Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow to Know If You Have OneStressorsSymptomsTreatmentsDealing With PainExercises and StretchesManagement
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How to Know If You Have One
Stressors
Symptoms
Treatments
Dealing With Pain
Exercises and Stretches
Management
Disc desiccation (also known as spinal disc dehydration) can be part of aging or degenerative disc disease.Neck paincan signal cervical disc degeneration, whereaslow-back painsignals a lower lumbar disc degeneration.
This article will detail disc desiccation diagnosis, its causes, how to tell the difference between mild and severe disc desiccation, and what treatment and recovery options may be available.
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How Do You Know You Have Disc Desiccation?
Spinal discs are the spongy space holders in between vertebrae (bones of the spine) that make up your spinal column. These discs help absorb shock when moving and keep your spine safe. You may not know you have disc desiccation since symptoms are not always present, especially in the early stages. Experts say in most people, pain symptoms are not present until the condition progresses to a severe stage.
Where Does Disc Desiccation Occur?Disc desiccation can occur in the following areas:Lumbar desiccation: Lower backCervical desiccation: Upper back and neck
Where Does Disc Desiccation Occur?
Disc desiccation can occur in the following areas:Lumbar desiccation: Lower backCervical desiccation: Upper back and neck
Disc desiccation can occur in the following areas:
If you have pain in the neck or back, consider consulting with your healthcare provider. At this stage, the disc desiccation is likely to be detectable on anX-ray, and an official diagnosis can be made.Computed tomography (CT) scansandmagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanscan be even more helpful in these cases. MRIs can provide information on the water content in the discs, for example.
Testing and DiagnosisFor people with multiple degenerated discs and more widespread pain in the area, more testing options may be suggested to get a better sense of the source of the issue. Undergoing a CT or with dye injected into the discs may help reveal the source of pain.
Testing and Diagnosis
For people with multiple degenerated discs and more widespread pain in the area, more testing options may be suggested to get a better sense of the source of the issue. Undergoing a CT or with dye injected into the discs may help reveal the source of pain.
Aging, Disc Desiccation, and Other Disc Stressors
The causes of disc desiccation include:
Back injury and disc desiccation can occur together. A 2018 study suggests 12% of people under 50 years of age presenting with back trauma also experience significant disc desiccation.
Symptoms: Mild to Severe Disc Desiccation
Symptoms of disc desiccation range from mild to severe. In mild cases, you may not feel any pain. As the disc presses on surrounding nerves and pain progresses or spreads, the condition is becoming more severe.
However, this is an oversimplification. Some people may experience pain in early disc desiccation while others may not experience symptoms until after much more degeneration has occurred. Some patients find that pain decreases over time.This is why diagnosis based on pain alone is not possible.
Symptoms to watch for include:
When Is Disc Desiccation Severe?If you have disc desiccation and it worsens from mild to severe, you may experience pain traveling from the localized area of your neck or lower back down your legs and to your feet. Severe disc desiccation can cause nerve compression, muscle spasms, spinal instability, and structural changes.
When Is Disc Desiccation Severe?
If you have disc desiccation and it worsens from mild to severe, you may experience pain traveling from the localized area of your neck or lower back down your legs and to your feet. Severe disc desiccation can cause nerve compression, muscle spasms, spinal instability, and structural changes.
Different Treatment Approaches for Disc Desiccation
You may be wondering if you can heal or rehydrate disc desiccation. There are many treatment approaches for pain and other symptoms, including nerve compression. Here are the most common approaches to treating disc desiccation.
Noninvasive and nonsurgical approaches include:
Spinal InjectionsFor more severe cases of disc desiccation, spinal injections or facet joint injections are the likely next step. Spinal injections deliver steroids with pain-relieving medication straight to the source and can offer longer-lasting pain relief.They do not cure disc desiccation.
Spinal Injections
For more severe cases of disc desiccation, spinal injections or facet joint injections are the likely next step. Spinal injections deliver steroids with pain-relieving medication straight to the source and can offer longer-lasting pain relief.They do not cure disc desiccation.
Surgical Options
Spinal fusion surgery is the most aggressive option.Spinal fusion surgeryis when a surgeon fuses vertebrae together so they will no longer rub against each other in the absence of a hydrated disc. This form of invasive treatment will only be used when other options have not provided adequate or lasting relief.
Spinal surgery can also be used to remove discs, remedy abnormal disc structures causing pain, and add spacers, artificial discs, or nerve stimulators between the vertebrae.
Making Adjustments Around Disc Desiccation Pain
Living with disc desiccation pain can be challenging, but there are adjustments you can make. Experts advise avoiding activities that contribute to pain.
Expert suggestions include:
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Chronic Disc Desiccation: Daily Management and Self-Care
Daily management and self-care when living with chronic pain may be overwhelming and feel restrictive. For example, you may be grieving the loss of mobility or grieving the loss of certain activities and career opportunities. You’re not alone in these feelings. Taking steps to manage how you cope with chronic pain is always worthwhile.
If you’re unsure of where to begin, speaking with your healthcare provider or a mental health professional can be a great first step.
Here are some other expert tips for daily management and self-care that can help slow down degeneration when you have disc desiccation:
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Summary
Treatments include non-surgical options like taking pain-relieving medications or participating in physical therapy. However, more aggressive treatment methods exist such as spinal injections for pain and inflammation and spinal fusion surgery in severe cases. Other ways of managing pain include avoiding activities that contribute to pain or desiccation and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UCLA Health.Degenerative disc disease.Resorlu M, Gokmen F, Resorlu H, et al.Association between apparent diffusion coefficient and intervertebral disc degeneration in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.Int J Clin Exp Med. 2015;8(1):1241-1246.Burgio M, Onyejekwe OE.Diagnoses of young trauma victims with disc desiccation a quadruple-blind methodology.Journal of Bioequivalence & Bioavailability. 2018;10(1). doi: 10.4172/jbb.1000368Rush University.What is degenerative disc disease?Clear Scoliosis Institute.What is disc desiccation? What causes it? How to treat it.Rahyussalim AJ, Zufar MLL, Kurniawati T.Significance of the association between disc degeneration changes on imaging and low back pain: A review article.Asian Spine J. 2020;14(2):245-257. doi:10.31616/asj.2019.0046
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UCLA Health.Degenerative disc disease.Resorlu M, Gokmen F, Resorlu H, et al.Association between apparent diffusion coefficient and intervertebral disc degeneration in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.Int J Clin Exp Med. 2015;8(1):1241-1246.Burgio M, Onyejekwe OE.Diagnoses of young trauma victims with disc desiccation a quadruple-blind methodology.Journal of Bioequivalence & Bioavailability. 2018;10(1). doi: 10.4172/jbb.1000368Rush University.What is degenerative disc disease?Clear Scoliosis Institute.What is disc desiccation? What causes it? How to treat it.Rahyussalim AJ, Zufar MLL, Kurniawati T.Significance of the association between disc degeneration changes on imaging and low back pain: A review article.Asian Spine J. 2020;14(2):245-257. doi:10.31616/asj.2019.0046
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
UCLA Health.Degenerative disc disease.Resorlu M, Gokmen F, Resorlu H, et al.Association between apparent diffusion coefficient and intervertebral disc degeneration in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.Int J Clin Exp Med. 2015;8(1):1241-1246.Burgio M, Onyejekwe OE.Diagnoses of young trauma victims with disc desiccation a quadruple-blind methodology.Journal of Bioequivalence & Bioavailability. 2018;10(1). doi: 10.4172/jbb.1000368Rush University.What is degenerative disc disease?Clear Scoliosis Institute.What is disc desiccation? What causes it? How to treat it.Rahyussalim AJ, Zufar MLL, Kurniawati T.Significance of the association between disc degeneration changes on imaging and low back pain: A review article.Asian Spine J. 2020;14(2):245-257. doi:10.31616/asj.2019.0046
UCLA Health.Degenerative disc disease.
Resorlu M, Gokmen F, Resorlu H, et al.Association between apparent diffusion coefficient and intervertebral disc degeneration in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.Int J Clin Exp Med. 2015;8(1):1241-1246.
Burgio M, Onyejekwe OE.Diagnoses of young trauma victims with disc desiccation a quadruple-blind methodology.Journal of Bioequivalence & Bioavailability. 2018;10(1). doi: 10.4172/jbb.1000368
Rush University.What is degenerative disc disease?
Clear Scoliosis Institute.What is disc desiccation? What causes it? How to treat it.
Rahyussalim AJ, Zufar MLL, Kurniawati T.Significance of the association between disc degeneration changes on imaging and low back pain: A review article.Asian Spine J. 2020;14(2):245-257. doi:10.31616/asj.2019.0046
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