What Is Degenerative Disc Disease?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Prognosis

Coping

Degenerative disc disease describes a condition in which a worn disc causes pain. It often occurs due to the normal aging process in which the discs between the vertebrae in your spine wear down and become thinner.

This article describes degenerative disc disease symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.

Types of Degenerative Disc Disease

Causes of Back Pain and Treatment Options

Degenerative Disc Disease Symptoms

Symptoms of degenerative disc disease can vary based on the extent and location of the damaged disc. The most common symptom isback painin the lower back or neck, ranging from mild to severe. Symptoms can involve the following characteristics:

Degenerative disc disease affects the discs positioned between your vertebrae or spinal bones. These discs support the bones and cushion movement. However, as these discs weaken over time, the disc’s outer shell—or capsule—can become brittle or crack while the soft center, or nucleus, can leak fluid or bulge.

With disc degeneration, the disc tissue flattens and spreads sideways. It can also press on spinal nerves, causing the back pain or weakness that defines this condition. When the disc is damaged, it can’t repair itself, so it starts to deteriorate.

The most common causes of disc degeneration include:

Four Stages of Degenerative Disc DiseaseThere are four stages of the disc degeneration process. They include:Disc dehydration (loss of natural water content in the disc)Disc fissures (tears in the outer core of the disc)Neovascularization (ingrowth of blood vessels and nerves into the disc)Bony changes (development of bone spurs without the protection of discs separating the vertebrae)

Four Stages of Degenerative Disc Disease

There are four stages of the disc degeneration process. They include:Disc dehydration (loss of natural water content in the disc)Disc fissures (tears in the outer core of the disc)Neovascularization (ingrowth of blood vessels and nerves into the disc)Bony changes (development of bone spurs without the protection of discs separating the vertebrae)

There are four stages of the disc degeneration process. They include:

The diagnosis of degenerative disc disease requires a comprehensive medical history and physical exam. Your healthcare provider will also ask questions about the type of pain you’re experiencing, its location, and the factors that make it feel better or worse.

Your physical examination may involve an assessment of the following physical factors:

Based on the results of your physical examination, your healthcare provider may use one or more of the following tests to make an accurate diagnosis:

There is no one besttreatment for degenerative disc disease. Treatment can vary based on the extent of your symptoms and the location of the damaged disc. It focuses on relieving symptoms, reducing further degeneration, and strengthening the muscles that support your back to help you return to normal activity as soon as possible.

Disc Desiccation: Treatment and Support for Aging Bodies

Conservative Treatment

The first step in treating degenerative disc disease involves conservative treatment, which can involve one or more of the following strategies that don’t involve surgery:

Rest

Ice and/or heat

Usingice applicationto reduce pain andinflammationand/orheat applicationto increase blood flow and relax muscles and pain may help your symptoms. Limit applications to 20-minute intervals.

Medication

The following medications can reduce pain and inflammation when used properly:

Steroid injection

An epiduralsteroid injectioncan relieve the pain of irritated nerve roots, reduce inflammation, and decrease swelling from a bulging or herniated disc. These injections include a combination of the steroidcortisoneand alocal anestheticadministered through the back into theepidural space.

Physical therapy

A treatment plan involvingphysical therapymay include or more of the following types of therapy:

Exercise

Surgery

Though conservative treatments are effective in most cases, you may need surgery for degenerative disc disease under the following circumstances:

Depending on your condition, the following surgical technique may treat degenerative disc disease:

Should You Have Disc Replacement Surgery or a Spinal Fusion?

Though degenerative disc disease is not life-threatening, there is no cure for the condition. When disc degeneration begins, there is no stopping or reversing it. However, most people can undergo treatment for degenerative disc disease pain without surgery or disc replacement.

If left untreated, the condition can lead to permanent damage and debilitating pain. The result can affect your quality of life and interfere with your ability to perform normal activities. The following problems can occur without treatment:

Degenerative disc disease is a chronic condition. Symptoms may come and go often, regardless of the type of treatment administered. Establishing and maintaining a treatment program that includes exercise and a healthy lifestyle can help you obtain good results.

The following strategies can help reduce disc degeneration:

Summary

Degenerative disc disease is a problem that occurs when the discs between the vertebrae in your spine wear down and become thinner. It most often happens as a result of aging.

The problem reduces the flexibility and height of the disc. Though these changes don’t always cause symptoms, they can often make the spine unable to perform its normal functions without pain. Pain occurs when your body changes due to disc damage to cause bone-on-bone movement, bone spurs, or a compressed spinal cord.

Most people benefit from conservative treatment. Surgery can often provide long-term relief for severe symptoms.

13 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.Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Degenerative disc disease.UCLA Health.Thoracic disc degeneration.UCLA Health.Degenerative disc disease.Cedars-Sinai.Degenerative disc disease.Arthritis Foundation.Degenerative disc disease.Rea W, Kapur S, Mutagi H.Intervertebral disc as a source of pain.Continuing Education in Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain, 2012:12(6):279–282, doi:10.1093/bjaceaccp/mks028University of Maryland Medical Center.Degenerative disc disease.International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery.Non-surgical spine treatments.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Spinal fusion.Yale Medicine.Artificial disk replacement surgery.Oregon Heath & Science University Spine Center.Disc degeneration.Penn Medicine.4 ways disc degeneration can cause back pain as you age.NYU Langone Health.Recovery & support for degenerative disc disease.

13 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.Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Degenerative disc disease.UCLA Health.Thoracic disc degeneration.UCLA Health.Degenerative disc disease.Cedars-Sinai.Degenerative disc disease.Arthritis Foundation.Degenerative disc disease.Rea W, Kapur S, Mutagi H.Intervertebral disc as a source of pain.Continuing Education in Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain, 2012:12(6):279–282, doi:10.1093/bjaceaccp/mks028University of Maryland Medical Center.Degenerative disc disease.International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery.Non-surgical spine treatments.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Spinal fusion.Yale Medicine.Artificial disk replacement surgery.Oregon Heath & Science University Spine Center.Disc degeneration.Penn Medicine.4 ways disc degeneration can cause back pain as you age.NYU Langone Health.Recovery & support for degenerative disc disease.

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.

Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Degenerative disc disease.UCLA Health.Thoracic disc degeneration.UCLA Health.Degenerative disc disease.Cedars-Sinai.Degenerative disc disease.Arthritis Foundation.Degenerative disc disease.Rea W, Kapur S, Mutagi H.Intervertebral disc as a source of pain.Continuing Education in Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain, 2012:12(6):279–282, doi:10.1093/bjaceaccp/mks028University of Maryland Medical Center.Degenerative disc disease.International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery.Non-surgical spine treatments.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Spinal fusion.Yale Medicine.Artificial disk replacement surgery.Oregon Heath & Science University Spine Center.Disc degeneration.Penn Medicine.4 ways disc degeneration can cause back pain as you age.NYU Langone Health.Recovery & support for degenerative disc disease.

Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Degenerative disc disease.

UCLA Health.Thoracic disc degeneration.

UCLA Health.Degenerative disc disease.

Cedars-Sinai.Degenerative disc disease.

Arthritis Foundation.Degenerative disc disease.

Rea W, Kapur S, Mutagi H.Intervertebral disc as a source of pain.Continuing Education in Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain, 2012:12(6):279–282, doi:10.1093/bjaceaccp/mks028

University of Maryland Medical Center.Degenerative disc disease.

International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery.Non-surgical spine treatments.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Spinal fusion.

Yale Medicine.Artificial disk replacement surgery.

Oregon Heath & Science University Spine Center.Disc degeneration.

Penn Medicine.4 ways disc degeneration can cause back pain as you age.

NYU Langone Health.Recovery & support for degenerative disc disease.

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