I wanted to post a quick note to open the ideas around healthy life habits and disc disease. I am fortunate that I have a great success story. However I work for a large disability company as a claim manager and I see hundreds of claims where obesity and other factors are common denominators. More than 70% of our population will experience a period in their life of disabling back pain. I encourge people to think about what they are doing today to take charge of their life and choose things that are preventive..a simple walk, stretching etc.. I know injuries happen, disease can occur, but try to be positive, this mind set can make a difference. I suffered for 5+ years with disabling pain. I continued to walk/run when I could. I adapted to riding a bike when I could no longer do the things I loved until my insurance company approved my surgery. I am 1+ years out and am running on a regular basis. Hang in there it can happen to you!

Since the FDA has not approved multiple artifical disc replacement, how do you get the insurance to pay. I want my life back. DeDe

1. Survey results - 6 levels: four cervical and two thoracic. As of this time two cervical ADR. Two cervical untreated. Two throracic untreated.
2. Etiology and origin: Trauma by fall from overhead stand with 200 lb hog carcass in 1987. Bruised all over going down thru augers, supports. Regained consciousness with scalding water splashed out of santizer above that was splashing off hardhat onto chest. Flat on back with carcass across my knees. Shoulders on floor, back of head vertical against neighboring overhead inspection stand (the one with the sanitizer splashing scalding water out on me). Chin pushed into chest. Hard hat still on but back of head badly bruised. Don't know why I lived. Don't know how I got up and walked away to get myself cleaned up and returned to work. By that evening terrible pain and aches all over the body. Emergency room told me it was trauma bruising. No broken bones. Chest Xrays showed T6 and T11 disc spaces narrowed. Slow progression of symptoms over 20 years. First addition to body aches and pains (thought to be chronic pain) was carpal tunnel, then tennis elbow, tendonitis in most parts of upper extremities, radial neuropathy.........couldn't button my shirt or get my socks on or zip my pants some days at last. Lost a 23 year professional career to disability.
3. Diagnosis: Misdiagnosed as Chronic pain, then inappropriate surgeries. Finally convinced local GP to take cervical spine MRI. Mayo Clinic not able to repair 4 narrowed and protruding cervical discs. Two spine centers turned me away from ADR trials because too many levels damaged.
4. Pathogenesis: Not neurological pain. Not psychological pain. It was immunological pain from undiagnosed disc herniation. Nucleus pulposa out about cervical spinal cord started cytokine cascade. Whole body aches and pain in addition to the area specific deficiencies due to loss of disc height. Can furnish peer-reviewed references to better explain thinking.
5. Treatment: Dx by Dr. Delamarter, Santa Monica, CA thru discography. C5-C6, C6-C7 Prodisc surgeries by Dr. Bertagnoli, Straubing, Germany Dec 2006. Got my arms and hands back immediately even though weak. Body aches left within about 1 month. Remainder of discs bothersome at times but I have my life back with the usual aches and pains of overdoing things! A very special Thank-you to those great ones that got my problems figured out!

I was one to reply re 3 level problem and I've not had further surgery from previous 2 discectomies (L4, L5S1) however have an annular tear at L3 that while has not been concordant for pain re 2 discograms~ personally I worry about further surgery (ADR L4, fusion at L5S1) and the health of the L3 disc.

So even with 6 surgical recommedations basically offering some recommendation~ I have done nothing but PM and have had only several really painful flareups in last year.

Am experiencing one currently. Downtime to date is going on 3 days in bed. This is unusual for me given the progress of the past year on just pain meds/exercise and activity.

Still the same stats...it is a sad survey result in terms of how many people have multi-level DDD that require some kind of intervention(s).

http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_frown.gif

In the UK, i feel like we dont get offered much information from our medical people. I just know that my lumbar is well shot at. Now my neck is falling apart to.
I have had fusion in my lumbar, then 4 years after all of my previous crippling pain is back since 2004. My neck has been also crippling me taking away the use of my hands and pain ripping my arms and hands constanlty. I have had 2 adrs put in last july 2007, but i still cannot feel any benefit from it. Now for some strange reason my left knee is crippling me. I just want my life back, i want to have just one day without pain.
Good luck with this study Harrison.
Its a great idea
hugs
Sandie

When I voted I had a 4 level problem. Now I have a 5 level problem. I also have a left knee crippling me. My right knee looks worse on x-rays but my left one hurts worse. Good luck with the study.
Linda

Quick update from 96 patients: 52% polled have three or more problematic levels in their spine.

http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_frown.gif

Just figured I'd chime in on my vote. I put 3, because really, they are the current ones causing my symptoms...at least, I think its only them http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_smile.gif. Perhaps I am just overly pessimistic about my condition, but I think its likely before all is said and done I will be able to claim 7; All lumbar disks, plus T11-T12, and T12-L1. Time will tell though.

54% of the patients surveyed have 3 or more problematic levels...

http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_frown.gif