Back pain is a common problem as people get older. If you’re over 40 and have been experiencing pain and discomfort in your lower back, this could be due to a condition known as degenerative disc disease. This condition can also affect other areas of your spine and cause neck pain. Knowing more about the symptoms of degenerative disc disease and what causes it can help you understand this condition better.
Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease
When you have degenerative disc disease, you might experience pain in your back or neck. Lower back pain is common, but neck pain due to degeneration in your upper spine can occur. Pain from this condition might flare up from time to time rather than occurring on a chronic basis. You might have pain and other symptoms for a few weeks or even months at a time. Back pain might also radiate down your flank or get worse when you move certain ways, such as when you lift items or bend down. Your symptoms might also be worse when you’re sitting down.
Degenerative disc disease can also cause tingling or numbness to occur in your legs or arms, depending on which part of your spine is affected. You might experience these symptoms in your legs if the lower part of your spine is affected. If your upper spine is affected, you might have these symptoms in your arms. Keep in mind that pain, tingling and other symptoms can become worse over time in some people. For others, these symptoms might only become worse at times, such as when they twist or bend.
Causes of Degenerative Disc Disease
The spinal discs between your vertebrae or bones in your spine wear down as you get older. These discs act as cushions that prevent your vertebrae from rubbing together. When spinal discs become worn, you might experience pain and other symptoms when you bend or move certain ways. This happens as the bones in the affected area rub against each other.
Spinal discs can go through different changes as they become worn. Your spinal discs might become dry as they lose water due to the aging process. When this happens, your discs become thinner and are unable to absorb as much shock when you move around. Your spinal discs can also crack or tear as you get older. Small cracks and tears can cause pain to occur if they develop close to nerves.
While everyone experiences some degree of wear and tear in their spinal discs as they get older, not all people will develop degenerative disc disease. Your chance of having this condition can increase if you have had acute back or neck injuries or if you have other risk factors, such as being overweight, being a woman or doing work that is physically demanding.
If you have symptoms of degenerative disc disease and need treatment, please contact Huntington Orthopedics to set up an appointment. We can help you find effective ways to treat this condition and manage chronic pain.