Everyone’s discs degenerate as we get older. Disc degeneration can also be seen as early as the late teens as a result of trauma, surgery, or just bad genetics. Most people with degenerative disc disease can manage their ongoing pain, as well as more painful flare episodes, with conservative (non-surgical) care.
Degen. Disc Disease Info:
Yet, for a small percentage of patients surgery may become the right option because conservative treatments have not worked well, and their severe pain and muscle spasms make it difficult to function normally. While it is sometimes true that the pain from a degenerated disc can subside after the disc has fully degenerated, this process can take years and is highly variable.
For people with ongoing severe, disabling pain and associated symptoms (e.g., numbness, tingling, difficulty sitting) it is sometimes not possible to wait for non-surgical therapy to work and/or for nature to run its course. Consequently, surgery - either the more standard fusion surgery or the newer artificial disc replacement surgery - may be warranted if patients meet the following criteria:
