You cannot recover from ddd there is no medicine to stop it or slow it down I have had ddd since I was 16 I am now 30 I have had 5 surgeries and ruputerd l1 through 5 and that is where my ddd is. Last august I have finally found relief I went to a pain management doctor and started rehabilitaion it is not therapy it is different and is wonderful I would say that this would be your only way for comfort hope this helps

That is a great help and just glad to hear that I am not underestimating this condition. Has taken me about 3 years to finally come clean with my employers and tell them the truth.

After reading your reply I know that I am making the right decision to go into less of a demanding career field as far as its effects on the body are concerned.

The doctors here say 'well the pain gets better once its ruptured completely' but i'm not sold on that idea. Think its easy for them to say.
Thanks

Hi there, I know several people that have ddd. I am no Dr., but my opinion is to try to avoid surgery at all costs, it seems that if you have one surgery then you have to have another and another & so on, then, you end up with scar tissue. To me, surgery is not always the answer, even though it may help some. I know of some people that have had an epidural steroid injection and it helped them.
Pain management Dr. Is a good suggestion.
Good luck
sandy

that makes no sense! You will be in more excruciating pain because what cushion is left, will be totally deteriorated! Bone on bone. Not pleasent, and that is when the facet joint bones can begin rubbing severely on the nerve roots and do permanant damage. If you have ddd t12/l1 through l5/s1 you need surgery! You need fusion along with rods and you need to be relieved from this pain.

Any doctor that tells you to remain in pain is a quack in my opinion.

At the very minimum, you should think about pain managment and possibly have an analgesic pump implanted in your belly that feeds the spinal cord directly and will at least give you several years more of pain free life, so you can be with your family and have fun while you can still do it. Otherwise have the surgery!!!!!!!!!


Its not just you that suffers when you are in pain. :)

Cheers for all the replies and for the most recent from sandyallen and tamadrummer. The part about the analgesic pump implanted in the belly sounds scary but I guess the pain must be going to get bad to consider that course of action. Right now I am sorta going backwards because am waiting to see another orthopedic surgeon to discuss surgery but haven't been given gotten an appt yet.

I got another question, is it true that I could cause serious damage to my back by lifting something heavy, like could it be irrepearible. My doctor says to take it easy but i've heard that others have been banned from lifting heavy objects because it can just go pop. I'm still trying to do most things but sometimes when lifting the baby car seat I think ohoh this could be bad. Am I being too cautious?

If any of you guys have got any alternative pain remedies that have worked for you, i'd love to hear of them. Right now the tylenol 3 and codeine pretty much eases it.

To mickeymouse_724, i'm gonna try the pain management thing in a couple of weeks too, so cheers also.

Mark

Use your legs when you lift, not your back.
Sincerely,
sandy

I have 3 degenerative discs in the lumbar think it is L1 to L3, i have had to go on sick from work in a contact centre which is a stressful job, i sit at a desk for 5 hours without a break and have done this now for the last 4 years but the last few weeks have been unbearable for me emotionally and physically due to the pain both in my lower back and front of legs...does any-one know how the three degenerative discs is going to affect me physically long term as i am 41 yrs old and i feel i have a really bleak future ahead of me. I am taking painkillers which are zydol and i don't want to take the spinal injection as i have heard this can be incredibly painful..my dad has it! I cannot beleive i was so once active not so long ago and now i find it difficult even to pick up my cats dish. I have had a back problem for years and doctors just said...its something you will have to live with and gave me kapake and diclofenic. It was only this year when i went to the doctors and asked them to refer to a specialist that i found out what me actual problem is. I have been told that if it was only 1 degenerted disc then it would have been operable, 2 discs..maybe operable but definately not 3. I feel let down by my doctors and feel that they should have referred me several years ago and maybe i wouldnt be feeling all this pain now and the quality of my life would be as normal as the next person. I am having acupuncture which i am paying for as i cannot get this free on the nhs where i live, i have had three sessions so far and have been advised i maybe need about ten sessions...if it works then fine. I am sorry that this post is long but really would like any advice as to the long term ...what to expect as in quality of normal day living etc. I am not sure whether i should leave my job or not...i live with my daughter and i have a mortgage etc and just my income from working p-time.