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the cushioning for my vertebrae has broken down - does anyone know about this?

loza

Hi I have suffered from osteoarthritis in my knees shoulders elbows for years now I'm 54, I have also suffered with chronic back pain to,,due to my conditions I am unable to live a normal life,,I asked my doctor for years if I could have an ex ray or MRI scan on my back as I'm in so much pain but my doctor kept telling me I didn't need one ,,,I was sent to a muscle skeleton clinic , as soon as went to see the specialist he noticed that I was in a bad way,,I walk with a stick in a lot of pain,,he said that there where red flags and to make an appointment with my doctor so that he could send me for an MRI scan,,I had my scan on the 8th of this month and it came back as abnormal ,,I received a text message from my doctors surgery that they had a message for me so I rang them up and the woman on the phone told me that as suspected the cushioning for my vertebrae has broken down and I had to make an appointment with my msk clinic, I asked the receptionist what is the medical term for my condition but she couldn't tell me,,,is there anyone out there that can tell me anything about cushioning braking down ,,,I take meds for my osteoarthritis dihydroacodien 2 to be taken 4 times a day there 30mg also paracetamol,, but still the pain is there,,I feel sleepy a lot of the time and sometimes goes dizzy,, can anyone give me some advice please many thanks...loza

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steve51

Hi @loza

A very big welcome I do hope that we can help you ???

I'm very very sorry to hear about your current predicament !!!!

I have attached the link to some information below.

Please please let me know if you have any problems/questions.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Fibromyalgia/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

loza

Hi stev51,,,thank you for relying I will look at the info you gave me on the link you sent me,,and will let you know if it helps .

steve51

Hi @loza

No probs, please let me know if you need anymore info as I look into things for you !!!!!

Many thanks.

May07

I have Degenerative disc disease both lower back and back of my neck I feel your pain I try to limit the amount if pressure I put on my spine which means I have to prioritise my time morphine is my last resort xxx

steve51

Hi @May07

Many thanks, my Chronic Pain runs all down my right side from the neck down to my toes.

Yes It's something that you have to manage on a daily basis.

My only hope off treatment has been "refused/funding " by the NHS since 2005 following Brain Surgery at a NHS Hospital. "GREAT"

Yes I Feel your "PAIN" as well.

loza

Hi may07
I have just found out that I have DDD too,,I have it in my L2 L3 L4 L5 lower back also I've got arthritis in my back too and knees shoulders and wrists,,,I'm in so much pain at times I carnt get out of bed, I'm on dihydracodien and paracetamol but to be honest although they help me relax they don't seem to work for the pain,,, I think I'll ask doc for morphine too it has to be better than what I'm taken for the pain thanks ...

Topkitten

DDD is a specific disease that affects the lumbar disks. The disks become over pressured over the years causing them to collapse and die. During the process the bones can damage nerves in the lower body causing pain. Once the disks are completely dead and assuming no nerves are trapped in the final collapse the pain from that area stops.

I'm not sure what the cushioning is as I have always assumed the cushioning is the disks themselves. The easiest way to see whether the disks are collapsing or not is to get a look at the MRI. The bones are easy to see and the disks should look pure white. Sometimes in older people the disks start to become grey. When they start collapsing they turn black.

Disks are not, as most people think, a simple doughnut shape. Each disk is multi-layered, usually 6 or 7 layers each. The layers are not a flat shape and, as each layer collapses, the bones above it can shift out of line. This is what causes the damage and subsequent pain. The pain does not occur at the point of the damage though. It is called "Referred pain" and the brain thinks the pain is where the nerve ends. This is usually in the legs.

Pain above the hips is not caused by DDD but by other deformities in the spine, such as in my case. DDD is progressive and usually affects a number of disks but not normally ALL the lumbar disks. In my case though the damage is not only in every lumbar disk but those above it as well.

Arthritis is similar but different in that the disks crush allowing the bones to grind and move out of line. The disks do not completely die though, so the pain levels are lower. This can occur anywhere in the spine.

The other possibilities are that disks can slip or rupture. In this case the disks aren't separating the bones correctly and the damage and pain can be as before but is also usually at lower levels than DDD.

TK

May07

I think the cushioning is the flu is which has gone causing bone on bone to grow n cause painful bone tags n yes trapping nerves then causes more issues it's a never ending vicious circle of pain I send you gentle hugs x