re: Low Back Pain - Degenerative Disc Disease - Checking In

skimmed thru most of this thread, it seems that most is pertaining to lumbar issues and DDD, my personal issue is in C4,5,6, however....

tingling, numbness, "cold" feelings in my hands, sharp pains down my arms, neck, shoulder, all started in my late 30's. Within 1 year, atrophy started in my biceps and triceps, as the muscles simply quit firing. Rapid loss of strength in both arms, and the worst part is that it was random. It would come and go for no apparent reason.

Got to the point to where the only way I could fall asleep was slightly upright in a recliner with one of those home neck massage contraptions on high, and even then sometimes in tears as I passed out

Neurosurgeon didnt flinch - said I had DDD, MRI showed I had the C4, C5 and C6 of a man 3x my age. 1 disc was <5%, the other was @ 15% and bound to get worse

Went in for disc replacement surgery soon after, the procedure took 45 minutes. Instantly upon waking up - complete and total relief. I was back at work in a week. The best decision I made. It's been a few years now and still pain free.

I've seen more than a few comments on here about avoiding surgery and trying other things, and I cannot speak to anything regarding lumbar issues, but if you have C spinal issues and your doctor says youre a candidate for disc replacement, dont hesitate.