Arthur and Atlas are offering some good words of wisdom. I agree with both of them.

I'm no doctor, but I work in a Personal Injury law firm, and a lot of our clients' injuries have disc/vertebral involvement. So, unfortunately, I've learned more than I ever cared to know about C,T, & L spine injuries.

Atlas is right - if you'd take random cervical, thoracic and lumbarMRI's of healthy 40-somethings, you'd find that a pretty high percentage of those individuals are suffering from some degree of disc degeneration. Again, these are healthy, asymptomatic individuals.

What you'll need to do is take your doctor's advice very seriously. Think of your degenerative condition as an "eggshell case" that requires you to be more careful from this point forward. Take off the weight, work on your posture, see a chiropractor periodically, if your symptoms manifest.Like Atlas said,learn which discs are affected, and what types of activities can trigger an exacerbation.

This isn't a death sentence. Think of yourself as lucky, because mostindividuals don't find out about their degeneration untilthey've already suffered a herniation/severe bulge/fragmented disc, and the downward spiral hasalready begun.

Arthur's right -shedding the weight will help you out immensely. It reduces the load on each disc, and that increases the disc space, and can even helpwith disc hydration.

Spinal health is a one-way street. We all start out with a clean slate, a healthy spine, and over time, everyone's spine continues to degenerate at some level or another throughout that individual's life. The question is, what goes first? Your back? Your mind? Your heart? etc... In your case, you're now on notice that you're now a likely candidate for a back injury. Don't get down on yourself, do something about it. Lose weight, avoid heavy lifting, use proper lifting techniques, work on straightening your posture, avoid repetitive bending/twisting, stay away from grueling physical activity, hang up the football spikes, put the skis away for good, etc. In other words, take it easy, live long and prosper.

Ask your doctor about bow hunting, he might recommend lowering your draw weights, avoiding climbing tree steps, dragging deer, etc. Being hard-headed could cost you big time, so heed your doctor's warnings. One bad move can trigger a serious injury that will have ripple effects throughout your spine.

Sure, we're telling you that a lot of people have spinal degeneration, and that it won't necessarily keep you out of the woods, per se. BUT, you've gotta be careful and put your health first. If you don't, your hunting days could be numbered. Some of these guys have lived it, and the symptoms can be debilitating, so don't take this lightly.