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Aging and its Effects on Discogenic Pain

Discogenic pain is something of a catch-all term that refers to the pain and other symptoms caused by discogenic conditions – or those related to the intervertebral discs located along the length of the spine. Discogenic pain can be brought on as a result of a variety of different conditions, but the most common underlying cause is aging. That's because over time, the soft, sponge-like discs that provide cushion and support to the vertebrae gradually deteriorate and become deformed.

What Can Cause Discogenic Pain?

These age-related changes to your discs can result in a variety of degenerative disc conditions, such as a bulging or herniated disc. By themselves, these disc deformations do not necessarily cause any pain or other symptoms. In fact, even individuals reporting no back or neck pain likely have one or more discs in their spine that have bulged or become herniated. Problems arise when disc changes lead to a compression (or "pinching") of spinal nerves. This can cause:

• Weakness
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Pain

Some evidence suggests that the discs themselves can become painful and inflamed when there is a tear in a disc’s outer covering and the soft, liquid core leaks out and irritates the disc’s surface nerves. This type of discogenic pain appears to be localized to the disc itself.

Treatment Options

If you're suffering from discogenic pain that has been brought on by age-related transformations of your intervertebral discs, the good news is that a variety of conservative treatments have been shown to be effective methods for managing symptoms. Your doctor might recommend that you visit a physical therapist, try hot/cold therapy, take pain medications, or see if any of a variety of other nonsurgical options work for you. However, some individuals simply aren't able to reduce their discogenic pain through conservative treatments, and surgery becomes an option. If you've failed to see results after weeks or months of conservative treatments, contact Laser Spine Institute today. Our orthopedic experts perform a variety of revolutionary endoscopic procedures that are safe and effective and can help you rediscover your life without back and neck pain.

Please note: Laser Spine Institute currently does not perform endoscopic procedures on the thoracic spine.