Degenerative disc disease has two basic causes: the aging process, and traumatic injury. The term itself actually is a bit misleading. Degenerative disc disease is not a disease, per se. Rather, it is the gradual deterioration of the components of an intervertebral disc, which sometimes threatens to interfere with neural activity conducted along the length of the spine. And the symptoms of the condition, while potentially debilitating, are not necessarily “degenerative” in the medical sense – they do not automatically worsen. In fact, pain, tingling, numbness, and other symptoms caused by nerve compression associated with a degenerative disc can actually subside on their own over time.

How Aging Causes Degenerative Disc Disease

By the time most people reach their mid-to-late 30s, some disc degeneration has begun to take place. The more active a person is during his or her younger years, the more likely that person is to experience disc deterioration at an accelerated rate. Specifically, adolescent athletes who suffer spine injuries during the course of a game or training are more likely to develop disc degeneration before middle age. People involved in a car accident that injures the spine also are more susceptible to disc degeneration. That said, most people who develop degenerative disc disease do so as a result of normal wear and tear on the intervertebral discs, which are composed of two main anatomical elements:

– Nucleus pulposus – This is the inner, gel-like material that distributes hydraulic pressure in every direction when a disc is subjected to movement or a compressive load. As people age, the collagen-laced inner disc material begins to lose water content, which can reduce the height of the disc and inhibit its ability to provide a cushion between the vertebrae.

– Annulus fibrosus – This is the outer wall of an intervertebral disc. It is composed of several concentric layers of fibrocartilage and collagen. As the inner nucleus pulposus loses water content, the outer wall is subjected to more pressure from the vertebrae above and below. In addition, the wall can become brittle and weak over time. Pressure from within can force the wall out of its normal boundary (a bulging disc), and fissures can form, allowing the nucleus material to leak into the spinal canal (a herniated disc).

Additional Risk Factors for Degenerative Disc Disease

Although there is no way to stop the degenerative effects of aging, there are ways to ensure that the process won’t accelerate unnecessarily. One of the major stress factors on the spine is its weight-bearing function, which is particularly pronounced in the lumbar (lower back) region. People who carry excess body weight are not merely at risk for circulatory disorders. The acts of bending, twisting, and turning already subject the intervertebral discs to a great deal of stress, an effect exacerbated by obesity. Other factors that increase the likelihood that degenerative disc disease will strike include smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, poor dietary habits, poor posture, and working at a job that requires a lot of heavy lifting.

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