Degenerative disk disease

[greyowl]

I have age-related DDD, which Swale will recognize as a fancy way of saying that the normal process of aging is causing wear and tear on my disks. The discomfort is constant but managable. However, it is now preventing me from doing some things I really like, like kayaking. And most importantly, it is starting to prevent me from doing cardio like stationary biking.

I wonder whether some AASs-related therapy will do the trick. Low doses of test + equipoise? I believe deca helps lubes the disks but I really want to avoid it at my age.

HGH?

 

[buck]

Wonder about the hgh my self. I was diagnoised with arthiritis in my lumbar reigion 12-13 years ago. Also in my shoulders 3-4 years ago as well as rotator surgery. Of course glucosamine and Chondroitin seem to have slowed down or stopped any further break down. Since using t and eq the last couple of summers my shoulders feel better and I can lift as much as ever but I do take it a little more carefully then I used to.

 

[greyowl]

Wonder about the hgh my self. I was diagnoised with arthiritis in my lumbar reigion 12-13 years ago. Also in my shoulders 3-4 years ago as well as rotator surgery. Of course glucosamine and Chondroitin seem to have slowed down or stopped any further break down. Since using t and eq the last couple of summers my shoulders feel better and I can lift as much as ever but I do take it a little more carefully then I used to.

Interesting

 

[buck]

Considering I had 2 rotator muscles reattached, a ruptured biceps fixied and some deposits cut out I am relatively pleased with my recovery. Now if my knees would just stop aching...lol

 

[MikeHeavypecs]

This is an interesting topic for me too. I have DDD and still lift quite a bit; I have always felt that HGH would probably help it, but my doctor said that there is no proof and would not prescribe it. WOuld be interesting if someone tried it........

Heavypecs

 

[jbiggs]

I too would like some input. I had back surgery for a ruptured disk two years ago. I thought everything was back to normal. I can lift just fine, have no pain, etc. I went kayaking this past weekend and I couldn't stand to be in the thing for more than an hour at a time. My legs would go numb.

 

[SWALE]

Doing steroids simply is not the way to go.

 

[greyowl]

Doing steroids simply is not the way to go.

Swale, I suspected as much.

Physiotherapy and accunpuncture don't provide much relief, I'm not even in the league for surgery, and I really wanna avoid taking lots of NSAIDs. Any suggestions?

 

[scrappy]

I have 2 herniated discs in the neck which cause tolerable but constant pain and also keep me from doing what I love, brazillian jiu jitsu/mma.
Anyway, after trying corticosteroid shots at the discs and another procedure, nucleoplasty, I am probably going to have a fusion done. I will use gh to recover.
I've been trying gh and igf1 for some time with minimal results. I've had good results in other joints but disc is very different from connective tissue so I dont think they help disc problems very much. I do think they will be beneficial post surgery though. That is if I have to have it done. I find out on Monday.

 

[Chip Bronson]

greyowl, you're OLD.... lol.... j/k bro. there are ways to stop the pain as well as the progression of the degeneration. as buck already stated glucosamine and chondroitin will work to alleviate some of the inflammation and pain as well as to help in rebuilding the joints. but you can add more. msm at 2-3 grams ed will work wonders for healing and stopping the inflammation. cmo (cetyl myristoleate) has been studied exhaustively and has been shown to provide pain relief as well as to help rebuild the integrity of the joint. with cmo, you can take it for 2-3 months and then cycle off for 2-3 months and STILL retain the benefits of the compound. finally, you can use good ole collagen. i use the knox unflavored gelatin as it's very cheap and each packet provides 6g of collagen protein which is the material your body can use to rebuild the joint. this multi-pronged attack works very well, is inexpensive and doesn't carry with it the hazards of using medications.

in addition you can use some compounds directly to curtail the pain. the combo of ginger, green tea extract and turmeric extract will do as good a job as any nsaid product without any of the negatives associated with nsaids. cheap and efficient. you can take these once or 2-3 time ed as needed to control your pain. also, dl-phenylalanine, just plain d-phenylalanine, works wonders for pain control. it works by not allowing an enzyme in the body to 'ash away' your body's natural endorphins which are powerful anti-pain substances much like morphine. by allowing these endorphins to build up a little more than usual, you achieve pain relief.

i have used this approach with my wife who has 2 herniated and 1 collapsed lumbar discs and it works phenomenally for her. she used to down handfuls of advil ed prior to going on this protocol i came up with. also, i use these compounds for my dog who has hip dysplasia and she's better today than she was 4 years ago when she was diagnosed with severity 3 (out of 4) hip dysplasia.

give it a shot and i'm sure you'll be happily surprised. if you have any questions, let me know and i'd be glad to help.

 

[hizhonor]

As far as I kknow nothing can be done for degenerative disc disease short of fusion and it does not make the situation better--it just minimizes the chance of it getting worse. Disc herniation is a different story. Surgery has given some sufferers great relief. Surgery will also repair rotator cuff tears. These conditions are all part of the wearing-out process. I know. I've dealt with them all. I'm 63 and have lifted for 23 years and during this time no pill has proven to be a cure for any of the above. They may help; but you still have the underlying condition unless surgical intervention is chosen and still you will not be the way you were before.

You have to know your limitations and lift within them. Oddly, my best exercises for low back problems are dead lifts and squats--both at moderate weight with perfect form. Don't do exercises that you know hurt your knees. Don't do exercises that hurt your shoulders. The same goes for back. Now, hurt is a relative term and we all know the burn from searing pain. So, do yourself a favor and work within your limits and don't forget that ice and sufficient rest are your best friends. There is no magic here, just intelligent use of our bodies to produce a healthier, happier condition. Warmest regards to all.
BTW, yes I use AAS; but not to cure or relieve an injury.

 

[C-J]

I have age-related DDD, which Swale will recognize as a fancy way of saying that the normal process of aging is causing wear and tear on my disks. The discomfort is constant but managable. However, it is now preventing me from doing some things I really like, like kayaking. And most importantly, it is starting to prevent me from doing cardio like stationary biking.

I wonder whether some AASs-related therapy will do the trick. Low doses of test + equipoise? I believe deca helps lubes the disks but I really want to avoid it at my age.

HGH?

Because I'm under 50... my diagnosis was also DDD. Once you turn 50...it becomes age induced arthritis.

Deca does wonders for my back. I have a compressed L4- Bulged L5 and partial tailbone missing... falling out of perfectly good planes for uncle Sam for 10+ years finally caught up with me. Hit the ground on a night jump doing 45 MPH! walked away from it... but realized something was really wrong later that night ... couldnt feel my toes!! 1+ years of weighted traction finally freed up the vertebre enough to tolerate the pain... been going back regularly to my Chiropractor...I sound like a bag of marbles every visit but damn!!! it feels good for a week or so after :-D

Deca did it for me... wish I could run it 24/7.
Best of luck Bro
CJ

 

[borrachopower]

back pain

sad to say but even surgery is a temporary fix...
almost always, whatver is removed(disc, lamina, etc) is replaced with scar tissue.

this has been proven in roentology as an increased blood flow in areas that are mostly avascular...ie disc, although the outside 1/3 does have some nerve/blood supply via the vertebral anastomoses.

 

[einstein1905]

Probably the best compound out there for DDD or degradation of the menisci is adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan)