Degenerative disc disorder?

Question

Does anyone know what can be done for this? I went to P/T for it 3 years ago, but now it is starting to hurt again. I'm going to the dr soon, and I am taking Alieve but it doesn't seem to be helping any.

Answer 1

i am a chiropractor and specialize in spine related injuries. the disc acts as both a cushion and a spacer between each vertebrae. if a disc is bulging/herniated, that bulge can put pressure on the nerves exiting between each vertebra which causes a "pinched nerve." also if the disc is wearing out (getting thinner) you lose the space between the vertebra, which leaves less room for those nerves to exit--and again can pinch a nerve. the nerves in your cervical spine (neck) go all the way down your arm while the nerves in your lumbar spine (low back) form the sciatic nerve which runs all the way down your leg. if any of these are "pinched" they can cause pain, numbess, tingling, weakness wherever these nerves go (down arms/legs).

as a chiropractor i see this type of scenario on a daily basis. for those who have degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, disc bulging, etc.--normal chiropractic care can usually help with those problems. but there are also many people out there that have had this problem for many years and can't find relief with anything they try--including chiropractic.

but now there is a treatment that is perfect for your situation and the best part is: it's non-surgical and non-invasive. if you haven't heard of it yet it is called spinal decompression. this type of treatment focuses on disc injuries and the problems they cause. i use the DRX9000 spinal decompression system in my office and it works wonders for people with these types of injuries (approx. 90% successful). the DRX9000 is fda approved and is the best decompression system available (there are cheap knock-offs that don't give the same results).

my recommendation would be to see a chiro, especially if you've never tried it before-just to see what they have to say. also do some research on this treatment and then contact someone (usually a chiro) who uses it in their office. i would just google "DRX9000" to find info on it and doctors in your area who may have it. this treament is able to encourage the disc to go back to it's normal orientation and also rebuild its height--which then takes the pressure off whatever nerve it is compressing. pain meds, cortisone shots, epidurals won't do anything to solve the problem--all they do is cover it up and they become less and less effective over time. surgery AT BEST is 50% successful and usually doesn't solve the problem since most people need another surgery 5-10 years down the road for the same issue. it's typically a viscious cycle. remember: surgery is always an option, so try something prior to surgery to see if you can avoid it--cause once you do the surgery there is no going back.

this treatment is extremely effective for degenerative disc disease, disc bulging, herniation, etc. and also sciatica type of cases, especially if you haven't had surgery yet. i've had many patients who were scheduled for surgery, tried this treatment as a last resort, and then ended up cancelling their surgery altogether after treatment was completed. it really does work and that's what my recommendation would be for you. good luck and hopefully this gives insight to others experiencing similar problems--there is a solution!!!

Answer 2

Degenerative disc is a disease. As time goes by it just keeps getting worse. The Dr. will be able to help you, with your pain.
I've had this for 20 years and do take pain pills. But sometimes they just don't work for me. Then I use a ice pack. This really works good. God bless you, a fellow sufferer.

Answer 3

Start with an appointment to your GP and ask if your condition would benefit from seeing a physical therapist The vast majority of regenerative disc problems can be fixed by physical therapy. Physical therapy doesn't work when the damage has progressed beyond a certain point, but even under these circumstances, its still worthwhile for preventing things from getting worse. If you can't be helped by physical therapy, then surgery would be the next option. For surgery you would need to see an orthopedic surgeon.

Answer 4

Ask your doctor about a procedure called "Disk Nucleoplasty". I've known two people that have had that done and it helped them TREMENDOUSLY.

You can read about it here:

http://www.nucleoplasty.com/dpat/dpat.aspx?s=0401

GOOD LUCK!!!

Edit:

I did a quick research on what the Answerer below me said and found this link about it:

http://www.healthworksimc.com/FAQ.htm

It sounds like quite a viable option to try even before the Disk Nucleoplasty.

Again, GOOD LUCK!!!