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  1. Degenerative disc disease - Overview

    Verified Expert
    Also known as: DDD, degeneration of the intervertebral disc
    A condition where one or more discs in the spine deteriorates due to age, which results in back or neck pain.
    How common is condition?
    Common (More than 200,000 cases per year in US)
    Is condition treatable?
    Treatments can help manage condition, no known cure
    Does diagnosis require lab test or imaging?
    Requires lab test or imaging
    Time taken for recovery
    Can last several years or be lifelong
    Condition Highlight
    Common for ages 60 and older
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    Causes

    Verified Expert

    DDD is an age-related condition and mainly caused by the wear and tear of spinal discs.

    • Occurs due to drying out of the discs over time making the discs lose their support and function
    • DDD can also be caused by an injury or overuse due to repetitive activities or sports
    • May be due to bone spur formation
    • Herniated disc can also cause DDD and accompanying symptoms

    Risk factors include

    • Family history of musculoskeletal disorders
    • Strain on lumbar discs due to wrong sitting posture for a prolonged period
    • Obesity
    • Smoking

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    Symptoms

    Verified Expert
    Contact your provider if experiencing new, severe, or persistent symptoms.

    Pain in the neck or back is the most common symptom. While the specific symptom depend on the position of the weak disc, which may include:

    • Pain in the legs, thighs and buttocks, lower back, neck
    • Severe pain when sitting and may feel better with walking
    • Worsens with bending or twisting
    • Occasional pain, which may last for few days to several months

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    How does degenerative disk disease affect the spine?
    As degenerative disk disease begins, the spinal disks start to lose fluidity. They become dehydrated and are not as rubbery or soft. This leads to the disks shrinking and losing height. Often, the disks that are low in the spine degenerate first. As degeneration progresses further, the disks dry out even more and may begin pushing on nerves.
    newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org

    Treatment

    Verified Expert

    Treatment includes exercise, medication, physical therapy, pain-relieving medication, and surgery.

    Medication

    Analgesics: Used to manage pain.

    Ibuprofen . Acetaminophen

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    Microsoft Start Health

    Diagnosis

    Verified Expert
    One or more of these tests may be recommended by your medical provider.
    Diagnosis involves physical examination, evaluation of symptoms and taking health history, imaging studies.

    Common tests & procedures

    Physical examination: This is done to check for the physical changes associated with DDD

    Imaging tests: Tests like X-ray, MRI can help in detection of DDD, evaluation of the extent of damage and in ruling out other causes of pain.

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    Source: Focus Medica. For informational purposes only. Consult a medical professional for advice. | Disclaimer: Opinions are from external health professionals and should not be considered as Microsoft's opinion or a substitute for professional help. Consult a health professional for medical advice.
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    Table of Contents
    Overview
    Causes
    Symptoms
    How does degenerative disk disease affect the spine?
    Treatment
    Health guide
    Diagnosis
     
  1. Degenerative disc disease in the lumbar spine12345:
    • Affects the lumbar spine (L1-L5).
    • Symptoms include lower back pain, altered sensations (numbness, tingling), and muscle weakness in the lower back.
    • Pain may radiate into the buttocks, legs, and feet.
    • Discs lose hydration, become inflexible, smaller, and prone to tearing.
    • Degeneration can lead to lumbar stenosis, osteoarthritis, and herniated discs.
    Learn more:
    Lumbar degenerative disc disease: Affects the lumbar spine, which includes five vertebral bones (L1-L5). Symptoms can include lower back pain. Altered sensations include numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the lower back. Pain may radiate into the buttocks, back down the legs, and into the feet.

    Degenerative Disc Disease: Symptoms, C…

    www.verywellhealth.com/degenerative-disc-diseas…
    A degenerated disc is marked by a significant decrease in hydration, making the disc inflexible, smaller, and more prone to tearing in the exterior. When one disc degenerates, it can alter the structure and mechanics of the lumbar spine, particularly at the segment surrounding the disc.

    Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD…

    www.spine-health.com/conditions/degenerative-dis…
    Simply put, degenerative disc disease refers to symptoms of back or neck pain caused by wear-and-tear on a spinal disc. In some cases, degenerative disc disease also causes weakness, numbness, and hot, shooting pains in the arms or legs (radicular pain).

    What Is Degenerative Disc Disease? - Spi…

    www.spine-health.com/conditions/degenerative-dis…
    As degenerative disk disease begins, the spinal disks start to lose fluidity. They become dehydrated and are not as rubbery or soft. This leads to the disks shrinking and losing height. Often, the disks that are low in the spine degenerate first. As degeneration progresses further, the disks dry out even more and may begin pushing on nerves.

    Mayo Clinic Q and A: What is degenerati…

    newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clini…
    Lumbar disc degeneration can contribute to the development of lumbar stenosis and/or lumbar osteoarthritis, as well as other lower back conditions. A degenerated disc may also lead to a lumbar herniated disc.

    Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease Symp…

    www.spine-health.com/conditions/degenerative-dis…
  2. People also ask
    What is lumbar degenerative disk disease?
    Lumbar degenerative disk disease Your lower back, or lumbar spine, has five vertebrae, which are the largest bones in your back. Doctors refer to them as L1 to L5. Spinal disks separate each of these vertebrae. About 90% of disk problems caused by degenerative disk disease happen in the lowest portions of your lumbar spine.

    Degenerative Disk Disease: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment - …

    webmd.com
    What is lumbar spondylosis?

    Dr. Gustavo Campos

    Doctor of Medicine · 9 years of exp

    The term "lumbar spondylosis" has several meanings. However, it might simply be described as a degenerative disorder affecting the lumbar spine's disks, vertebral bodies, and/or related joints.
    Q&A: Spondylosis
    bing.com
    How does degenerative disk disease affect the spine?
    As degenerative disk disease begins, the spinal disks start to lose fluidity. They become dehydrated and are not as rubbery or soft. This leads to the disks shrinking and losing height. Often, the disks that are low in the spine degenerate first. As degeneration progresses further, the disks dry out even more and may begin pushing on nerves.

    Mayo Clinic Q and A: What is degenerative disk disease?

    newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org
    What causes lumbar degenerative disc disease?
    He practices at SpineOne in Lone Tree, CO, and has more than 15 years of experience evaluating, managing, and treating spine disorders with diagnostic and therapeutic injections. Causes and risk factors for lumbar degenerative disc disease include aging, genetics, and lifestyle choices like smoking and inactivity.

    Causes and Risk Factors of Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease

    spine-health.com
    What is degenerative disc disease?
    Degenerative Disc Disease is a condition characterized by the gradual deterioration of the discs that act as cushions between the vertebrae in the spine. To comprehend the stages of DDD, it’s essential to differentiate between healthy, normal discs and those affected by degeneration. What causes degenerative disc disease?

    4 Stages of Degenerative Disc Disease - Spine MD - Spine Surgery

    spine.md
    What causes low back pain with lumbar degenerative disc disease?
    The low back pain associated with lumbar degenerative disc disease is usually generated from one or both of following sources: Inflammation, as the proteins in the disc space irritate the surrounding nerves—both the small nerve within the disc space and potentially the larger nerves that go to the legs (the sciatic nerve).

    Causes and Risk Factors of Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease

    spine-health.com
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  3. Cleveland Clinic
    https://my.clevelandclinic.org › health › diseases

    Degenerative Disk Disease: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

  4. Spine.MD
    https://www.spine.md › insights › stage…

    4 Stages of Degenerative Disc Disease - Spine MD

    Nov 28, 2023 · Degenerative Disc Disease is a condition characterized by the gradual deterioration of the discs that act as cushions between the vertebrae in the spine. To comprehend the stages of DDD, it’s essential to differentiate …

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    Ddd
  5. Johns Hopkins Medicine
    https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org › he…

    Degenerative Disc Disease - Johns Hopkins Medicine

    Learn about the causes, symptoms and treatment of degenerative disc disease, a form of arthritis that affects the spine joints. Find out how it can affect the neck, the low back and the nerves, and read Jan's story of living with the …

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    Degenerative disc disease
    Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
  6. National Center for Biotechnology Information
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › books

    Lumbar Degenerative Disk Disease - StatPearls - NCBI …

    Aug 4, 2023 · This activity describes the pathophysiology, evaluation, and management of lumbar degenerative disc disease and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in improving care for affected patients.

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    Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
    Lumbar Ddd
  7. WebMD
    https://www.webmd.com › back-pain › degenerative-disk...

    Degenerative Disk Disease: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, …

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    Degenerative Lumbar Spine

  8. What is lumbar disc degeneration?

    Answered by verified global health professionals
    Dr. Anuvitha KamathMBBS · 3 years of exp

    Lumbar disc degeneration can be defined as the degeneration of the lumbar vertebra due to the general wear and tear caused due to the process of aging. The lumbar discs become dehydrated and start to degenerate. The discs herniate and cause compression on nerve roots leading to various symptoms. It mainly affects L3 and L4 lumbar vertebra. There are also the bony projections called osteophytes which compress the nerve roots. There is also a narro... Read more

    Disclaimer: Opinions are from external health professionals and should not be considered as Microsoft's opinion or a substitute for professional help. Consult a health professional for medical advice.
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  9. Spine-health
    https://www.spine-health.com › conditi…

    Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) - Spine-health

    Degenerative disc disease in the lumbar spine, or lower back, refers to a syndrome in which age-related wear and tear on a spinal disc causes low back pain.

    Tags:
    Back Pain
    Herniated Discs
    Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
    Lumbar Ddd
  10. Spine-health
    https://www.spine-health.com › conditi…

    Causes and Risk Factors of Lumbar Degenerative Disc …

    Risk factors for degenerative disc disease include: Family history of back pain or musculoskeletal disorders. Excessive strain on the low back caused by sports, frequent heavy lifting, or labor-intensive jobs. Strain on the lumbar spinal …

    Tags:
    Back Pain
    Herniated Discs
    Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
  11. HSS | Hospital for Special Surgery
    https://www.hss.edu › condition-list_de…

    Degenerative Disc Disease: Can You Stop Its Progression?

    Aug 12, 2024 · Degenerative disc disease in the neck (cervical DDD) or upper back (thoracic DDD) can occur, but lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD in the lower back) is most common, since this portion of the spine bears heavier …

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    Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
    Lumbar Ddd
    Degenerative Lumbar Spine
  12. Mayo Clinic News Network
    https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org › dis…

    Mayo Clinic Q and A: What is degenerative disk disease?

    Jan 26, 2023 · Degenerative disk disease is a condition that affects the fluid-filled cushions between the bones in your spine. It can cause back pain, nerve compression and disk herniation. Learn about the anatomy, progression …

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    Back Pain
    Degenerative Disk Disease Mayo Clinic
    Mayo Clinic Q and A
  13. Healthline
    https://www.healthline.com › health › d…

    Degenerative Disc Disease: Symptoms, Treatment, and …

    Aug 14, 2018 · Degenerative disc disease is a condition where one or more discs in your back lose their strength. Surgery is an optional treatment, but other less invasive treatments and therapies can be...

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    Back Pain
    Herniated Discs
    Cause of Degenerative Disc
    Ddd Lumbar