Degenerative Disc Disease

What causes degenerative disc disease?

Degenerative disc disease is a condition that affects the shock-absorbing discs between each of the bones along your spine (vertebrae). As these protective discs start breaking down and deteriorating, you can experience a wide variety of issues, including sharp pain, weakness, and numbness.

While it isn’t always known why some men and women are more prone to developing degenerative disc disease than others, some of the most common causes and risk factors include:

• Older age (degeneration)
• Injuries or trauma
• Cervical stenosis
• Herniated disc
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Compression of the spinal cord
• Overuse, possibly from years of playing sports

Because degenerative disc disease can negatively impact your quality of life, it’s important to understand the signs and symptoms and start treatment early on.

Does degenerative disc disease cause symptoms?

Yes. Though everyone’s spinal disks break down eventually, if you have degenerative disc disease, back and neck pain are among your leading complaints. Depending on where along your spine you have degenerative disc disease — anywhere from your lumbar to your cervical area — you may experience:

• Radiating pain down your arms
• Stabbing pains in your buttocks and thighs
• Numbness or pins and needles throughout your extremities

In many cases, symptoms worsen with movement and activity. For instance, if you have degenerative disc disease in your lower back, you might find that simply bending down to pick something up can feel excruciatingly painful. Rest assured though, the pain specialists at Neuro Pain Consultants can help you whether your degenerative disc symptoms are minor or more severe.

How is degenerative disc disease treated?

Your degenerative disc disease treatment plan at Neuro Pain Consultants is personalized to your specific concerns to ensure you experience effective relief. Treating degenerative disc disease can involve:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Nerve block treatments
• Physical therapy
• Muscle relaxants

As a last resort, you might need surgical repair. The board-certified physicians at Neuro Pain Consultants sometimes recommend minimally invasive measures to fuse bones together, remove damaged discs, and make any other essential fixes to help restore your quality of life.

Schedule your degenerative disc disease evaluation at Neuro Pain Consultants today. Click on the online scheduling feature or call your nearest office directly.

Individual results may vary.