Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

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My left hip started hurting a couple of weeks ago. It finally got to hurting bad enough that I went to the Dr with it. He sent me to a specialist and he said I had a pinched nerve but that wasn't the real problem, he diagnosed the actual problem as "Severe lumbar degenerative disk disease" .

Anyone on here have the same diagnosis? Was it fixed, and if so how? I start physical therapy tomorrow afternoon but I don't hold much hope for that. If that doesn't work it's MRI and possible shots or surgery. What did you end up doing, or do you just live with it? The only meds I'm taking are two Aleve twice a day. It still hurts bad enough that I don't feel like doing anything at this time, and it's frustrating.

Thanks for any input.

LockDoc

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

My dad has the same symptoms....he went for MRI last fri...hes at the dr today for results ...I dont know what his diagnosis is just yet...theyve already tried shots and pills...

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

You need an mri to determine whether or not you have a herniated disk causing sciatica. Severe degenerative disk disease is a generic diagnosis common in the elderly population. It needs to be pinpointed to determine the best course of action; ie surgery, physical therapy, etc. Good luck Leon, it sucks for sure. I’ve had sciatica caused by disk herniation at L4-L5 for several years.

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

Leon ,, my nephew just had this operation done for disc cartlage degeneration about 8 days ago
The doctor told him that he would not grow back more cartlage and by screwing these verabras like this will make the better disc above them and below them take the brunt of the load ..

Attachment 1961582

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

I have been told there is nothing good they can do for degenerative disks. Basically worn out. I hope they are wrong.

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

I’ve been plagued by lower back pain all of my 68 years.
I’ve had many different doctors try to determine the cause. Many xrays, mri’s, massages, pills, exercise programs and on and on. Tried all the cures. Still have pain every day. A little or a lot. I’ve found the best cure is to just keep chugging along.
All that has been found in my lower back is an undeveloped disc that the nerves for my left leg are close to. Not pinched, just close.
20 years ago I started getting left ankle pain. Felt like bone on bone grinding. My back was nagging me at the time. Suddenly a year later after limping along it just disappeared. Then a couple years later the left knee decided it was his turn. That’s been ongoing until now. My left hip joined the party off and on. Same bone on bone feeling.
My back pain does go away for awhile and then suddenly is back with a vengeance. Been like that for the last five years. New symptom cropped up in the last year. My left knee locks up and won’t support me. I drop enough to stagger along with a sharp pain. That’ll occur anytime. Sometimes it gets so bad I can’t walk. If I sit down in the right position right afterward then the pain might be gone completely. I’ve had that a couple times lately.
Best thing I’ve found is just keep chugging along. Sitting on my butt can just make it worse.

I’ve likely only got a few years to go before my ‘best before date’ arrives. I suspect the pain now will be minor compared to what’s in the future.
Ah! The golden years!

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

I had an L3-L4 fusion 10 years ago. I deal with pain every day, but the surgery stopped the nerve damage from getting worse. It's just pain, and I can live with that. I still run in excess of 20 miles per week and I still work on cars, but sometimes after being hunched over an engine bay for a while it's really hard to stand up.

I now have stenosis (narrowing of the area around the nerves) at L4-L5. I had a cortisone injection several weeks ago but it didn't do anything for me. After my last surgery I have decided that the only way I'm having another fusion is if I have to do it to avoid losing mobility.

Good luck to you. There really don't seem to be any good solutions out there.

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

Please let me know how he gets along. Thanks

I fit the "elderly population" description for sure. I have an MRI scheduled for Dec. 6th for the final determination. Thanks Scott.


Thanks Larry.


Unless they have come up with a new procedure lately that is probably still true....

Funny thing is, I have never had any back pain, and still don't, just in my hip. I do as much as I can until the pain gets bad enough I can't walk. Dr. said my hip joints look really good.

Thanks. for the reply.

LockDoc

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

My nephew told me that he felt the nerve pain down his leg and just knew that it was his hip and then mri 's and specialty doctors convinced him it was back discs causing the oain down from down his thigh and leg.. he was told that it comes from his father most likely as he had the same thing .

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

I have arthritis in my back and can only sleep on my side(s) for a short time before the pain wakes me up and I roll onto my back (if I roll off my back while sleeping). I'm pretty sure that picking up SBC engine short blocks and putting them in the back of a truck without help is a likely cause. My back constantly hurts :(

You young guys take careful note of what the old guys did that jacked 'em up, and don't do it! I'm 67, and could potentially live another 30 years with the pain. Not a pleasant prospect.

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

I have an ex BIL that when he was younger could pick up a washing machine and put it in the bed of a truck. Yeah he had long arms and was stupid. He thought it was strong man stuff back then but later on he had times where his legs would not hold him upright. He’d just fall to the floor. DA!

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

OK I have degen disc in lower back , neglected my on and off back pain for years , over the years I would deal with the pain ,somtimes for a few days other times for months , then about 2 years ago I woke up one day with back,hip and leg pain that was brutal ,I delt with it for about a year , the first Neroligist I went to sent me to a pain management DR after having a look at my MRI , the next 6 months I was prescribed all sorts of muscle relaxers and some other meds, the only thing that I was geting relief from was taking 1,400 mg of Ibuprophin and 1000 mg tylonol so 2400 mg total but 3 times a day ,just insane amounts but that pain was that bad ,and yea its a mircle I did not destroy my liver and kidneys , Then my Pain management doctor started me on epidoral injections in my back ,it did give me good pain relief ,but only for about 3 months , As I was getting opnions from Spine surgens as what were my options I kept doing the Epidoral injections in my spine just to get some relief untill I found the rite surgen , and after talking with and having 4 MRI s and countless xrays , with 6 diffrent Spinal surgens and all of them want to do disc removel and fusion some wanted to remove up to 3 discs , The surgen I went with felt I was a good canidate for a discectomy where he would go in and remove the degerative and swollen parts of my disc and also ream out where the nerve to my leg passes through the disc area , So I had 2 discectomy , that was 3 months ago my leg and hip pain is gone at this point I am still in PT and my back os pretty good I still have a stiff lower back but as each week passes my back is getting stronger slowly, but I feel the improvent week by week . my leg and hip pain level went from a 10 to 0 and as of rite now my back pain went from 10 to 2 and really only get back pain if I am over doing it ,pushing my self to much

Bt my surgen found other issues with my spine,after my intial exam with him, he felt I had spine issues in my neck and ordered a upper MRI and a few Xrays and found that I have 2 degen disc in my neck that are extremly bad and those have to come out and he will replace the with a cage ,plates fuse, doing that surgey in about 3 weeks . I have no pain in my neck but my fingers and hands over the years have been getting numb , the numbness started at my finger tips and now all my fingers and my palm area are constantly numb , and I drop a lot of things. its only a matter of time or jult to my upper spine that will leave me paralized in my arm and hand region.so here I go again,

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

I get something that sounds just what Leon describes. Every time I take a step, it feels like my leg wants to come right out of socket. Really intense, sharp pain but it's when I'm taking weight off my hip. Don't hurt at all when the weight goes back on, you know, when walking. But it goes away after a couple days. IDK what brings it on or turns it off. It's on my list to get looked at, someday. Pretty much every joint on my left side is worn out-shoulder, elbow, 7 broken left ribs (not all at once), cracked verts after a bad fall, hip & ankle. Left knee still works OK, but the right one is shot. Doc used to gimme a hand full of lortabs for the worse times, but those days are over, and I've had my lifetime limit of Ibuprofen's, so I pretty much just put up with it.

Someone said to rub the CBD oil on my joints, but that just made them hard to light...:lol::lol::lol:

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

Leon....dad went to the dr about the mri....they said his L4 and L5 are piching the nerve that affects his left leg...they got him scheduled to see a spinal dr next week.....the 1st dr said because of his age (85), he dont know if they'll want to operate or not...have to wait and see...

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

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Thanks for the input guys....



If I had all that stuff going on I would probably jump off a cliff (good thing we don't have any around here)



So far mine hasn't gone away at all. I still have some strong meds left from other problems but it isn't bad enough for that yet.

Either you are using too much oil or your lighter isn't big enough...:)


Thanks for the report. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. I'll be 77 the day after Christmas but I am in pretty good shape except for this latest problem.

LockDoc

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

Don't discount the PT, it may help. As others have said, keeping moving helps. I was going to have to get shoulder surgery last year but had a complication that set it back. The doc sent me to PT instead and I ended up not needing surgery. Yet, anyway. I did take a lot of CBD for a year, but so far I've been good. Hope it works for you.

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

Same here L4&L5 had several mri's but CT scan showed nerve being pinched by disc if I bent or moved wrong way surgery was questionable because it was so close did pt and chiropractor visits they give me exercises to do it helps just learned to live with it take ibuprofen from time to time changed how I lift things use my tractor and engine host lot more hope you find some relief I know how you feel

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

While not a replacement for injuries that may require surgery I have had outstanding luck with a group called Airrosti. They focus on the exomuscular system and since seeing them for back pain several years ago I have not had any since. I have turned several friends to them as well and they all had similar results.

Their work is horribly painful, typically takes three visits, but it's worth every penny.

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

Not the same Pain but - I had lower back issues for many years. When I was in Canada I went to a chiropractor and he explained that there are four muscles around the lower spine, two inside (toward the belly button) and two outside. The ones inside get strained and cause pain like a knife or being hit by a bat.
He had me get used to sucking in my stomach every time I sit down, stand up, bend over etc. It not only strengthen those muscles but it causes them to support you as they should and not get strained and cause that pain.
It's been few and far between having that kind of pain, only when I forget.
I've told many people and it's helped them. Try it.

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

I took a 24' fall in Oct '86 that landed me on my back, then bounced me into laying face down. Thankfully the ground was moist clay (house lot cut into the woods) and I missed all the rubble. I broke a transverse process and have had lower back pain ever since. It comes in various forms off and on. I changed how I do many things, but continued in the same line of work (siding contractor) another 20 years, and have stayed active. I mostly live with the stiffness, general soreness, occasional piercing pain, a bit of burning behind one knee time to time, and even numbness in fingers and such. I did a chiropractor at first, but after x-rays 6 months later he referred me to an orthopedic surgeon. I decided to take a chance, not knowing if I was being foolish, and just carry on.

Nothing hurts when I'm doing anything, but it can taek to me a day or two later. Usually I know it's coming by the stiffness. Driving around all day can bother my back more than working. I took a trip to AZ in my camper truck and feared I might end up laying in the camper after a while, but I was fine. After two weeks of no work my back felt fantastic. I'm still dealing with it and honestly feel it is the least of my pains now, for the most part. I have periods with no pain at all. I'll take an Advil for the inflammation when it feels like a pinched nerve, a few times a year.

I think I'm lucky. Only once, at least 20 years ago, did I have my leg go out from sciatic pain. Burning all the way up and down and it hurt. I lifted my left onto the recliner, took an Advil, kids gathered the crutches, and I figured a call to the doctor in the morning was due. When I went to get up later on, all was good, Advil took that pressure down, and I walked up to bed.

Now, just this late summer, I went to paint the steel roof on my carport on the front slope, 12'w x 5'l. I was standing up bending down running a cup brush on the mini-grinder over it, then I primed and did 1st coat using a roller with no ext. handle. The next morning I was struck with sciatic pain all the way up and down when getting up after first time sitting. I held my leg straight as a peg as I got u to standing and shook it out, hobbled downstairs, fixed a coffee, and took a 1 mile walk that made it go away. I still had a lot more to do on that roof. The back section is 20' long. I rolled out the top coat on the front using an ext. handle but still bent over some, and that's all I did that day. Same thing the next day. I did the big section on my knees (w/pads) with my free hand down and used a palm sand. I used a long ext. on the roller so I was standing up straight. That worked out well.

So now that issue is lingering waiting to happen again. I'm bending my knees when I bend over and that helps, but mostly I am avoiding doing things at my feet or squatting/kneeling when I do. I still feel that tightness behind my knee ready to grip my leg again time to time. I'm hoping it will settle down if I keep minding it. Just another thing I have to watch in my actions I figure

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

I have had 4 sessions, 2 sessions left, one tomorrow and one Thursday. So far no change.

I try to keep moving but I usually don't last long. I have been taking Aleve and that seems to help some. I had an MRI last Wednesday afternoon but haven't heard back from the Dr. yet. Hopefully tomorrow.

Thanks for that. I looked it up and the closest one to me is in Cincinnati, OHIO. I really can't travel that far.



I will try that. My pain is not in my back though, it is in my hip. It started out just when I did certain things but now it is pretty much all the time. Thanks.


I don't remember injuring my back, but I did have a whiplash type injury many years ago. My back has never bothered me. I'm thinking this is a Sciatic problem but we will see what the Doc says when he calls.

Thanks Guys,
LockDoc

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

I was hoping to give an example, with my situation, of how back pain is one thing to deal with and sciatica is quite another. I think you're probably right about it being sciatica. With my back issues it was a clear cut line draw from feeling like an 18 year old at 31 to looking ahead to a life of back pain. I know of a guy who got knocked down ice skating and hurt his back. He never wanted to work anyway. If it would hurt his back he couldn't do the job. He drove tour buses and got out of that because he had to pull suit cases out of the belly compartments. He used his back as an excuse for not working and wound up collecting disability. Meanwhile I kept doing what I was doing when I fell and just dealt with it.

The sciatic thing is another animal all together. I've had back issues for 34 years and it hasn't stopped me from doing anything. I do hate leaning over an engine or working under the dash. I know I will hurt from it. Since that sciatic thing hit last fall it has me thinking twice about what I can and can't, or shouldn't, do all over again. I've always been proud of still being able to lay my palms flat on the floor when doing toe touches. I think I'm done with all that jazz :cool:

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

I don't have back problems per say but when I do certain things like swap golf cart batteries out for a customer my lower back hurts for at least a day afterwards.
I have also found that sleeping with my back as straight as I can helps a lot with the pain afterwards to.
Doc I hope you get it straightened out sir. Good luck with it.
Ant none of us getting any younger that's for sure!:chevy:

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

I have been dealing with lower back issues since 1994 when I took a fall at work. They took a piece off the disc in 95 another chunk in 2001 and screwed L5-S1 together in 2011. That did help a lot. As mentioned above when you screw a couple together it runs the load up on the disc around it. They call it adjacent disc disorder. I now deal with pain from L4-L5 the one above the fusion and it does not look that good in xrays. Stretching and keeping moving really helps along with watching my weight. I have also been looking at inversion after talking with the PT guys that have been been working on my shoulders. Plan to give it a try. I was told when I was young that I should be careful about the way I do things and if not when I got older my body would remind me of my errors. Thats true for sure, get reminded every day.
Jimmy

Re: Back Problem, Anyone Else Have This?
 

Leon ..from my posting about my nephew last month


Originally Posted by GOPAPA View Post
Leon ,, my nephew just had this operation done for disc cartlage degeneration about 8 days ago
The doctor told him that he would not grow back more cartlage and by screwing these verabras like this will make the better disc above them and below them take the brunt of the load ..

He tells me that he is getting better and not so much pain ,,he walks on a tread mill a mile a day and the days he misses sure shows up with stiffness ,, it still hurts when laying wrong at night while sleeping ,,but at least now he feels like it will be worth it beings the aching down the leg as so far gone away ..