Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease involves the intervertebral discs. Those are the pillow-like cushions between your vertebrae in your spine. They help your back carry weight and allow complex motions of the spine while maintaining stability. The cartilaginous disc in between each vertebra that serve as the spine’s shock absorbers are made of tough fibrous tissues called annulus fibrosis and have a gelatinous substance called the nucleus pulposus in the center. The deterioration of these discs is called Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD). In DDD, the discs no longer contain the normal amount of gelatinous fluid, and the protein-based structure of the annulus fibrosis has weakened. As you age, the discs can lose flexibility, elasticity, and shock absorbing characteristics. They also become thinner as they dehydrate. When all that happens, the discs change from a supple state that allows fluid movement to a stiff and rigid state that restricts your movement and causes pain. Basically, the discs can no longer absorb stress as well as they used to.

DDD, which occurs gradually, is a fairly common result of aging; however trauma, overuse and increased stress to the disc can accelerate this process. This is why a patient may have certain discs in their spine that have more degenerative changes than other areas of the spine.

If you have chronic back or neck pain, you may have degenerative disc disease. It commonly occurs in your low back (lumbar spine) or neck (cervical spine) and can result in severe lower back pain or neck pain and can include radiating pain, numbness, tingling and / or weakness to the lower or upper extremities.