What is degenerative disc disease?

Degenerative disc disease is a condition where your spinal disks become worn. Spinal disks are rubbery cushions between your vertebrae (your spine's building blocks). They act as shock absorbers, and you will be able to move, bend, or twist freely. Everyone's spinal disks degenerate with age and form a natural part of the aging process.

Over time, the cushions can begin to wear away, allowing the bones to start rubbing together. This causes such friction and other issues as:

Adult scoliosis or curvature in the spine.
Herniated disk, also called a bulged, slipped or ruptured disk.
Spinal stenosis, or when the spaces around your spine narrow.
Spondylolisthesis, or when vertebrae move in and out of place.

Who would be susceptible to getting degenerative disk disease?

Degenerative disc disease is more common among older patients. Some other factors that predispose to degenerative disc disease are as follows:

Acute injury, such as falling.
Obesity.
Biological sex, women are more likely to suffer from its symptoms.
Smoking.
Working at a job that requires physical activities.

What are the symptoms of degenerative disc disease?

The most common symptoms of degenerative disc disease are neck pain and back pain. You might experience pain that:

Flares and remits, with durations of weeks or months.
Causes numbness or tingling in your arms or legs.
Shoots down the back of your buttocks and lower back.
Worsens with sitting, bending or lifting.

What causes degenerative disc disease?

Spinal disks degenerate as part of the normal aging process. Generally after the age of 40 years, most individuals undergo some degree of disk degeneration. Yet, only a few come to realize the pain.

You could be experiencing pain if you have one of the following:

Spinal disks that deteriorate faster than average.
Abnormal spinal disk growth, which can cause pressure on nerves.
A tilted spine, which may put stress on your spinal disks.
Dry out: The discs consist of a water-based soft core, and with time, some of this water dries out. As this occurs naturally with age, the discs become thinner and do not absorb shock as they initially would.
Tear or crack: If the minor trauma to your spinal disks makes them develop tiny cracks, it may also cause tears near your nerves. Tears minor and small, can be painful. When the outer wall of your spinal disk cracks open, the disk could bulge out of place, also called herniated disk, and compress your spinal nerve.

How does degenerative disc pain feel?

Degenerative disc pain:

Can occur in the neck or low back.
Can also spread to the arms and hands or the bottom and legs.
Can be mild, medium or severe.
Can go away and come back.
Can be worse after activities like bending, twisting or lifting.
Can get worse as time goes by.

How is degenerative disc disease diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider can begin to make a diagnosis by asking about your symptoms. Questions may include:

When did your pain start?
Where do you feel the pain?
What makes your pain worse?
What makes your pain better?
Were you ever injured, hurt or in an accident that caused you pain?
Do you have numbness or tingling?
How far can you walk?

Your health care provider may use imaging scans such as X-ray, CT or MRI. These tests will reveal your health care provider the condition and alignment of your discs. Your provider may also carry out a physical examination to determine that you are:

Nerve function: Your provider may employ a reflex hammer to test your responses. Lack of or weak response could indicate damaged or compressed nerves.
Pain levels: Your doctor will touch or press on specific parts of your back to determine your level of pain.
Strength: Muscle weakness or atrophy could be caused by nerve damage or discs degeneration.

How do you treat degenerative disc disease?

For most patients, your physician will first use noninvasive treatments. Some of the treatments you may receive:

Physical therapy: You will participate in strengthening and stretching exercises under the help of a qualified healthcare provider.
Medications: Pain relievers, anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxers, or steroids.
Steroid injections: Here, medicine is injected into the area around your spinal nerves, your disk, or your joints to help alleviate inflammation and pain.
Radiofrequency neurotomy: It works by being able to burn your sensory nerves using electrical currents, which blocks the pain signals from reaching your brain.

Can degenerative disc disease be treated at home?

Some get relief by self-treating themselves with home remedies. Home treatments can sometimes ease the pain, but they certainly are not treatment for severely degenerated disks, nor can they replace proper long-term care. You can try the following:

Exercise: Even low-impact activity like walking or swimming can make your back muscles stronger and some of the pain disappears.

Heat and cold: Cycling between using ice packs and heating pads for 10-15 minutes several times a day, up to three to four times per day, may help reduce soreness and inflammation.
Stretching: Gentle stretches, such as yoga, performed throughout the day may also help improve posture and alleviate tension.

Do I need surgery for degenerative disc disease?

Many patients are not surgical candidates for degenerative disk disease. However, if you have tried several nonsurgical treatments and still experience pain and/or weakness, surgery might be an appropriate option.

Or, your surgeon may perform one of a few types of spinal decompression surgery:

Diskectomy: Removing part of a spinal disk to reduce pressure on your nerves
Foraminotomy: Widening the opening for your nerve roots through removal of tissue and bone.
Laminectomy: The surgeon will remove a part of the bony covering of your lower spine (lamina).
Removal of osteophytes: He or she will eliminate bone spurs referred to as osteophytes.
Spinal fusion: In this procedure, your surgeon will join two or more vertebrae in order to stabilize the vertebrae.

How Do I Prevent Degenerative Disc Disease?

You can prevent or slow the degeneration of the spine by making lifestyle changes. Some of them include-

Maintaining an ideal body weight
Quitting smoking or avoiding it altogether
Exercise regularly for the strengthening and limbering purposes.

What is the prognosis for patients with degenerative disc disease?

Most patients utilize nonsurgical and home-based treatments to control pain over time. If you have mild to moderate back pain, you will have to continue treatment to maintain pain control.

More than 80% of patients who undergo surgery for degenerative disk disease are successful in achieving long-term pain relief. You will have to continue exercising and stretching your back even after surgery to maintain a strong, healthy back.