Degenerative disc disease..

[undergroundpanther]

I just found out I got it.. WonDerFul.
Anyways I already have diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. A really obnoxious name for bone spurs. I got two big huge fused ones bending my esophagus sideways.and little evil looking barbs growing off most of my vertebrae, kinda cool looking..in an x ray that is.. I'm already on disability for mental issues..They say when you hit 40 everything goes to shit, In my case it has turned out to be the case.
Does anyone got any good links or info you could tell me about degenerative disc disease? Like how does it progress what can I do to help the pain etc.
My back doc showed me on my MRI apparently two disc's are bulging. I don't know what I can do, I am taking anti inflammatories and tylenol. How bad will it get? Does heat or cold help it? Sleeping a certain way? Already I take nubain once in awhile for pain, my side hurts and goes numb and stuff. What do I do if or when the disc's blowout, can they fix it? I'm a little freaked out by it all.

[spag68]

1. Wait till you hit 60, I know and it's bad.

Try water exercise.

[durrrty libby]

2. I'm so sorry for you

Ask the doc if yoga would be ok?

[greenman3610]

3. Google "Prolotherapy"

it works.
Greatest single unknown medical
procedure on earth.

fwiw
I am an orthopedic nurse.

[undergroundpanther]

4. I wrote the prolotherapy people

requested info, and info to give to my orthopedic neurologisst.
I'ts ironic because today he told me what degenerative disk disease is about how the spine dries out, and the first thing I asked is isn't there some way to reinject moisture basck into the spine? He said no.. But apparently that is not the case, He needs to know about this.

[dajoki]

6. I suffer from same and similar...

problems. Could please give me a link or some info on Prolotherapy? Thank you very much!!

[Annces]

5. I think strength and movement are important

I had some problems with my back a while back. I got a book on back exercises and a book by Feldenkrais, on awareness through movement. It takes a long time to work things out, but eventually I think you can recover.

I use an exercise ball to sit on, when I am working a long time at the computer. This puts your spine in its normal alignment.

[Wiley50]

7. Welcome to the club, Panther!

Mine involves 10 discs and is causing numbness in both feet.
Doctor calls that Chronic Progressive Nerve damage.
At least it's progressive. I like that word.
But it will get worse.

I've been on Fentanyl patches for 3 1/2 years.
Tylenol won't touch it, and with Hep C the stuff will kill me
sooner.

Gee. Something else we have in common, huh Panther?

[undergroundpanther]

8. Ohh man,that sux

Right now I only I THINK got 4 disks involved, two in the lumbar and two in the neck is fused with spurs.Tylenol doesn't do shit for me either. I take the Extra strength ones and it still sucks. Can't take motrin cause I'm on naporoxin, which has just raised my blood pressure over the normal threshold so now I am taking water pills to bring it back down.I'm on flexeril too. Funny you mention the numb issue my side goes numb off and on. I can't sleep on one side because of the pain there.It hurts if I roll over, dammit and I am getting really tired of not being able to sleep on both sides..Doc said it was"neuralgia" or something..He said it should go away in time.
But how long?
Hep C huh? damn.. I just got the first in a series of shots to immunize me from hep B. Weird coincidence there.

[cutlassmama]

9. Suggestion: go to a pain doctor. They have treatments as well as pain meds to help