help with degenerative disc desease?

Question

my mom has had this problem for about 5 years now. She is 46. She gets horrible back pain and her nerves occasionally get pinched causing her face and arms to become numb. It has really become a problem lately. She has to see a chiropractor every week or more depending. She has also done physical therapy. While these have seemed to keep her pain from getting worse it definitely is not getting better. She is even considering acupuncture. My question is what do you know about this disease and what can be done to help (and don't just say drugs..thats the obvious answer...) I have heard little about fusing the spine or an experimental disc surgery. My mom would prefer the ladder but refuses since it's only in the experimental phase. Where can I find info on these surgeries and maybe convince my mom it is safe (if it is safe and guaranteed improvement).

Answer 1

The first thing about degenerative disc disease you should know is that it is not a disease at all...ALL people eventually get at least one degnerative disc, but when the degeneration falls outside the norm for someone her age; and if it can be correlated with her symptoms, can it be a problem. It is NOT something that she should dwell on that she has a "disease"...many of these people can become symptom free or at least manage their symptoms.

My first piece of advice is that if the current DC and PT are not providing any relief, I always suggest another opinion from both. Many people will get different opinions from their physician, but never think to do the same from a PT...just like medicine, there are different approaches to treat a problem in PT and DC. My personal preference and by far my most successful treatment method is mechanical diagnosis and therapy (MDT). If her PT does not practice this, I would highly suggest she seek the opinion from someone who does. She can go to: http://www.mckenziemdt.org Some chircopractors use this method as well. The method focuses on showing the patient one or two simple maneuvers that they can perform on their own to correct the problem...not just cover it up.

Other things to try also include spinal decompression from a DC. Yet at $20,000 for a course of treatment and without giving the patient a means to help the problem themselves, I would definetely see a PT who is certified in MDT first.

Spinal fusion can be successful if done for the right reason...but she should be evaluated by a PT with training in MDT to see if her imaging studies correlate with her symptoms...I've seen too many people come out of this surgery no better or worse because their problem was not at the level that was fused.

The disc replacement surgery does not yet have the results neurosurgeons are looking for. I know of only one in my area who is doing them, and even he prefers laminectomy and fusion over the replacement....the success just isn't there yet.

I would really look into the therapies I mentioned above...once a level is fused, that's it...there is no going back.

Answer 2

I have been struggling with degenerative disk disease since i was 16. I have had six surgeries.None of them helped with the pain for very long.I dont recomend getting the back fused,its so permenent and if they come up with a cure she wont be able to get it. And it wont take the pain away. I am 28. I am told that by the time i am 30 i will be in a wheelchair, which i fully belived until i got a morphine pump. the pump is implanted in your stomache and a catheter runs from there and into your spinal fluid,so it takes less medication to deal with the pain.i am only on 6.7 milagrams of morphine a day. i was taking 4-8 750 of vicodin or 40-80 milagrams of methodone daily. the meds made me grumpy and tired all the time. i finally feel like myself again. on top of the ddd i have fibromyalsia,and spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal callum). back pain is not fun especially if you have kids mine is 8yrs old. i hope this help.

Answer 3

The experimental treatment has been around for a few years, so there's reasonably good info on the pros and cons. A co-worker had one of the aritficial discs inserted in her lower back, and it was the first time she got relief from the pain in 35 years. Within the next year, at the age of 50, she was lifting weights, running, and even backpacking. Here's links to some info:

Answer 4

Hi, I also have DDD. When I was first diagnosed over 8 years ago, I didn't know where to turn for information either! I came home, turned on my PC, and did as much research as I could. I was not able to find out very much on it, and not wanting to get too discouraged, I figured that there HAD to be others out there in the same predicament, and I decided to try and find them. =) So, I formed an online support group for DDD sufferers, and it is called 3D-DDD. You can find us at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/3D-DDD/ and while we may not be able to offer you medical advice - we are NOT medical professionals - what we CAN offer you (and your Mom) is a sympathetic shoulder!!

We have all been there, and do our best to support each other when there is no one else that understands, and we share our techniques and tips for what works for us to make us more comfortable. Some members have had failed surgeries and don't advocate it, and other members have had surgery and think that it is the absolute best thing ever! This is why WE can NOT offer advice, because not only are we not medical professionals, but your Mom's case is completely different from my case which is completely different from my moderator's case, etc. etc.

We would love to have you and your Mom join us, though, for moral support and as much education as we know of that we've collated from what's available online. =) Even if you opt not to join us (we are an e-mail list, in the event that you are not familiar with Yahoo groups...), I still wish you and your Mom the very best, as I can certainly identify with those very same symptoms and my heart just totally goes out to her!!!!

Answer 5

First thing I would do is stop using chiropractors.