Degenerative Disc Disease

Understanding Degenerative Disc Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

At Long Island Brain & Spine, we empathize with the discomfort and uncertainty of living with degenerative disc disease. This condition involves the degeneration or damage of the intervertebral disc in the spine, causing various levels of pain and other symptoms.

Causes of Degenerative Disc Disease

Several genetic or lifestyle-related influences can cause discs to damage or degenerate. Here’s some specific ones:

• Aging, leading to a degenerated disc
• Injury or trauma causing a damaged disc
• Daily physical activity causing tears in a disc (hard labor, sports)
• Genetic factors causing disc degeneration
• Obesity

Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease can lead to various symptoms, depending on whether the lumbar disc or cervical spine is affected. It's also common for this disease to coincide with other spinal conditions like spinal stenosis or disc herniation. Common symptoms include:

• Lower-back pain or neck pain
• Pain that worsens when sitting, bending, lifting, or twisting
• Numbness or tingling in limbs
• Difficulty walking or balancing (in severe cases)

Treatment Options for Degenerative Disc Disease

Our Long Island Brain & Spine experts will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that best suits your needs and lifestyle. Treatments can range from non-operational to surgical options, depending on the severity of your case. Some treatment options are:

• Physical therapy
• Pain relief medication
• Minimally invasive spine surgery (for severe cases)
• Disc replacement surgery
• Nonsurgical treatment options like physical medicine

Living with degenerative disc disease can be challenging, but you don't have to face it alone. Our Long Island Brain & Spine team is committed to providing relief and effective treatment options for degenerative disc disease. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discuss your treatment options, whether it involves a CT scan for diagnosis, facet joint injections for pain relief, or surgery for long-term resolution. We're here to help you navigate this journey.