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5 Common Signs of Degenerative Disc Disease
The human spine is a medical marvel. Your spine features 33-stacked vertebrae working in unison with 220 ligaments, 100 joints, 120 muscles, and 31 pairs of nerves that weave through the openings of those vertebrae.
When your spine is healthy, everyday movements are pain-free. As time progresses, what used to be seamless movement is anything but. In this blog, Neil Bhamb, MD, explains what degenerative disc disease is and, more importantly, how to get relief.
Degenerative disc disease explained
Oddly enough, degenerative disc disease isn’t a disease at all but is the medical term for conditions that occur when spinal discs wear down or are damaged.
Spinal discs are found between each vertebra and act as a natural cushion or shock absorber for every twist, bend, and movement you make. When your spinal discs are healthy, they prevent vertebrae from rubbing against one another. As you age, spinal discs change by breaking down or degenerating. Specifically, they lose cushy, elastic qualities and flatten out.
This scenario sets up a perfect storm for pinched or compressed nerves and vertebrae touching and rubbing against each other, triggering issues such as:
- A herniated disc, sometimes called a ruptured or bulged disc
- Spondylolisthesis, which occurs when a vertebra in the lower back slips out of position and lands on top of the vertebra below it
- Spinal stenosis, a condition that occurs when the spaces around your spine narrow
- Scoliosis, an irregular spine curvature.
Two types of degenerative disc disease
Healthcare providers categorize degenerative disc disease cases by the location of occurrence – lumbar degenerative disease and cervical degenerative disease.
Lumbar degenerative disc issues affect the lower back, where the largest bones in your back are called L1 to L5. Most herniated discs occur between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae, L4 and L5, and the first sacral vertebra, S1, the lowest section of the spine toward the tailbone.
Cervical degenerative disc issues occur in the neck, also called the cervical spine. Seven vertebrae are in this region, C1 to C7. The cervical spine controls movements such as turning your head from side to side and the ability to look up and down.
Five Common symptoms of degenerative disc disease
Degenerative disc disease manifests different symptoms from patient to patient. Degenerative disc disease signs include:
1. Ongoing neck and back pain
Chronic pain or pain that has increased in severity after about six months of conservative, non-surgical treatment modalities, such as physical therapy, lifestyle and activity modifications, and medications, is a telltale sign that something isn’t operating correctly.
2. Episodic flare-ups
In contrast, some patients don’t suffer ongoing pain but experience periods of pain from time to time. Flare-ups can persist anywhere from a few days to a few months before getting relief.
3. Radiating pain to arms or legs
Besides the timing factor, degenerative disc disease may also vary by type of symptoms. For example, instead of experiencing constant pain or discomfort, some patients have pain that spreads or radiates down their arms and legs. This type of pain signals that a nerve is being pinched or compressed.
4. Numbness and tingling sensation at extremities
Compressed or pinched nerves for some patients don’t manifest as pain but trigger a pins-and-needles numbness or tingling sensation. Like radiating pain, this symptom often spreads to arms and legs, depending on where the pinched nerve is.
5. Pain or discomfort that reduces mobility
Another sign of degenerative disc disease is pain or associated symptoms that impede performing normal daily functions like bending, walking, or standing.
Minimally invasive treatment options
Dr. Bhamb is a fellowship-trained surgeon who performs minimally invasive spine surgery when all other non-surgical treatments fail.
With minimally invasive spine surgery or MISS, Dr. Bhamb creates a more patient-friendly approach to spine surgery by using a small incision and a tubular retractor to provide the least disruptive way to gain access to the surgical site.
Endoscopic spine surgery, or ESS, is even more advanced. Dr. Bhamb uses tiny incisions and small tools with a camera, including a small tubular system, to view the vertebrae and perform the surgery. Since this tactic provides the least disruption, patients enjoy a standard range of spine mobility post-surgery.
Other surgical options include spine fusion or disc replacement surgery. As a leading expert on disc replacement, Dr. Bhamb leverages his experience and published research to help heal his patients.
If your neck or back pain keeps you from living your best life, schedule an evaluation at our Century City or Marina Del Rey office. Call or book your appointment online today.