If you think you might have degenerative disc disease, consider seeing your doctor for a diagnosis. Degenerative disc disease symptoms include pain and tingling in the lower back, neck, buttocks, and legs for no clear reason. The pain and tingling from degenerative disc disease is usually constant and remains present for more than just a few days. Like many people, you have probably begun to self-diagnose your condition, and that is completely understandable. However, only a doctor will be able to tell you for sure if you actually have degenerative disc disease and recommend treatments for your particular case.

What Will a Doctor Do to Diagnose Degenerative Disc Disease?

Before your doctor will be able to tell you if you have degenerative disc disease or not, you will need to fill out a medical history form if you do not already have one on file. Then, your doctor will need to complete a physical examination. Your doctor also should engage you in conversation to find out what your symptoms are and how they related to the results of the physical exam. Your doctor will probably ask you to submit to an X-ray of your spinal column to gain a detailed look at your spine. An X-ray might be able to give your doctor enough information to diagnose you with degenerative disc disease, but sometimes, an X-ray is not detailed enough. If this is the case, your doctor will most likely schedule an appointment for you to receive advanced medical imaging of your spine.

Advanced Medical Imaging May Be Needed

If your doctor would like to know more about your condition following the examinations and X-ray, you will most likely need to undergo an advanced medical imaging test or two. There are several different kinds of imaging tests available today, but your doctor will suggest the best test to help determine if you have degenerative disc disease or not. The advanced medical imaging procedures you will possibly undergo include:

– MRI – magnetic resonance imaging produces clearer images of the body’s interior, and is usually used to confirm or negate what is found on an X-ray
– CT scan – computed tomography uses X-rays and computers to generate cross-sectional and three-dimensional images of the inside of the body
– EMG – electromyography records and evaluates electrical activity from the skeletal muscles
– Myelogram – uses a contrast medium to observe the pathology of the spinal cord
– Discography – a dye injected into an intervertebral disc helps spinal injuries to be seen better on an X-ray

What Happens Next?

If you are diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, you should discuss treatment options with your doctor. Many times the symptoms of degenerative disc disease will go away on their own after some time. If you wish to receive treatment for your symptoms, your doctor will tell you the options specifically available to you. There are several nonsurgical treatment methods available, like pain medication, physical therapy, and spine injections. If nonsurgical techniques do not work out for you, you might want to look into spine surgery. Although, surgery is reserved as an option available to only about five to ten percent of those with 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.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: Degenerative disc disease