Degenerative Disc Disease Health Center
Degenerative disc disease is a misunderstood condition, despite being one of the leading sources of back pain and neck pain. This condition is not actually a disease -- it is part of the normal aging of the spine. In this condition, the discs in the spine (the pillow-like pads between the bones) lose their cushioning. When this happens, it can cause persistent pain in the lower back, legs, neck or arms. Treatments for pain caused by degenerative disc disease can include medications and physical therapy. Sometimes back surgery is needed if the pain is severe and causes a person the inability to participate in everyday activities.
Featured Information
Don't let the term "degenerative" confuse you; degenerative disc disease does not necessarily get worse with age. While the disc degeneration is likely to progress over time, the associated pain usually does not get worse and in fact usually gets better over time.The vertebral disc in the spine is an interesting and unique structure, with the primary purpose of acting as a shock absorber between adjacent vertebrae.
Lower Back Pain Symptoms and Treatment Options
While there are many causes of lower back pain, most cases of low back pain can typically be linked to either a general cause or a specific and diagnosable condition
While neck pain (in the cervical spine) is less common than lower back pain (in the lumbar spine), millions of people experience neck pain and/or related arm pain at some point in their life.
What's a Herniated Disc, Pinched Nerve, Bulging Disc...?
There are many different terms used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain, such as “herniated disc”, “pinched nerve”, and “bulging disc”, and all are used differently by doctors.