"i&#039;m a 64 year old male with degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine. i was prescribed 4x50mg tramadol daily as needed for one month followed by one daily as needed long term.  i never needed more than a couple and now usually take none. i also have gout, now completely pain free due to allopurinol. i&#039;d compare my neck pain as a 5 or 6 compared to my gout pain when it was untreated as 10. 
when i do have a 6/10 level pain tramadol takes it down to a 1 or even 0 with no side effects for me at all.
when my pain is 2 or 3 i never take medicines because i don&#039;t want to get habituated.
for my less than severe pain tramadol seems perfect."