Degenerative discs lower spine, thoracic spine, neck: Fix the pain?

@ccchang thank you, I don’t think a Chiropractor could help. I am doing PT to strength muscles around the disc’s.

@ccchang wow, I didn’t realize that you just had surgery! I can’t find the earlier conversation where you talked about what vertebrae you are trying to address. I only saw the one in this string where you said you have Harrington rods from a prior surgery.
What did they do during this surgery?

@ccchang yes I had numbness, yes, I had a lot of itching. What I learned from having my spine compressed by discs falling out and vertebrae‘s compressing onto the nerves is that you can have burning numbness, tingling itching, and the very from location to location. The neurosurgeon I was with for 18 years, would’ve never done my first lumbar surgery therefore, my lumbar nerves were crushed to their death. they could only grow back dysfunctional. I went right into surgery when I was referred to my orthopedic surgeon who I selected to do my surgery. It had been way too long and my nerves crushed way too completely to expect complete return. However, the surgery was wildly successful. It takes up to 10 years to figure out if your nerves are going to regenerate I am on year six or seven and periodically. I have some new success so it really can take a long time. I wouldn’t take any of it back because I can get out of bed and I can work and I can live an independent life. What’s a little nerve pain?! However, I will say I’m onto something new after six or seven years, and that is extra iron and B12 in my diet after already having extra nutrients. I am realizing the iron is actually rebuilding the nerve sheets, myelin. So after seven years, I’m having some good healing with my nerves! Never give up and always keep reaching out, looking for opportunities, trying new things and talking to people. Since I suffer with degenerative disc condition, it goes from my neck through my mid back through my lumbar down my spine so the possibility of neuropathy and radiculopathy can be a variety of places. Mostly for me it was down my left leg bilaterally in my sacral joint areas and between my shoulder blades and shoulders.

I was wondering what you do besides PT to help with this.

Hi and thank you for replying. After 40 years, I am moving out of the Keys to a small town 26 miles inland from Naples, FL. Naples does have a number of hospitals and Ft. Meyers is not far either but I do not know of any spinal hospitals yet. I am in considerable pain and don’t walk well but I am mobile. The longer I walk, the more it hurts. My new home will have a swimming pool which I fully intend to use. There is also a big community pool and probably water aerobics will be offered which I will take. Eventually I have to make the trip to Miami for an MRI that can be used by those with pacemakers. I do not want spinal surgery. I know of several people who had laminectomies in the past 20 years and they are not doing well now. They are facing more and more spinal surgery. I have signed up for a study with Disc Genics regarding stem cell transplants starting in 2024. I am also taking Sirolimus, a rapamycin medicine as a Guinea pig. It is approved by the FDA for organ and stem cell transplants and you can get it through studies being done on it. It has been studied with some successful results on rats with ddd issues as well as cardio issues. It was discovered in the 70s but apparently it takes forever in study programs. I’ve been on it for almost 3 months. It hasn’t killed me yet but I haven’t noticed any changes either.

Something that really helps me is my osteopath/MD who does various manual treatments…fascial release and cranial-sacral work among them.

@nycmusic
Where are you located ? I live in Brooklyn, NY where all those things are very expensive, but I would do it if it would help. I've been told I need fusion surgery but I have osteoporosis. The pain is getting really bad in my legs.

@annie1 so sorry you have so much pain and wish you the best treatments and recovery… I live on the upper west side of manhattan, and my osteopath is nearby…he’s also a professor, so medical students are often at sessions… I’m very okay with that…and because of that, his fee is reasonable….my DO specializes in manual therapy.

@nycmusic I'd love to get his name and contact. I think you have to DM me according to rules here. That would be great if you could send that to me.

Thanks

@annie1 hi, i do not know how to DM….tell me how…just so you know, he does not take any insurance……but the fee is similar to acupuncture or massage….