It seems many of us suffer from DDD, here is some good info on the definition, cause, and treatments for it.
http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/degenerative-disc-disease/what-degenerative-disc-disease
I am starting to wonder if I may have it... my back is so painful all the time and it feels sometimes like my spine will not support me. I think I should ask to speak to the rheumatologist again and see what they can do to rule it out or diagnose it. Fingers crossed there will be an appointment available here soon xx
Good idea! Be ready for x-rays or MRI's that is the only way they can know for sure! I hope you can soon get some solid answers and a firm diagnosis, there are just so may things involved, that it has to be very difficult for the Drs.
This is the problem with my doctor at the moment... whilst they are brilliant in accepting the fibro as it is when I notice something else going wrong they attribute it to the fibro straight away without ruling out other possibilities first... a lot of fibro symptoms are also symptoms of other things and therefore the only way to know is to be sure. I think the NHS have a scanner just for me over here I seem to spend so much time in and out of them lol xx
Honey, I know you are frustrated, but at least they are trying. You are so very right, fibro is one of the conditions known as the great imitator, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, and MS top the charts on the information I have come across.
Did you ever get a firm dx on Hypermobility?
Yep... I am hypermobile and resistant to physiotherapy to help it... all the physio did was increase the hypermobility lol x
Yup. DDD. Fun stuff. I'm 23 and i've had it since I was 21 (at least).
I think its possible to have DDD and then have fibro glue itself onto the disk that's problematic, causing a ton of pain. I did an informal poll on fibro sufferers who had pain in their back and it seemed like most did have it, regardless of their age. I don't know if they also had DDD or not but the back seems to be a favorite site for fibro to glom onto.
The info you gave us was very good, SK. It was actually kind of reassuring about DDD. Thanks for sending it.
Emma, unless you've done a ton of gymnastics or were a cheerleader or something, that seems awfully young for your disks to show degeneration. So I'm wondering if fibro causes some degeneration of the disk? Yeah, I know it supposedly doesn't harm us but I'm not sure I buy that. Why in the world do so many of us have DDD, especially young people like you? I could understand it in someone my age, whose used her back a lot, but you? It certainly seems strange.
Remember, Emma has Psoriatic Arthritis, and getting a biologic in Australia is like trying to win the lottery!
My Rheumatologist answers nearly all of my 'how did I get this, what caused that' questions with 'Psoriatic Arthritis' as far as DDD, Stenosis, joint damage, a hump at the top of my spine, and the list goes on!
Then there is the Cheerleading, track, car accidents, surfing accidents...so just living life is an answer to some of it too!
All of that said, there is much good in my life, still good things to embrace and reach for!