Degenerative Disc Disease Treatment

Medically reviewed by Joshua L. Hare, DO, Founder & Medical Director

Degenerative disc disease is age-related wear in the spinal discs

Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is not actually a disease but rather a term describing the natural, age-related changes that occur in the spinal discs over time.[1] As we age, the intervertebral discs lose hydration and elasticity, becoming thinner, less flexible, and less effective as shock absorbers. This degeneration can lead to disc bulging or herniation, bone spur formation, facet joint arthritis, and spinal stenosis. While some people experience minimal symptoms, others develop significant pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. At IPC, we offer a comprehensive range of treatments for DDD including epidural steroid injections, facet joint procedures, intradiscal treatments, percutaneous disc decompression, and for advanced cases, minimally invasive surgical options like kyphoplasty or ELID.

Symptoms of degenerative disc disease

Despite the name, this is a description of age-related disc change rather than a progressive disease, and the changes are extremely common on imaging in people with no pain at all. When it does cause symptoms, the pattern is fairly characteristic.

• A deep, central ache in the low back or neck, rather than pain off to one side
• Pain that is worse with sitting, bending forward, or lifting — positions that load the disc — and often eased by walking or lying down
• Episodic flares lasting days to weeks, separated by better stretches, rather than one unchanging level of pain
• Stiffness after being still, easing with gentle movement
• Pain that may radiate into the buttock or thigh, or into the shoulder and arm from the neck, without necessarily following a single nerve's distribution

The distinction from spinal stenosis is often useful: disc-related pain typically worsens with forward bending and sitting, while stenosis pain more often worsens with standing and walking and eases when leaning forward.

When to see a pain specialist about degenerative disc disease

An evaluation is worth arranging when flares are becoming more frequent or longer, when pain has persisted beyond about six weeks, or when it is interfering with sitting, driving or work.

The most useful thing a specialist assessment adds is precision. Imaging alone cannot say which structure is generating pain, because disc degeneration is visible in most adults over forty and is frequently asymptomatic. Diagnostic injections under live X-ray guidance can help identify whether the pain generator is the disc, the facet joints, or a nerve root — and that determines which treatment is likely to work.

New or progressive weakness in an arm or leg, new numbness in the saddle area, or new loss of bladder or bowel control needs same-day assessment rather than a routine appointment.

Treatment options for degenerative disc disease

A degenerating disc causes pain by more than one route, so the options below target different structures — the nerve root, the facet joints, or the disc itself. Your imaging is what narrows the list.

References

Clinical sources for this page.

1. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Back Pain. Back to first citation ↑