Degenerative disc disease is the gradual deterioration of the anatomical components of one or more intervertebral discs. These spongy cartilaginous wedges serve as shock absorbers between the stacked vertebral bodies. Discs also aid in spinal movement, allowing the spine to “spring back” and comfortably resume its normal S shape after bending, twisting, or turning. As the body ages, discs can begin to wear down and lose elasticity, robbing them of their ability to cushion the adjacent vertebrae. This can cause a number of problems related to diminished spinal stability, including chronic stiffness, localized pain, and, in some cases, symptoms associated with spinal nerve compression.

How Degenerative Disc Disease Causes Symptoms

When degenerative disc disease begins to cause symptoms, the onset usually is gradual. Barring a traumatic injury that ruptures the fibrous outer wall (annulus fibrosus) of a disc, it normally takes time for deterioration to take full effect. A reduction in range of motion in the neck or back might be the first sign. Eventually, though, as a disc weakens or loses height, it could lead to the development of a bulging disc or herniated disc. With the first, a bulging disc, the outer wall is forced out of its normal boundary. With the second, a herniated disc, a portion of the inner gel-like material (nucleus pulposus) leaks through a tear in the outer wall. While neither of these conditions will necessarily produce symptoms, if a misplaced portion of the anatomy makes contact with a nearby nerve root, it can cause pain, tingling, numbness, and/or muscle weakness in the extremities.

Treating Degenerative Disc Disease Symptoms

The vast majority of patients suffering from even the most debilitating symptoms related to disc degeneration find that, by working closely with their doctors, they are able to manage those symptoms with a combination of conservative treatment methods. Only about 10 percent of those who develop symptomatic degenerative disc disease resort to surgery, and then only after all conservative treatment has proven ineffective over a period of weeks or months.

In general, the primary goals of conservative treatment are to:

– Control or alleviate pain

– Increase strength of back or neck muscles

– Improve flexibility of the area of the spine adjacent to the deteriorated disc

There is a large array of conservative methods available, including nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), stretching, low-impact exercise, behavior modification through physical therapy, the application of heat or cold, brief periods of rest, and more. There also are a number of alternative or complementary methods used, including chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), back or neck bracing, decompression tables, and others. The efficacy of alternative methods remains up for debate.

Have Patience before Considering Surgery

It may take a while to determine the exact combination of conservative treatments necessary to manage the symptoms associated with degenerative disc disease. Quite often, a period of trial and error is necessary, during which the patient should maintain frequent communication with the doctor. Simply, if a prescribed method of treatment seems to exacerbate the symptoms, or produces unexpected and unwelcome side effects, the doctor needs to know in order to, for example, alter a dose of a particular medicine or eliminate a particular exercise from the regimen.

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 the treatment of degenerative disc disease and several other spinal conditions.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for the treatment of degenerative disc disease and other spinal conditions. http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/back_problems/degenerative_disc_disease/

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 the treatment of degenerative disc disease and several other spinal conditions.

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Keywords: Degenerative disc disease