Ligaments, Discs, or Both?

[Judi]

Just wondering if there is a difference between disc pain and back ligament pain? And what about difference in function if either is damaged? Not sure if I have disc pain or ligament pain or both? Don't want to get ADR for discs if the problem is ligaments? How can you tell? Anyone been diagnosed with torn back ligaments?

I had an sij fusion because my sij ligaments were torn. Now, I'm wondering if my back ligaments are also torn.

[annapurna]

The gold standard test for disc pain is a discogram. If you search on the forum you'll pick up that it is a massively unpleasant test but almost always the deciding line for whether or not you have disc pain. Trying to decide whether or not you have ligament problems in addition to or instead of disc pain is very difficult. Spot injections of anesthetic can help, similar to the way they do prolotherapy, but, based on my wife's experience, you'll probably be in the situation of ruling out other pain sources rather than proving ligaments are the source of your pain.