Any advice on dealing with degenerative discs?

[Shawn Pixley]

I have been having tingling in my right arm. I went to the doctor and after X-rays & an MRI, it was determined that I have a couple of degenerative discs in my neck. Too many sports, I suppose. I cannot remember ever hurting my neck though. I am lean and fit so this seems like a double whammy.

My doctor had the same issue as well and I think highly of him. He eventually had to have surgery. I am now in physical therapy. Any advice from anyone who has gone through this? Disc replacement sugery is very unappealing.

[paul cottingham]

I have three degenerative discs in my neck from being a competitive swimmer and hard physical labor as a youth. I had c5-c6 replaced with a titanium spacer, and it helped. Let me encourage you not to leave surgery too long, as I did, as I have permanent serious neuropathic pain in my hand and neck. I am not lean, but I am fit.
Fortunately, I can still work wood.

[Phil Thien]

A friend of mine is going through this now. He went to a doctor that he knew and respected, and the doctor told him surgery was required and sooner rather than later. Of course this freaked my friend out quite a bit, and being a man with considerable resources he decided to go to Mayo and get a 2nd opinion. The 2nd opinion was that he may need surgery down the road, but sooner wasn't necessary.

I did know a roofer once that actually injured himself to the point of losing quite a bit of his arm function, and he underwent surgery. While he no longer swung a hammer, he started doing the quoting and told me the recovery was even better than he expected.

I believe the cervical surgeries typically have better outcomes than lower back surgery. Someone will probably correct me if I'm wrong.

Oh, and if you talk on a phone a lot, and if you cradle the phone by tilting your head, STOP THAT IMMEDIATELY and get a Bluetooth headset. I have one more friend that was taken to the hospital in tremendous pain and it all boiled down to the way he was twisting his neck to hold the phone (he talks on the phone a ton).

I am a big fan of vitamin D and tell almost everyone that vitamin D is a wonder vitamin. BUT, I've read taking too much vitamin D can actually lead to a narrowing of the canal through which your spinal cord travels. So if you take a lot of vitamin D, you might want to bring that up with your doctor. Your avatar makes you seem pretty tan, and I doubt you can get enough vitamin D from the sun to cause similar narrowing, but...

Getting a second opinion is always a good idea, third opinions aren't unheard of. What you're looking for is consensus which will emerge after talking to a number of (REAL) doctors. Talk to as many medical professionals (doctors, nurses, dentists, anyone) as you know and ask them who THEY would have perform such a surgery. I know in my town (Milwaukee), when it comes to lower back surgery (what I may need some day), there is one go-to guy, he is heads and shoulders above the other back surgeons.

I guess my advice is to seek the advice of as many (REAL) doctors as you can. Even if you aren't going to be examined, as least ask doctors you know for a referral to the M.D. to whom they would turn in your position.

[Jim Matthews]

I wonder if brighter shop lighting might help improve posture?

There are several Creekers who are dealing with spinal maladies, their advice should hold some consistent standard of care that's available.
I would suggest making all the accomodations you can before surgery, which carries it's own risks - including paralysis.

Paul mentioned the titanium replacement disk for C-spine vertebrae, which was still in development when I left the field (as a sales rep)
in the early 2000's. It shows real promise, and has strong trial data to support the promise of recovery.

That said;

Proper lighting, vision aides and an updated eyeglass prescription may restore your head to a more neutral position when working at your bench.

Shop floor mats, proper shoes (a trip to the podiatrist may be in order) and a foot rest to allow weight shifting as you stand may also help.

If you drive, adjust your seat height to keep the head neutral as you view the road.
Softer suspension components and compliant tires will take more road shock.

Physical therapy and cervical epidural steroids (under fluoroscopy) can provide immediate relief of pain, but only manage that as a symptom.
Mechanical modifications; either through physical therapy, bracing (traction) or surgery offer permanent solutions.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/94118-treatment

A quick browse of the term "radiculopathy" or "cervical nerve compression" may get you on the same page as your physician.

I'm not a fan of chiropractic manipulation of the neck, but some find real relief from the procedure.
http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/neck-pain/chronic-neck-pain-what-condition-causing-my-neck-pain

While anecdotal support may provide you some hope for recovery, please consult your physician
before applying any remedies; the upside may be no better than good drugs, the downside could be debilitation and paralysis.

[Larry Frank]

I am sorry to hear of your neck problems. I had lower back problems and ended up with spinal fusion. It is far from perfect and I still have pain but at least I am still walking and can do most of the things that I wanted. Without the surgery, I would not be walking. The discs were no longer really working as discs and the vertebrae had lateral movement.

I would definitely get at least a second and maybe even a third opinion. Go to the best hospital or surgeon that you can find. Your surgeon may suggest trying some things short of surgery to relieve the pain. However, I look at it like a bad ball joint on a car. You can grease the joint for awhile but eventually you will need to fix the ball joint.

I recently had very bad wrist pain and saw a local hand orthopedic surgeon who suggested wrist fusion and I would have no motion in the wrist. I drove up into Chicago to Rush Hospital where they have a very well regarded hand and wrist group. The surgeon the suggested a different surgery to relieve the very bad wrist arthritis. I had him do the surgery and have very little pain no and the wrist has 75% of the movement as my other wrist. The second opinion saved the day for me.

If you do have surgery, plan it for a time when you will have sufficient help around you and emotional support. It may be a while until you can return to your normal activities.

The last piece of advice that I can offer is to read everything you can about your condition and potential surgery and the typical results. I had read several papers by the doctor that did my hand surgery and became much more confident in him and understood the expected outcome.

[Shawn Pixley]

Thanks for all the advice. I appreciate it very much. I am in the physical therapy routine with full gusto. I find myself correcting my posture at work (work unfortunately is not woodworking related). I also find myself getting up and moving more often. That suits my rather htperactive, restless nature. I have consulted at UCLA and with some of the MD's where I work.

[paul cottingham]

Let me make a final comment. The surgery I had on my neck did not affect my mobility at all, in fact, I was up to swimming every day in less than 3 months after the surgery. The relief it brought was also palpable. In fact I am now more active than I have been in years.
But exhaust every option if you can. Just don't leave it too long, I will apparently be in significant pain for the rest of my life.

[lewis white]

My mom was diagnosed with the same disease some time prior Then I take her to a specialist, doctor endorses a prescription for her. You are bound to have DDD in the event that you Smoke routinely my mom is a chain smoker, If you are fat, If you are doing substantial physical work and Don't get particular exercise. I figure you ought to go for a thing whatever your specialist proposes. You should change your resting examples and get some great mattress for yourself and purchase a recliner for yourself at whatever point you need to sit. Stay away from excessive sitting.. I pray to god that your surgery would be successful

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

The causes are enything from genetic to sports to heavy labor. For my Mrs. it was both genes and sports. She has had three low back surgeries, including bone plugs put in. She has been back to working full time for ten years now. Doctor even released her to go back to riding horses, although no jumps etc. I am a retired attorney, and through the years I met a great many people who needed back surgery. Neck surgery for discs, is one of the more successful, from the standpoint of having a good result. But, you need to stay active. keep up muscle tone in the affected part of the spine. A friend had back surgery 15 yrs ago and had a good result for the most part. BUT, he works out 6 days a week, and includes 30 minutes of bicycling every day. If he skips three or four days, his back pain flares up again. I have had no disc problem but I have a condition called Spondylosis. where one of the lower spinal bones is shifted forward from where it is supposed to be. I get a week or two of back twinges every year. Again, staying active staves off the episodes of pain. all winter long, I lift a couple hundred pounds of hay every day to feed the stock in the barn. The problems are worse about late April, when the pastures have grown enough that I no longer need to feed hay. About a week after I stop feeding hay, the low back pain returns and reminds me to do some other activity to keep the pain away.

[Tim Bueler]

I've ruptured a number of discs in my lower back. Same ones my Dad ruptured and comparing notes I was within 6 months of the same age he was when the first disc ruptured. I go to a massage therapist every 3 weeks. Not a spa type mind you, it's deep tissue and is the only thing that keeps me moving. It can also tell you, by what muscle or muscle group hurts, if you've been bad (forces you to think about what you did to get it that way).

I've also had great results with acupuncture. I tried a new one after we moved a few years ago and he doesn't get the same results as my previous acupuncturist. Really bumbed about that but resources are limited in this region.

The trick to massage therapists, acupuncturists and even chiropractors (and even doctors for that matter)...not all are created equal. You've got to find the one that works well with you. Not always an easy task, you just have to keep trying until you find "the one".

Good luck! Sounds like I'm not the only one who feels your pain.

[Jim Becker]

The good news is that there are a lot more techniques available today should you ultimately need surgery. Just be sure to choose the right provider if that comes to be...like any procedure, you want a doctor/group/facility that does a ton of this stuff and stays up on the latest things relative to the issue you actually have. Many major metropolitan areas have great orthopedic facilities including those that handle the major sports teams. With the assistance of your primary care provider, you can do some good research to identify the best facility for your needs that (hopefully) also is within your insurance network if that is a requirement.

[Bob Grier]

Shawn, I have had a couple lower back surgeries (first one was an emergency) and both my brother and I recently had neck surgeries. I am still in physical rehab for the neck which was bone graft fused and plated 3 months ago tomorrow. I have appointment next month with surgeon to explore options for lower back problem.

I tried physical therapy for second back issue but gave up after 6 months and had surgery. I couldn't turn over in bed, etc.

A little over 2 years ago a neurologist recommended surgery for my neck. When I declined the neurologist talked me into 2nd opinion from surgeon. The surgeon recommended waiting until neck was worse. I finally went to surgeon for help last August. I can now walk normal when I get up in the morning or out of a chair. I can use my legs to get up instead of using my arms. I can open jars and bottles with my hands and I can lift pieces of wood much easier. I quit taking pain pills like Aleve and Tylenol.

I still have nephropathy in feet and a little in hands but not as severe. My brother went from not being able to walk without holding onto the wall to unlimited walking and hiking after. He rides bicycle 20 to 30 miles a couple times a week. He is in his 70's like me. Before surgery he could not even think about getting on a bicycle. Now he is finishing up the remodel of his house that had been on hold for a year.

My opinion is that a conservative orthopedic spine surgeon that is at the top of his game is an important part of the team. I also believe it is important to get the surgery before much permanent damage is done.