Thanks everyone...

I want to see the physios next week anyway and ask what they can do for me, I'll ask about decompression tables etc. I'm not doing any exercises or stretches unless I've double and triple checked that they can't do me more damage....I've been bitten before by well-intentioned physios...

I'm taking a multivitamin at the moment to up my levels of things like vitamin D, magnesium etc, and I'm drinking a lot of fluids - I'm well aware of the hydration issue with discs lol, all this time I'm waiting I've been reading up on discs and health! I'm keeping as healthy a diet as I can, and apart from the odd crappy day like today I'm overall increasing my activity levels of walking. I'm doing a few careful core exercises like bridges and side leg lifts, clams, pelvic floor exercises, glute squeezes, etc. Looking to increase the amounts gradually...

The paracetemol thing is going ok so far, surprisingly enough. I prefer to know what's going on with my back, and it certainly let's me know if I get it wrong!

Tessa, I've had DDD for at least five years in both my lumbar and cervical spine.

The rest of the report says:

Lower spinal cord appears normal, conus at L1. Upper 4 lumbar motion segments normal. Facet joints look normal, central canal capacious, no sign of central stenosis. No vertebral collapse or marrow infiltrate. Normal retroperitoneal structures. Conclusion: single level degenerative spondylosis at L5-S1 with a left paracentral disc protrusion displacing the swollen left S1 nerve root.

Bram.