I have chronic pain, no not degenerative disc disease, a few blown disks and a knee so calcified and scarred that pain is a constant companion. There are various therapies I use - from the liberal application of heat to the affected joints - to the use of nortriptlyne - an elder antidepressant that in lower doses is used to treat pain in that it does tend to reduce pain and does tend to help to get a decent nights sleep. Sleeep is important, the less sleep we have the more pain we get, the more pain we get the less sleep we have - a vicious circle results where not only are we getting more pain but we are feeling crappy all the time from lack of sleep. On top of these are other drugs, muscle relaxants, narcotics used on an 'as needed' basis. I also have a TENS unit which applied to the muscles surrounding the blown disks tends to relax them and reduce the pain. I also have a minor exercise program - granted its not heavy weight training like I did in my 20's, it does have a lot more stretching and warm up/cool off time - by and large movement and strengthening the muscles around the affected joints has reduced (somewhat) the pain. A chronic pain specialist will work with you. Most often the pain of disk issues is not the disk itself, but the nerves running through the disk being 'pinched'. Depending on the nerve, the severity of the pinch it may be possible to operate elsewhere to relieve the tension on the nerve. My left ulnar nerve was moved from its track in the left elbow to the softer muscle tissues of the forearm - this reduced the overall pain and sensations of that nerve. It is still impinged at the neck, but has more movement and is not being as tightly stretched as my arm moves.

i am kind of young (18). Ive had this since i was at least 10, and ive tried many things. i have both DDD and chronic back pain. Some of the things ive tried was acupuncture, which didnt help. Physical therapy, which helped short term, and a series of different medical treatments and braces fit for me. The only thing that i have found to help tremendously is cortisone injections. You of course have to have a doctor send you to pain managment and go through several types of pain management outside of this. i also have had a tens unit, but it only helps short term, about a few hours, and than the pain just comes right back. the best thing i suggest, and the most helpful thing to me, has been a cortisone injection. i think it would help ALOT. especially if you have tried many other things.