HI Erica,

Welcome to NT. I am sorry that you are in so much pain.

I looked up dehyrated discs because I did not know what it meant and here is what I got...

Just as a tire is inflated with air, a spinal disc is filled with fluid. If the disc is overworked or injured, it will dehydrate or lose fluids similar to a tire losing air and going flat. As a tire goes flat, the sidewall of the tire bulges outward. As the disc dehydrates, the sidewall of the disc bulges outward - this is called a bulging disc. A dehydrated disc can cause the vertebrae to come closer together compressing the delicate spinal nerves and causing pain. Bulging or herniated disks can compress the nerve causing pain. Neurotoxins from the injured spinal disk can also cause pain.

Sounds like some of the discs might be pressing on a spinal nerve or the osteophytes which are like bone spurs might also be irritaing a nerve.

Has the doc mentioned PT? Sometimes it also takes a few injections for the area to calm down. Have you found a good spinal doc or ortho?

Be sure to take some anitinflammatories like motrin or advil to help keep the inflammation down if the doc did not prescibe one.

And treat the pain as best as possible.

I see Jo has provided the link to the spinal forum. Please let us know if there is anything we can help you with.

Hi Erica and Welcome to NeuroTalk. I can relate to your pain, as I'm sitting on the heating pad right now. I have had L4-L5 disc trouble for yr and all it takes, sometimes, is to turn or twist the wrong way.

I have had epidural steroid injections a few times, but they were just a quick fix. I also did PT, which helped. Hope you can find some relief.

Glad to have you w/us.