WHAT IS DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE?

Degenerative Disc Disease, or DDD, is one of the most common back and neck disorders and medical conditions. It is also one of the most misunderstood conditions as well. The term degenerative disc disease is not necessarily a disease, but a spinal condition. Moreover, this is not a progressive or degenerative disease that is threatening. It is however a natural part in the aging process.

Degenerative disc disease is one of the most common causes of low back pain and neck pain, and also one of the most misunderstood. The term degenerative obviously implies that degenerative disc disease symptoms get worse over time and with age. However, this is not true with degenerative disc disease, in fact this disorder and the condition actually gets better with time and the right care and treatment therapy. The term degenerative that is used to describe this medical condition does not imply the symptoms but actually the process of the disc degenerating over time.

Degenerative Disc Disease Treatment Options

Doctors usually prefer conservative treatment options to treat Degenerative Disc Disease. Surgery is only considered when the patient does not feel or see any changes in his or her condition. Conservative treatment options for DDD include chiropractic manipulation therapy, physical therapy, medications like NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), massage therapy, cold and hot compression, acupuncture, epidural injections as well as chiropractic.

Surgical options for Degenerative Disc Disease include:

  • Facetectomy
  • Foraminotomy
  • Intervertebral disc annuloplasty (IDET).
  • Intervertebral disc arthroplasty
  • Laminoplasty
  • Laminotomy
  • Microdiscectomy
  • Percutaneous disc decompression.
  • Percutaneous Laser Disc-Decompression (PLDD)
  • Spinal decompression
  • Spinal laminectomy

Degenerative disc disease is a natural occurrence in the process of aging and most of us will show changes in their discs that may vary in degeneration.