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degenerative disc disease

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aliards

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Dec 2005
Posts: 4
Location: Northern Ireland
degenerative disc disease
Posted: 12-23-05 17:23pm

I hope someone may have some advice or tips for me as i'm having a really bad time at the moment. I have had degenerative disc disease since 2001 & have just been medically retired from work because of it. I'm 39. I had a mri in 2001 which showed that my lower 4 discs were degenerated, the 5th disc was torn & the 6th weakened. I have been told by a number of repected consultants that surgery is not a possibility because there are too many discs damaged.



I have steriod epidurals roughly every 6 months for sciatica (next one due about march 2006) and i'm on opiate based painkillers. I've also tried accupuncture but this only worked for a very short time, no matter how often I went.



The last week has been really bad & I can hardly move, sit or lie down. Does anyone have any suggestions to help me through the christmas week? Are there any alternative therpies/supplements (suitable for vegetarians) apart from accupuncture any advice would be really appreciated.
Thank you.


Ali.
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fatfamily02

Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
Posts: 3050
Location: Georgia, USA

Posted: 12-24-05 13:06pm

I do not believe anyone deserves the pains and complications associated with bulging disc, hernieted disc, flattened disc, or whatever they are calling yours. It completely stopped my life. I messed up 4 in my back and one in my neck during one episode of injury. What happened was my spine dislocated, and with lifting, messed all these discs up in just a few days. I felt them crush one by one, I heard and felt it!!! Even the workmans comp suggested it had "damaged my body as a whole"

it messed up my legs, arms, all the strength of my body, they would press on the spinal cord and nerve roots causing all kinds of srtrange symptoms, and no one understood it at all.

Email me and I will offer any suggestions I might have
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disabledcoastie

Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Dec 2005
Posts: 68
Location: West Virginia

Posted: 12-24-05 21:43pm

Aliards,

find you another neurosurgeon to ask. I don't know what all is bad in your back but I would definitely try to find somebody to help me. Seems like you would be a canidate for a fusion with cages.

Www.Spineuniverse.Com

great site with alot of info I go there alot for my problems for research and such. Btw i've had two fusions on my lumbar area, I think there is someone out there who can help you. Good luck.
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