Disc space narrowing at L5/S1 with facet joint degenerative changes

Hello All

Please look into 'water-running' - there are many articles and you-tubes.

Get a buoyance belt - I got the beginners Aqua Jogger set if you visit the site you will learn more.

I have active degenerative disease problems with  L5 and S1. Was waking in horrid pain until I got into the water - deep water with buoyancy belt to afloat and move gently. I have found this to be the most effective way of relieving the pressure on the discs and relieve pain. If you try this, you should of course discuss any exercise with your health care practitioner, but for what it is worth - search the you-tubes for water running, and don't go at it hard straight off, but get in the pool with belt or even noodles to stay afloat; read about it; see a sports med doc and learn how to move, for example keep body straight in water.... gently, gently and before you know it - say, 3 times a week or go everyday and just let your body relax and slowly move legs - do not lock your knees or any joints for that matter...  you will start craving the relief and the activity, the best start back to some level of activity without pain for me. If you have pain doing this, then you really need a physical therapist in conjunction with your orthopedic specialist and sports medicine doctor to guide you.

Hope that helps someone out there.

PS - re meds and pills - I found that a couple of osteo panadol and a muscle relaxant by Rx and with the hydro work noted above must be in Deep WATER  (I've built up to 45 minutes and increased cadence in just over 6 weeks). For previous posts, you have my empathy for the level of pain you suffer that would make a doctor to subscribe such heavy and addictive drugs such as morphine,and the other one mentioned, and hope you are able to withdraw slowly as they can also be very depressive. Water sounds crappy unless you are a water baby, swimmer etc. but I never used water before but love the results. 

 

Good luck to all!!

 

 

I had a double discectomy in 2000, where the cut the buldges out of my 2 discs. Of course i waited almost 1 1/2 years for the surgery. I was good until July 2013, where i had a workplace injury that was of course denied by the heartless scumbags of workers compensation board. This is my recent CT Scan:  L3-4: Small Annular disc/osteophyte complex detected. Mild bilateral ligamentum flavum hypertrophy detected. Mild to moderate spinal canal stenosis.  L4-5: Small annular disc bulge detected. Mild spinal canal stenosis seen. Mild bilateral facet joint degenerative change detected. L5-S1: Severe intervertebral disc height loss detected. There is associated disc calcification with partial fusion of the L4 and L5 vertebral bodies. This is consistent with history of previous discectomy at this level. Mild to moderate bilateral facet joint degenerative change. No disc herniation, spinal canal stenosis or nerve root compression detected. Mild aortolliac atheromatous calcification seen. I am now 49 years old, and i expect my back issues to only increase with age from all the research that i have done. If anyone would like to talk about back pain,  contact me    Good Luck to you and your family....

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hello, i got the same thing . had mri , left fingers hurt , bad , pain legs so bad l . cry some time ,cant stop hurting , waiting on dr see whats next , i wish u the best , i had back trouble 34 years , pain is about 18 , i cant sleep ,eat , or drive at night

What is IDD therapy?

Gabapentin for neuropathy works. What you are describing is degenerative disc disease and they are still debating the cause of it. E

The L5 is a Vertebra and the S1 is a Vertebra, between the two bones if you like is a Disc. The Disc is like a donut, hard outer shell and nice soft jelly inside. As we age the jelly 'dehydrates' and so the disc shrinks. When the disc shrinks, which is part of the normal aging process the gap between the vertebrae get narrower. By the time you are 60, the disc is hard, no soft jelly, therefore you have no extra shock absorption, which is why you do not see many athletes over the age of 60 doing things like hurdles, pole vault, high jump. The narrow is normal, however if the results revealed a bulge, the the outer shell has split and the jelly is oozing out. Now depending on where the disc split, central, outer, and if their are any important things like nerve roots or even the spinal canal, that is when the real problem starts. Many people feel pain when the discs dehydrate, but once the process is over, it is over. The object is to get from a nice full jelly disc to a flat hard disc without any split, bulge, prolapse. Good Luck

wow I cant believe so many people are suffering for the same thing i am, its terrible but is really nice to no and see what other people are doing about it.  This morning i feel over in the bath tub and couldnt get up for around 15 minutes, im over it and am sick of being sent to the next person to the next.  

What is IDD therapy? It sounds incredible! I have tried all that you have...I have scoliosis along with all of the other lovely back issues. Are you having any side effects, have you had long term results? THANKS!

My Lumbar spine a few scattered schmorls nodes. Small disc herniation t10-11 which appears to contact and slightly flatten the ventral surface of the cord. L3-4 borderline disc bulge. Borderline central canal stenosis. L4-5 tiny central disc herniation. Minimal inferior neural foraminal narrowing. L5-s1 mild degenerative facet. Disc desiccation at L3-4. Mild degenerative disc and joint. What does this mean?

OMG you are going through a lot, I have had scaitica pain for three years. Had a strong bout of muscle spasm in my left buttoct, excrutiating down my leg. Six weeks now and its slightly better. Tried all types of pain killers. Don't work. Its scares me know that I still have all those systems to look forward to. Yes I definately agree that Drs. And NHS are a waste of time. We should write a letter to the government.

I've reading about "DMSO"as an option for pain management. At this point I'm still to find if there is any alternative medicine protocol that may heal this from the root. Do a google research on DMSO it sounds very interesting.

What is ID?

I can relate...years of back pain & popping pills to the point of 6 months not being able to sit or bend over. Felt suicidal but I saw a psych/iatrist-ologist and with Prozac medication I felt better. Also yoga, deep breathing, swimming, meditation help A LOT! I learned we all go through our own journeys & EVERYTHING happens for a reason. Rather than fight it! Learn from it & grow from it...suicidal thoughts are normal with severe chronic ou pain. But you can do something about it!

Just a suggestion, you might want to have your primary care physician check you for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

go for it, but take 20 pills make sure u dont wake up. MAN UP ALREADY....................