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Degenerative disc disease of the spine is one of the more common lumbar spine disorders. Spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal that houses the spinal cord and nerve roots, can be developed through degenerative disc disease. When there is forward motion slippage of the disc and vertebra it is termed spondylolisthesis, and termed as retrolisthesis when backward slippage of the disc and vertebra occur.
Although the name degenerative disc disease implies that this condition is a disease, it in fact isn’t. Degenerative disc disease is more a condition that can be painful and greatly affect the quality of the victim’s life. As a normal process of aging, disc degeneration is generally not a problem in itself. Pain caused by degenerative disc disease can be the result of a bone spur developing adjacent to the discs and pinch or put pressure on the nearby nerve roots.
There are several factors that are believed to play a role in the development of degenerative disc disease, including genetic factors and changes in hydration and collagen. The water and protein content of the bodies cartilage diminishes as we age, thinning the cartilage and making it weaker or more fragile. The joints that stack the vertebrae are called facet joints, and because both the discs and these joints are partly composed of cartilage, the wear and tear of this cartilage over time is known as degenerative disc disease.
The intervertable discs of that separate the vertebrae in the spinal column are cartilaginous cushions acting as shock absorbers for the vertebrae reducing the stress created by movement. These discs also provide structural support for the spine. The discs are comprised of mostly water, allowing them to absorb stress through their elasticity. With age, repetitive strain and sometimes through genetics the disc can begin to wear and tear. The disc itself has a very little amount of blood supply and does not have the ability to repair itself when damaged.
As the disc starts to wear thin, the space between the vertebrae begins to narrow producing back pain through the degenerative disc. Nerves that become compressed with the introduction of reduced space may begin to swell and signal pain.
Chronic low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease sometimes will radiate to the hips and sometimes cause aching pain in the buttocks or thigh while walking. Along with this pain there may be tingling or weakness through the knees. When sitting, bending, lifting or twisting similar pain as described above may be felt as well.
There is a wide range of severity when talking about the amount of pain felt from degenerative disc disease. The pain felt from degenerative disc disease can vary from irritating all the way through to severely debilitating. Most patients suffering from degenerative disc disease have some underlying chronic low back pain mixed in will episodes of severe pain.
If the disc degeneration is located in the lower spine, pain, tingling and numbness felt in the legs accompanied with the back pain. When disc degeneration is targeted more in the cervical section of the spine, there may be pain felt in the neck, shoulder blades, arms, and hands accompanied with numbness and tingling in the shoulder and arms. In the case of mid back disc degeneration (thorasic) the pain felt will radiate around the rib cage.