Degenerative Disc Disease

What is it?

Degeneration of the discs is a natural process of aging, characterized by dehydration or desiccation of the disc material that reduces the flexibility, and the height of the disc. That is why the Degenerative Disc Disease is not really a disease, but a term used to describe the normal changes of the discs as a person ages.

Symptoms

Some of the most common symptoms of the Degenerative Disc Disease are:

  • Pain in the back or neck.
  • Pain that gets worse when you move, such as when you bend over, reach up, or twist.
  • Pain that may occur in the rear end (buttocks), arm, or leg if a nerve is pinched.
  • Numbness or tingling in your arm or leg.

Cervical disc degenerative disorder usually is characterized by neck pain, while lumbar disc degenerative disorder is characterized with low back pain. Associated lumbar radiculopathy or nerve root pain can be characterized by the pain running from the buttock and low back down the leg.

Diagnosis

Cervical and lumbar disc disorders are diagnosable on plain x-ray, and a CT scan, but an MRI is the best diagnostic option for these conditions. In patients with multiple degenerative discs and associated pain, it is often difficult to distinguish which disc or discs are the pain generators.

Treatment

Nonsurgical Treatment for Degenerative Disc Disease aims to conservatively relieve back or neck pain caused by degenerative disc disease. These treatments include:

  • Medication: Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs, Prescription Pain Relievers, Muscle Relaxants, Corticosteroids
  • Weight Loss
  • Physical Therapy
  • Therapeutic Injections for Degenerative Disc Disease – epidural injection and nerve blocks for example

Spinal fusion is the best surgical technique for reduction or elimination of pain from degenerative discs. It can be done from a posterior approach with screws and rods in the spine and adjacent bone graft, or anteriorly with removal of the disc and placement of graph materials in the front. One of the long-term consequences of disc fusion can be accelerated degeneration of adjacent discs.