Well, both my GP and the Consultant have told me that the vertebrae will eventually fuse of their own accord as the disc continues to degenerate and eventually gets rubbed away by the vertebrae rubbing together.

I know there will be arthritic changes and gradual disintegration of the bone surfaces before that happens.

Oh, and just to confirm, my dad was given exactly the same advice over 20 years ago: "cope with the pain, take painkillers and wait for it to fuse".

There is also only one 'joint' involved and it is the bones that fuse together!