that water of someone in their 80s. I'm severely dehydrated. He prescribed trace minerals for 3 weeks and after l day I noticed my skin filling out and some pain relief. The trace minerals are necessary in order for your body to draw the water out of the cells and send it to your body/spine. Your spinal discs draw water out of your body when at rest at night and uses it during the day. That's why you drop in energy at the end of the day and need to up your water again. How much water do you drink a day?

hi jem
i'm not a dr just a fellow who's had major back troubles for over 40 years. so i've had my own experiences plus i've talked with thousands of people on line.
it is my observation that young people are not treated well for the spine.in general drs dont think the pain is that bad. of course you and i both know age has nothing to do with pain. your pain at age 17 is the same as mine at age 69. i think you should push for better and stronger meds. most people with disc trouble are on about 4 pain meds.
there are dangers to having pain for many years. one of them is permanent nerve damage. that pain running down your legs is caused by a spinal nerve being pinched. if its pinched too long even surgery wont cure the pain.
you need to see a surgeon who specializes on the spine. if youve seen one and he doesnt want to treat you then get another opinion. young people who are treated generaly do better than older people. put your foot down and demand to be considered like an adult.i would read as much as you can to become familiar with the spine and the various ways its treated. please try to get treatment soon so you can get on with your life. are you in great britain. do you have private insurance?.......pete

hi pete, i am in great britain and no i dont have private insurance, its on the nhs, and i am seeing my consultant tomorrow, he's the surgeon who specializes in the spine and will be doing anything if i need it or if he thinks i need it. i have had a third opinion on the medication and they all said the same however i have been referred to the pain clinic so that should help.
Jem

if youre seeing a spinal surgeon you are in good hands. something has to be done because you get worse and worse and two years is too long to suffer. the longer it lasts the harder to cure. let us know what he says.....pete