does degenerative disc disease get better?
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While it is true that disc degeneration is likely to progress over time, the pain from degenerative disc disease usually does not get worse and in fact usually feels better given enough time. The degenerative cascade degenerative cascade theory explains how this process works.
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Nearly everyone's spinal discs show signs of wear as they age. Not everyone, however, will have degenerative disc disease. Not actually a disease, this is a condition in which a damaged disc causes pain. A wide range of symptoms and severity is associated with this condition.
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Exercise for a Stronger Spine Weight training and strength training are key to preventing further disc degeneration, because by building the musculature surrounding the spine, you can take a lot of pressure off the discs.
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Symptoms of Degenerative Disc The following are the most common symptoms of lumbar disc disease. However, each individual may experience different symptoms. Symptoms may include: intermittent or continuous back pain (this may be made worse by movement, coughing, sneezing, or standing for long periods of time)
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Disc degeneration should not cause symptoms of bowel/bladder dysfunction, fever with back pain, unexplained and rapid weight loss, or intense stomach pain. These symptoms are suggestive of more serious conditions and should receive prompt medical attention.
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In the spine, it is called degenerative disc disease and it is part of the arthritic process. Osteoporosis on the other hand (and while you have degenerative disc disease) can affect your bone quality.
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Studies have shown that MRI findings of mild or significant disc degeneration are found on scans of patients with severe pain and minimal or no pain. Additionally, many painful conditions may not show up on an MRI, such as a tear in the disc's outer rings or some cases of herniated discs.
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By the age of 35, approximately 30% of people will show evidence of disc degeneration at one or more levels. By the age of 60, more than 90% of people will show evidence of some disc degeneration. Degeneration itself is normal, and does not necessarily cause pain.
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Work Can Contribute to Poor Back Health The name itself, Degenerative Disc Disease, may cause an employer to assume the condition is not work related. However, this is not always the case. Because we all have natural degeneration of the spine, we all are at risk for DDD.
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While degenerative disc disease is a qualified disability when it causes serious and consistent complications, you may need help proving you are no longer able to work.
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Discs often degenerate with age causing vertebrae to sit closer together. This is part of the reason we shrink with age. Degenerative discs can lead to pain via multiple pathways. Spinal stenosis is another condition of the spine where the central canal diameter is reduced much like a pipe that becomes clogged.
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The most common and obvious symptoms of cervical degenerative disc disease are neck pain and a stiff neck. When one of these conditions presses on one or more of the many nerves running through the spinal cord, you also can develop pain, numbness, or weakness radiating down your shoulder, arm, and hand.
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Degenerative disc disease isn't actually a disease, but rather a condition in which a damaged disc causes pain. This pain can range from nagging to disabling. The condition can be caused by the drying out of the disc over time, daily activities, sports and injuries.
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Degenerative disc disease typically occurs in the lumbar spine, the lower back area, causing pain and stiffness. While it can occur as part of the aging process, trauma, such as a car accident, can also cause it.
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If a degenerated disc impinges on a nerve root in the low back it can cause a form of sciatica. Additionally, degenerative disc disease commonly causes the disc to shorten in height, leading to the nerve passageways becoming smaller (spinal stenosis) and pinching the nerve roots as they exit the spine.
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In particular, osteoarthritis is associated with degenerative discs in the spine. See What Is Degenerative Disc Disease? Degenerative discs and osteoarthritis often occur hand in hand because the disc and facet joints (the joints in the back affected by osteoarthritis) are both part of the same three-joint complex.
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Degenerative disc disease (spondylosis) can occur in any area of the spine (cervical, thoracic, lumbar), but is most common in the low back. It's not actually a disease, but rather a condition in which your discs “degenerate” and lose their flexibility and height to cushion the spine.