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Degenerative disc disease & pain management
Spine Health | Last Active: Dec 1 6:28pm | Replies (21)Comment receiving replies
@sandiw77
I have ddd had it now for some years. I had a bad car accident 8 years ago now and have wondered if that triggered it off.
I get pain across bottom of my back and down my left leg. It has swapped legs as used to be my right leg.
I’m on amitriptyline and co-codamol as and when it’s bad.
I haven’t been offered an op as my GP said it could be dangerous and could result in wheel chair.
So I just manage it with pain relief and exercise.
Replies to "@sandiw77 I have ddd had it now for some years. I had a bad car accident..."
@chrissie1960, so glad to hear that you did not have surgery. They no longer recommend surgery for me either. I take Cymbalta & Tramadol and they both help, though not as much as I would like. I have thought about asking for an update to replace the Cymbalta. Do you think that amitriptyline is effective? Blessings! ❤️
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@chrissie1960 Welcome Chrissie! Perhaps your GP was trying to be helpful, but the best doctor to evaluate what is best in your case is a spine specialist. Avoiding spine surgery would allow your condition to progress and some patients still end up in wheelchairs. Spinal discs can collapse and the bone of the vertebrae can start to touch and it can fuse itself over time. That would also narrow the space between each vertebrae where the nerves exit the spinal cord. Arthritis and boney growth in those areas further compresses a space. With enough compression, nerves and spinal cord nerve cells can die causing loss of function . You really need more information because a decision now will impact the rest of your life. I have seen a patient on Facebook who refused spine surgery. She cannot care for herself, is in a reclining wheelchair in constant pain, and they are always under financial strain trying to pay for her care. The family also carries a burden.
If you find an excellent surgeon you can ask what their success rate is for a case like yours. Lumbar surgery is a more difficult recovery because you are bearing most of your body weight there. There is always compromise and perhaps loss of movement in part of the spine which is a trade for stopping further loss of function. Everyone is different in their experience. It is true that surgery could make something worse and increase pain, but it also can improve lives.
I am a cervical spine fusion patient and that was a good decision for me. I got back the coordination in my arms and don’t have pain. That being said, I periodically stretch the scar tissue because it gets tight. I have to loosen stiff muscles. I also have thoracic outlet syndrome TOS that causes tight neck and shoulders. You owe it to yourself to get information for an informed decision. My surgeon is at Mayo and they are truly exceptional there.