Degenerative disc disease is not, technically speaking, a disease. Rather, it is a bit of a misnomer used to describe the natural deterioration of the spine’s intervertebral discs, which are sponge-like cushions between the vertebrae. These discs are composed of two parts: a gel-like center called the nucleus pulposus, and a tough outer wall called the annulus fibrosus. Deterioration of a disc involves diminished water content in the nucleus pulposus, along with a gradual weakening of the annulus fibrosus. Less water means less elasticity, while a weaker wall can lead to a reduction of a disc’s height.

Over time, the loss of disc elasticity and height can begin to adversely affect spinal stability. In turn, this can lead to the irritation or impingement of the spinal cord or adjacent nerve roots. This condition, known as nerve compression, can produce symptoms that include pain, tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness, spasms, or cramping in the area of the body innervated by the affected nerve.

How Degenerative Disc Disease Causes Symptoms

Degenerative disc disease does not always produce symptoms. The discs themselves are only marginally innervated, and in many cases, the deterioration process is experienced as nothing more than mild, short-term discomfort. However, as a disc becomes less and less flexible and loses more and more height, it can lead to the development of potentially debilitating spine conditions. These can include:

– Spondylolisthesis – without a healthy disc to serve as a shock absorber, a vertebra can begin to slip out of place over the one below it; forward slippage is known as spondylolisthesis, while rearward slippage is known as retrospondylolisthesis.

– Bulging or herniated disc – as pressure between vertebrae builds on a weakened disc, the outer wall can be forced out of its normal boundary, which is a bulging disc; should the gel-like inner material leak through a fissure in the distorted outer wall, the condition is known as a herniated disc.

– Joint deterioration – the loss of an interior cushion (disc) places excess stress on the joints where vertebrae are connected, which can exacerbate deterioration of cartilage surrounding the joints; this is known as osteoarthritis, which can lead to the formation of bone spurs (osteophytes).

The proximity of nerve roots and the spinal cord to the vertebrae makes these components of the central nervous system extremely vulnerable to anatomical anomalies such as vertebral slippage, herniated discs, and bone spurs. While some patients experience persistent pain, others will find that symptoms flare up only when certain movements are made. Either way, symptoms enduring for three months or longer are considered chronic and should be diagnosed by a doctor.

Where Degenerative Disc Disease Is Most Likely To Occur

The intervertebral discs within the lumbar (lower back) and cervical (neck) regions of the spine are more likely than the thoracic (middle back) region to experience disc degeneration. This is because the vertebrae in the neck and lower back are subjected to years of wear and tear associated with bending, twisting, and turning. In addition, these regions are under a great deal more stress because they support the weight of the head and the upper body, respectively.

When nerve compression occurs in the neck, it can produce radiating pain and other symptoms in the upper back, the shoulders, the arms, the hands, and/or the fingers. In the lower back, degenerative disc disease symptoms are likely to be associated with the largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve. Compression of the sciatic nerve produces the set of symptoms known as sciatica, which can be experienced in the lower back, the buttocks, the legs, the feet, and/or the toes.

Treatment for symptoms associated with degenerative disc disease usually involves the use of pain medication, stretching, exercise, hot/cold compresses, and physical therapy. In some cases, debilitating symptoms require more aggressive treatment, such as corticosteroid injections at the site of the compression. In general, surgery becomes an option only when conservative treatment methods have failed to provide relief after several weeks or months.

Author Bio: Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for degenerative disc disease and several other spinal conditions.

Category: Medical Business
Keywords: Degenerative disc disease