Back Pain Forum - Treating the Degenerative Vertebral Disease, Spondylosis

Conditions and Diseases > Back Pain Forum > Treating the Degenerative Vertebral Disease, Spondylosis

What structures make up the spine? We review basic spine anatomy here...before identifying potential causes of back pain....

Q: Treating the Degenerative Vertebral Disease, Spondylosis

asked by: DoctorQuestion on February 7th, 2006

i am presently having pain in the very bottom of my back, and shooting pains going down both legs. Whilst sitting all my toes go numb and after walking for about 10 mins my legs become weak, also when laying down on my back for more than 15mins both my hands go to sleep with pins and needles. I also have a numb patch on my right thigh that extends from the top of the thigh to my knee. These sysmptoms have been going on now for 18months and a getting worse. I have had 2 x mri scans but they just showed some disc degeneration at l4/l5 and some fornanimal narrowing but not significant enough for my specialists to consider surgery. I have had a selective nerve root block that made things worse.

I am presently taking 180mg of dihydrocodeine, 75mg amitriptylne, 400mg tramadol a day, 1 x 30/500 mg cocodomol, 3 x 50mg diclofenac.

My farther suffered with a similar thing when he was my age which resulted in partial paralasis, have you any ideas of what could be the cause or suggestions to aid recovery

Many thanks

Tony

Replies(1)

Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov , MD

replied on February 22nd, 2006

Back Pain Answer A404

It's possible that you are experiencing a type of denegeration of the vertebrae of the spine. Degenerative changes of the inter-vertebral discs and vertebrae create pressure on the roots of the spinal nerves. This pressure can cause pain, unpleasant sensations, and muscle paralysis. This type of degenerative vertebral disease is called SPONDYLOSIS.

According to your medications and the doses you've been taking, I realize that you are suffering a lot. You can consult a neuro-surgeon for diagnosis and treatment options and to learn more about a possible operative intervention to help ease the pain.

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