What Are the Risk Factors of Degenerative Disc Disease?

Degenerative disk disease occurs when the discs which are between the spinal vertebrae degenerate and become worn out with old age. The degenerative disc disease mostly occurs at the cervical and the lumbar spines. The wearing out of the vertebral disks cause pain of varying severity which may be worsened by exercise.

The diagnosis of the Hermitage degenerative disc disease is made after the doctor takes your medical history and then does a physical examination of your body. During the physical examination, the doctor assesses the strength of your muscles, the function of your spinal nerves, and the exact location of your pain. The doctor then orders imaging tests like CT scans or MRIs to look at the discs and nerves. Treatment of the condition is individualized depending on the severity of the condition.

What Are the Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease?

Different people experience different symptoms of the condition. Some people experience no symptoms while other people have severe symptoms. The onset of the symptoms is gradual because the condition worsens with progressing age. The symptoms also depend on whether the degenerated vertebral disks are on the neck region or the lower back.

Degenerative disk disease that occurs in the neck presents with neck pain. The pain may also spread to the shoulder and other surrounding structures. The degeneration of the discs causes the nerves to be compressed or inflamed. You may, therefore, express numbness and weakness of the upper arms. The numbness may also be accompanied by the tingling of the arms and hands.

Degenerative disk disease that occurs in the lumbar region which is at the lower spine presents with pain at the lower back and numbness, tingling, and weakness which radiates to the legs and feet. You may also experience stiffness in the back. Degenerative disc disease may also present with muscle spasms on the back. The pain may flare up and can be worsened by walking and bending. Changing your posture may reduce pain.

What Are the Risk Factors of Degenerative Disc Disease?

Changes may occur to the intervertebral discs because of injuries. These changes include loss of fluid in the vertebral disc due to old age because the disc becomes thinner and is then unable to cushion the spine properly. The injuries can also tear the discs. When the intervertebral discs become weak, the spine becomes unstable because of a lack of support.

The body compensates with bone overgrowth where these bone spurs can injure the spine causing numbness and tingling. Degenerative disc disease can also cause the disc to herniate and compress the spinal cord causing spinal stenosis.

Degenerative disc disease is common in obese people and people who do strenuous activities like lifting loads on their backs. The risk of degenerative disc disease also increases with increasing age, and with the trauma that injures the discs. Smoking tobacco also increases your risk of developing degenerative disk disease.

Conclusion

Degenerative disc disease is wear and tear of the intervertebral discs that occur in old age but the risk can also be increased by smoking and obesity. The condition mostly affects the neck and the lower back sections of the spinal cord and presents with pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness of the lower or upper limbs depending on the location of the degeneration.