Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease is a type of spinal deterioration that frequently accompanies the natural aging process. While it can be completely asymptomatic, this condition can lead to severe back or neck pain.  In many ways, degenerative disc disease is actually a misnomer.  The condition is not a disease and is only degenerative in the sense that the condition develops gradually over time as a result of regular, unavoidable wear and tear.

Description

The individual vertebrae in the cervical (neck), thoracic (middle back), and lumbar (lower back) spine segments are separated by soft, thick pads known as intervertebral discs.  Each disc has a tough fibrous wall (annulus fibrosus) and a gel-like inner material (nucleus pulposus). These discs keep the adjacent vertebrae from grinding together, but still provide flexibility and mobility.  Over the years, the tremendous pressure of supporting the spine takes its toll and the discs can simply wear out.  The walls thin and weaken and the discs lose water and protein content, leaving them brittle. Disc material may also extrude into the spinal column if a tear develops in the wall of the disc. Degenerative disc disease is the general term used to describe this deterioration.

Conditions and Treatment

Degenerative disc disease can describe a number of disc conditions, such as:

• Herniated disc
• Ruptured disc
• Prolapsed disc
• Protruded disc
• Slipped disc
• Bulging disc

Interestingly, the presence of a deteriorated disc isn’t necessarily symptomatic and many people have degenerative disc disease without knowing it. Back or neck pain only occurs when the disc or ruptured disc material comes into contact with a nerve root or the spinal cord itself.  If this occurs, your doctor will typically first attempt to manage your pain and alleviate the nerve compression conservatively with a variety of noninvasive techniques, such as stretching exercises, heat therapy, and pain medication.

If your pain persists through several weeks of conservative treatment, contact Laser Spine Institute to learn about the benefits of our state-of-the-art, minimally invasive endoscopic procedures.