Degenerative Disc Disease Support Group

I find that too many people tend to simply "do what the doc says". The problem being that doctors don't always have our best interest in mind. Many docs recommend fusion because they don't offer, and are not trained in the new technology such artificial disc replacement.

This results in a patient getting fused and losing mobility which in turn damages the discs above and below the fused segment years later. This is why fusion patients so often end up having more surgery years later. Fusion often causes more long term problem than good. The patient won't learn that until they're 10 years down the road from surgery.

I slowed in posting in the back community last summer as, admittedly, I just kept seeing the same topics and questions written in different words. These communities need "stickies" so there is not 50 different threads on epidurals. To add, many people post simply looking for a for a quick answer they're too lazy to use google and research themselves. The purpose here is to help one another, so those who just tend to 'take' annoy me.

If you read a recent post here Doug mentions herniated discs don't heal. This is precisely right. Once damaged, discs slowly degenerate until the nucleus pulposus (gel like center) of the disc breaks through the annulus (the spongy, white ring of cartilage that surrounds the nucleus). Once the nucleus breaks the annulus, your disc is "herniated".

Here is a diagram to show you exactly where and what the nucleus and annulus are.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Cervical_vertebra_english.png

There is no golden standard that will guarantee a good surgical outcome. I don't mean to be insensitive or rude but for the most part people are clueless about their backs and don't take the time to research all the possible avenues. They end up going with whatever procedure their surgeon recommends without respect for the fact that most surgeons only recommend procedures they themselves perform. eg, if you go to a fusion specialists he'll say fusion is the answer. If you go to a Pizza Hut, they'll say try eating pizza to fix your back.

Most won't do the required research required to increase the chances of a better outcome. They just endure the pain best they can, go from doctor to doctor until they decide on one. They say yes to whatever procedure the doctor recommends.

I just wanted to write, no need to reply to it, I just wanted to say to others to please do your research. There are people out there having problem discs replaced with artificial discs, there are people in Europe having JUST the disc nucleus of a degenerative disc replaced and here we are still talking about fusion which has been around since the 1930s. It just amazes me.

We're 10 years behind here in the states because medicine, here in the US, is a highly competitive business. We prioritize profits ahead of health care in the US. Go to Gernany, Italy, France and they "get it". We don't. We just keep accepting what doctors tell us and hope for the best when we fuse 3 levels of our cervical spine. While patients in Germany have two and three levels of artificial disc and illimintate need to ever have to discectomy (trim offending disc matter) or fuse.
Posted on 03/23/08, 06:03 pm