Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative Disc Disease is the slow break down of the discs in the spine. This is a natural part of aging, however, it can become painful to a person. If you have herniated discs this means the discs are enlarged. As a result, this causes pain and numbness.

Signs and Symptoms: 
The signs and symptoms can cause irritation and the inability to feel any sort of feeling in the affected area. This is due to the discs sticking out into the spinal column. The pain increases when the nerves are squeezed together.

The treatments for these conditions include ice/heat (depending on preference) and non-prescription medication to reduce swelling.

Simply put, degenerative disc disease describes the symptoms of pain and possibly radiating weakness or numbness stemming from a degenerated disc in the spine.

Common questions often include:

• If I have this much pain in my thirties, how much worse will it become with age?
• Will the disease become a crippling condition? Will I end up in a wheelchair?
• Should I restrict my activities? Can I still play sports?
• Will the disease spread to other parts of the spine?
• Will the degenerated disc(s) cause any permanent damage?
• Is surgery inevitable?