I have Degenerative Disc Disease anyone else

I have DDD, 5 herniahated discs and sciatica, and I use cannabis to help with pain and muscle spasms with pretty good results but I am finally towards the end of my educational training(college) part of my commercial airline pilot license and in '08 will start my flight training and obviously I will not be able to nor want to smoke anymore with that kind of responsibility but also do not want to go for any of the major medical procedures for the pain and do not want to go on the PRESCRIBED pain medications I was on before(Lortab, Oxycontin, and Avinza) these are serious medications with serious side effects and obviously I couldn't be a pilot on these medications either.
I'm just wondering if anyone out there has had any success with any exercise routines, specific exercises, supplements(vitamins etc.), basically anything anyone has had success with. I am seeing several Dr.s now but just the typical procedure this, new medication that and I'm just looking for some first hand non medical routines etc. anyone has tried with success. All serious input is apprecieated.

The only thing id because I have no desire to be un prescription pain meds for the rest of my life is to just think about every move I make.It becomes a habit to just think about how I'm going to move when I have to twist or bend.If I limit my movements I find that I can be relatively pain free.The weed has never seemed to help me when I do injure my back.It usually takes hard prescrition drugs till for a week till I can move again.

I had my L5 disc removed. After all the therapy, and eating vicodins like M&M's the thing that saved me was acupuncture. That old little Oriental guy brought me back to the living (God bless his soul).

yeah me too if I mess it up bad i need them but weed definately helps me with muscle tension and spasms which cause a dull to sharp numbing pain but if its bad its deffinately off for the meds bc it is unbearable and it sucks bc Im only 23.

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I had my L5 disc removed. After all the therapy, and eating vicodins like M&M's the thing that saved me was acupuncture. That old little Oriental guy brought me back to the living (God bless his soul).
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I've heard this from a few other people in life maybe it's time to open my mind to this anything is better then nothing thnx 2 both of you so far

I have DDD. In 1997 I had c-4 thru c-7 fused and a lot of stenosis removed. The day after the nine-hour surgery, I felt better than I had felt in years.

Now my lower back is all screwed up and I will have surgery to have it corrected.

Check out this Doc. He's doing a whole lot of proceedures with scopes and lasers.

PC :smokin:

Thanks pharmacan that is a great site and I am looking into it now.

i have 3 herniated disks and sciatica (sucks too cause im only 20 yrs old) but recently within the past two months or so my condition has gotten incredibly better. my pain was very debilitating before so much so that i could hardly do anything, including sitting,standing, and all other daily mobile functions.
i did a few medical routes and the biggest medical option that helped me was getting an epidural with some anti-inflammatory stuff in it(cant remember exactly). i was also prescribed lodine with is a non-painkiller anti-inflammatory.
however, the biggest things that helped me was taking 1-Joint Support from Trader Joe's(dont know if you have any of those but its got MSM,Glucosamine,& Chondroitin). 2-getting either a memory foam mattress or mattress cover(probally the biggest help i think) and 3- doing exercises that strengthen your stomach muscles. sit ups and different styles of sit ups.
best of luck to you cause i know the debilitating pain that back pain causes.

My mother has this. Terrible stuff.

You should look into seeing a chiropractor. I work for one and we have many people come in with DDD. We use something called spinal decompression which stretches your back for a certain time and at a certain pressure. This combined with chiropractic adjustments can really make a difference in your health.

Also at most chiropractic offices they do accupuncture, this is also a great way to help with pain and get you into better health.