What is degenerative disc disease?
The spinal discs are the shock-absorbing structures between each vertebra. Over time they lose water content, become thinner, and may crack or bulge. This process — called disc degeneration — is a normal part of aging and occurs in virtually everyone to some degree.
The problem arises when this degeneration causes pain, instability, or nerve compression significant enough to affect daily life. Disc degeneration can cause local back or neck pain from the disc itself, or radiating pain into the arms or legs when the disc presses on a nerve root.
Dr. Enguidanos treats degenerative disc disease conservatively whenever possible. Physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, epidural injections, and regenerative medicine options are all evaluated before surgery is considered. When surgery becomes necessary, he offers the full range of options from minimally invasive decompression to artificial disc replacement to fusion.
Common symptoms.
- Chronic low back pain or neck pain that is worse with activity
- Pain that improves when lying down and worsens with prolonged sitting or standing
- Radiating pain, numbness, or tingling into the arms or legs
- Muscle weakness in the extremities
- Stiffness, especially in the morning or after prolonged inactivity
- Pain that is worse after bending, twisting, or lifting
- Episodes of acute severe pain superimposed on chronic baseline pain
What causes it.
- Natural aging and water loss from disc tissue beginning in the 30s
- Genetic predisposition — disc degeneration runs in families
- Repetitive physical loading from occupational or recreational activity
- Tobacco use — significantly accelerates disc degeneration
- Prior spine injury or trauma
- Obesity — increases mechanical load on spinal discs
- Sedentary lifestyle — reduces disc nutrition
When to call us.
You should seek evaluation when back or neck pain is limiting your daily activities, when pain has not improved with several months of conservative treatment, when you have radiating pain or neurological symptoms such as weakness or numbness, or when imaging shows significant disc degeneration at one or more levels.
Most patients with degenerative disc disease do not require surgery. Dr. Enguidanos will give you an honest assessment of where you fall on that spectrum and what the non-surgical options are before any surgical recommendation is made.