Degenerative Disc Disease Support Group
Degeneration of the intervertebral disc, which is often called "degenerative disc disease" (DDD) of the spine, DDD is in fact a condition that can be painful and can greatly affect the quality of one's life. While disc degeneration is not a normal part of aging and for most people is not a problem, for certain individuals a degenerated disc can cause severe constant...
How did you feel when you first started having symptoms?
I have Fibromyalgia, but even when my fibro is not hurting my lower back is killing me and sometimes my mid to low back. I can't stand or do anything for more than 5 minutes and I'm hurtins so bad I can't stand it.
Also: My dad had DDD Is it hereditary?
I have Fibromyalgia, but even when my fibro is not hurting my lower back is killing me and sometimes my mid to low back. I can't stand or do anything for more than 5 minutes and I'm hurtins so bad I can't stand it.
Also: My dad had DDD Is it hereditary?
I didn't really understand a lot of this until I started reading this thread. I would never wish this on anyone but it is comforting to know others have experienced what I am going through. After reading posts that I could of written myself, my pain makes more sense to me now.
Thank you all for sharing.
(HUGS) to all,
Angel
The ONLY way to truly see what's going on in your back is an MRI.
X-rays can be useful initially because they can show the spacing between the vertebrae, if you have less spacing than "normal" it would lead one to believe that the disk(s) are degenerating (wearing)... Also, the disks are not flat... they are kind of angled like wedges... the angles can be looked at (where the disks touch the vertebrae), if the angles vary from "normal" it's another indication of wear (degeneration)..
I have also been diagnosed with De generative Disk Disease and have researched this and other conditions that cause back pain extensively over the last 8 years or so.. What I've found and been told by experts is that "If you are alive, you have DDD"... It is natural for disks to degenerate, as you age the disks begin to loose moisture, the vertebrae begin to wear the disk, and voalla! DDD.
I'm not saying this to make light of anyone's condition, please bear in mind that I am quite sympathetic to back pain as I have suffered the whole spectrum on the pain scale personally...
If you are having debilitating back pain, I would urge you to talk to as many doctors as it takes to get an MRI accomplished! After that, you may find that it's something else entirely that's causing your pain... and you may not! Either way the findings will be much more definitive than an X-ray.
Additionally, if you are seeing a chiropractor, and things are not getting any better... STOP. Talk to your Chiropractor about it, tell them that the treatment is not working... they will most likely (if they are good) tell you to see your doctor. Though the chances are slim that a Chiropractor can seriously damage you if there is something else going on, the chance is there for pinching nerves, or aggravating a herniated disk.... etc.
A lot of people are scared by the term De generative Disk Disease because it sounds scary... I'm including a helpful link for your viewing.
Back pain can be caused by sooo many different things, everything from depression to breaking something... it's important not to let information scare you, and to find out the bottom line.
Fibromyalgia can in itself cause pain, fatigue and a multitude of other symptoms, fatigue can cause back pain... etc.. An MRI will skip through the process of elimination and tell you what's going on.
Sorry about that! :) there's the link....