Sciatica from Degenerative Disc Disease

Sciatica from degenerative disc disease is one of the most common diagnoses, since DDD in the lumbar spine is virtually universal among adults. Sciatica is a greatly misunderstood condition often blamed on a spinal source, such as DDD, but the incidence of misdiagnosis has reached epidemic proportions. Achieving an accurate diagnosis is vital if a patient is to have any real hope of finding a lasting cure.

Sciatica from Degenerative Disc Disease Diagnosis

Degenerative disc disease is rarely more than a scapegoat used to explain sciatica and general lower back pain. It is normal and expected for the lumbar discs to lose height and mass, especially at L4/L5 and L5/S1. Bulges and herniations due to degeneration are also very common in the lower lumbar intervertebral discs. These conditions are generally not symptomatic, but are always available to explain otherwise idiopathic sciatica symptoms. It is possible for extreme disc degeneration to enact pain and related neurological symptoms, but this occurs in only a fraction of a percentage of all people diagnosed with DDD.

Sciatica from Degenerative Disc Disease Treatment

Therapy options for sciatica suspected to be related to disc degeneration generally fall into the symptomatic treatment category. These medical modalities will do nothing to resolve the underlying source of the pain (assuming of course that DDD is responsible… which is VERY UNLIKELY!), but instead only help to manage the pain. Symptomatic treatment is a form of slavery and is designed to keep the patient in long term and highly profitable treatment for years… or even for life!

The 2 medical exceptions to the rule of symptomatic treatment include sciatica surgery and spinal decompression. Surgery is a risky proposition for any spinal condition and may cause more harm than good. Curative results for surgical interventions are quite poor and many operated individuals wind up far worse after their procedure. This is the nightmare called failed sciatica surgery syndrome. Spinal decompression is a non-surgical solution for some forms of disc degeneration. Although I typically doubt a structural causation related to DDD, spinal decompression is still a better bet for patients who buy into the spinal structure explanation. This is why I recommend spinal decompression over surgery any day…

Sciatica from Degenerative Disc Disease Advice

Remember the horrible feeling you had when your doctor told you that you had degenerative disc disease in your spine? It was so scary sounding and you wondered what you would do now… I will bet that the doctor sure did not wait long to begin to tell you about the many treatment options. Sound familiar? Yeah, for me as well…

Luckily, after suffering from back pain for 18 years, I found out the real facts about sciatica and degenerative disc disease, in particular. I used this knowledge to repudiate the built up fears which consumed me, concerning my future health and failing spine. I discovered an alternative approach to treatment which embraced anatomical fact, rather than perpetuating medical mythology about DDD. This program was successful in curing my pain in a few short months. If you can not find relief from DDD related sciatica, I urge you to learn more about this alternative medicine for sciatica and hope it will provide you with the same cure it offered me.

Sciatica from Degenerative Disc Disease to Sciatica Home
9/16/09 Revised 12/12/09