If you’re approaching 40, or older, and you find yourself dealing with either acute or chronic lower back pain or neck pain, you may have degenerative disc disease, or DDD.
Degenerative disc disease refers to the natural, age-related breakdown of the intervertebral discs of the spine—the fluid-
Though we refer to DDD as a disease, in actuality it’s a process—a mostly natural byproduct of age-related wear and tear. (However, some people, such as athletes or people involved in accidents, may experience DDD sooner than expected due to trauma to the spine.)
As we get older, the everyday forces that compress, twist, and otherwise act upon our spines eventually cause the rubbery discs to break down, shrink, and sometimes, to collapse completely. Disc collapse like this can put pressure on nerve roots in or near the spine.
It can also lead to bone-on-bone friction, which can lead to other spinal conditions like osteoarthritis, bone spurs (bony overgrowths—themselves harmless, but they can cause other problems to nearby tissue), sciatica (a pinched or inflamed nerve), and spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal’s available space).
Disc degeneration may cause pain and other symptoms, and it can create a domino effect of complications in and near the spine—but unlike many diseases, it’s not something you are likely to “catch” or develop due to environment or genetics.
By and large, degenerative disc disease is something that just happens—to most of us, eventually. According to The Arthritis Foundation, nearly everyone over the age of 60 has some form of degeneration of the spine.
However, in some cases, lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, losing weight, and gently exercising may help to slow it down and minimize the damage it causes.
The normal human spine has 23 discs. Most (12) are in the middle-back (thoracic region). Six are in the neck (cervical region) and five are in the lower back (lumbar region).
Each intervertebral disc is made of two major components:
As we age, the nucleus pulposus gradually loses its ability to hold water. This gel-like center, or matrix, also contains a concentration of proteins that allow it to absorb shock; these proteins become less dense as we get older.
The outside of the disc, the annulus, degrades too. It’s collagen-based; like most collagen and cartilage in our bodies, it becomes weaker, dryer, and more brittle over time, which makes it more vulnerable to tears and cracks. (Sometimes resulting in the nucleus pulposus pressing outside of its shell—what we call a herniated or bulging disc.)
Essentially, just about everyone will experience DDD eventually. However, no two individuals will have exactly the same symptoms or repercussions on the same timetable.
Again, DDD isn’t really a disease, it’s a condition that involves intervertebral discs losing their integrity as they age. Over the course of a lifetime, it’s natural for our discs to become thinner, less hydrated, and less able to cushion the spine.
However, certain factors can contribute to DDD. These include:
Degenerative disc pain tends to happen in the neck (cervical disc degeneration) or the lower back (lumbar disc degeneration). Some people do not feel symptoms at all, while others may have severe and disabling pain.
Symptoms vary depending on where the affected disc is located and how great the damage is. A more degraded disc, for example, will mean less space between the two vertebrae. This can create more friction and more pressure, and that may in turn cause nerve impingement, inflammation, bony overgrowths, or other issues.
Common symptoms can include pain, tenderness, numbness, and weakness:
Degenerative disc disease is common and many of its symptoms are treatable with exercise, medicine, physical therapy or even surgery. However, it must be diagnosed in a doctor’s office before you begin a treatment plan.
If you would like to speak with an orthopedist about this condition, please call Coastal Orthopedics in Corpus Christi today at (361) 994-1166.
Article written by: Rob Williams, MD
Sources:
http://www.mdguidelines.com/intervertebral-disc-disorders
http://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/degenerative-disc-disease/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11339862