First, I'm not a doctor but have had a lot of health problems and my dad has the degenerative disc disease so....you have Degenerative Disc Disease which means the discs in your back are wearing away - arthritis..which the report says you have arthropathy in your back - again arthritis. Some of the discs in your back are out of place.

There's also some swelling in the lower back/butt area. Sounds like you have a pinched nerve in there - actually it says the nerve is displaced so it has been moved by the discs being out of place. The swelling and pinched nerve itself causes pain and numbness down the leg. I don't think all of this is going to paralyze you or anything like that. The pain that you're feeling now is probably as bad as it gets. The good news is that there are treatment options! I would steer clear of cortisone injections though because they can actually wear away bone and you don't need that!

A chiropractor may be able to help, but it sounds to me like you're going to need a really good orthopedic surgeon who can fix the problem or recommend the best treatment options for you. You may/may not need surgery. You may be able to wear a brace that aligns your spine and corrects the problem. There are a lot of options and each one is based on your specific condition(s). Just be sure you find a really GOOD doctor - research the doctor and ask a LOT of questions when you go. Understand the condition and the treatment options before you leave his/her office. If the doctor doesn't have time to answer your questions then you need another doctor!

Don't worry about it too much. Stress can make things like this a lot worse. So keep a cool head about it. A lot of people have these problems and still work everyday and live normal lives. If you're in a lot of pain then ask about physical therapy (hot packs; ultrasound - they put this gel on your back and then massage this heated wand over your back which feels great!; massages - ahhhh, ice to get the swelling out, and whatever the PT says to do - which usually includes stretching and exercises as well). Try not to take pain medications and muscle relaxers if you can help it. Be sure you only take the prescribed amount so you don't become dependent or addicted to them. Be sure you take your meds with food especially if you have any stomach problems - this is especially true if you're on anti-inflammatories like Celebrex, Arthrotec, Mobic, etc.. Some of the otc creams, patches, or rubs may help ease some of the pain. I have a pinched nerve as well and the thing that helps me the most is a heating pad when I'm at home and then I use the pain patches when I'm not at home.

Good luck. Take care and God Bless you.

Heartland87, really appriciacte your detailed response. I will be quetioning the doctor a lot. For now, they really recommend cortison shot. I am undecided, but the continuous pain is making me think of a shot and atleast get temporary relief. I know, long term solution is PT etc.


Thanks a bunch and God bless.

The Physical Terrorist is not always the answer, and by all means do not go see a Chiropractor, its like taking your 56 Chevy to any mechanic. Don't jump the gun either, some people respond well to cortosone shots and many times they last ceveral months. However, if you devide to have a look at surgical procedures please go and see a Neurosurgeon who specializes in the spine,not orthopedics, those guys can ruin your life, trust me. Now surgery can go either way and your surgeon will tell you that, sometimes good sometimes bad, its a crap shoot. When I went to see my surgeon I had a whole slew of questions for him but when I left I thought of even more and then I called and left a message for him and he called me at home that night on his time and spent an hour on the phone going over everything, twice if thats what I needed, so make sure you find a good doctor and if you feel rushed, then rush right out that door and find a new one, in the meantime there are lots of things you can research, read about spinal fusions, read about TENS Units and any other type of relief you think you might want to try. The pain medications are always there so if everything else fails that is you fallback, okay enough bending your ear. Good luck to you, and I hope you feel better. : )