Discogenic is a term that refers to the cartilaginous discs between the vertebrae of your spine. These spongy, cushion-like bodies act as shock absorbers for the spine and allow for twisting, flexing, bending, and other movements. Over time, these discs can lose water content, become brittle, or otherwise degenerate, all of which are natural parts of the aging process. When these deformations take place, they can potentially cause a number of discogenic conditions and a number of resulting symptoms.
Causes of Discogenic Disease
Discogenic disease refers to the collection of conditions that can result as part of the natural deterioration of your intervertebral discs, and can include a number of different issues, such as:
- Bulging discs
- Disc protrusion
- Herniated discs
- Thinning or collapsed discs
- Spondylolisthesis
- And other degenerative disc conditions
Symptoms and Treatment
Discogenic conditions such as these don’t always result in symptoms. In fact, a bulging or herniated disc might never cause you any problems. However, when discogenic deformation results in compression of the disc’s local nerves, a spinal nerve root, or the spinal cord itself, this is when symptoms can arise. These symptoms can be very debilitating, and can include back pain, neck pain, numbness, weakness, tingling, and more.
Typically, your doctor will first recommend a variety of nonsurgical, conservative treatment options to remedy your symptoms related to a discogenic issue. These can include rest, exercise, weight loss, physical therapy, medications, and more. However, a small percentage of patients simply don’t see a reduction in their pain and other symptoms as a result of these conservative measures, and for these individuals, surgery can become an option. If you’ve suffered from neck or back pain for weeks or months and haven’t seen results from conservative treatments, contact Laser Spine Institute today to learn more about our variety of safe, effective endoscopic procedures. Our orthopedic experts have performed these revolutionary procedures on tens of thousands of patients and have helped them rediscover their lives without neck or back pain.
