The fourth and last stage of the degeneration process results in severe postural issues as well as spinal imbalance. There will typically be significant nerve damage with permanent scar tissue. In this stage, you may begin to experience severe back pain. At this point, it becomes very difficult to reverse the symptoms.
Stage 4 is considered severe DDD because it is challenging or impossible to reverse in many cases. It may still be possible to treat the condition and improve your quality of life though. Typically, treatment will involve some physical activity and exercises to reduce pain levels.
Stage 4. The final stage of degenerative disc disease is the most severe and is typically considered irreversible. Discs are at their thinnest or gone altogether. The flexibility of the spine is extremely limited and pain is often considerable.
Yes, degenerative disc disease can be disabling. The weakening of your discs can lead to excruciating, chronic pain worsened by work activities. Whether or not your degenerative disc disease is classified as a disability will depend on the severity and frequency of your pain.
Severe symptoms include weakness in the legs that results in difficulty walking. Issues controlling bladder or bowel movements indicate a severe case of Degenerative Disc Disease and requires emergency medical care.
In order to be eligible for Social Security Disability, your disc disease has had to progress into a severe form that has impacted the vertebrae so it causes chronic pain and impacts your ability to stand or sit for significant periods of time, which can be made evident through medical imaging.
People with degenerative disk disease need to avoid foods that promote inflammation and physical activities involving heavy lifting and twisting. Additionally, a person should avoid smoking, if applicable, slouching, and consuming more than moderate amounts of alcohol.
The good news: Symptoms don't typically progress. "A diagnosis in your 30s or 40s doesn't mean you'll be in a wheelchair by 70," says Matthew Colman, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Rush. "In fact, with aging, the degenerative process sometimes burns out to a point where it causes less pain."
If back or neck pain caused by degenerative disc disease doesn't respond to medication or therapeutic injections, NYU Langone doctors may recommend a surgical procedure. Surgeons may remove some or all of a damaged disc, take pressure off a pinched nerve, or eliminate movement between the bones of the spine.
Long-term Outcomes of Degenerative Disc Disease
The degenerative process of the spinal disc may start gradually or suddenly, but progresses over 2 to 3 decades from severe and at times even disabling bouts of pain to a state in which the spine is restabilized and the pain is diminished. Spinal osteoarthritis.
DISC DEGENRATIVE DISEASE L4-L5 CAUSES
Tiny tears or cracks in the outer layer of the disc – Pressure on the outer layer of a disc can result in the development of small tears. The jellylike material from inside the disc can then seep through these cracks – a condition known as a herniated disc.
Can you live a normal life with degenerative disc disease? The answer is yes, even it forces you to be out of work for an extended amount of time. Do not give up. There are many methods of pain relief that you can do at home that can help you live a normal life.
Periods of severe pain that come and go. These last from a few days to a few months before getting better. They can range from nagging pain to disabling pain. Pain can affect the low back, buttocks and thighs or the neck, depending on where the affected disc is, radiating to the arms and hands.
he main reason to perform more tests is if the symptoms are getting worse despite treatment, if the pain is severe or if you have signs of nerve damage — particularly nerve damage that is getting worse. The signs of worsening nerve damage would be increasing tingling or numbness, weakness and sometimes increasing pain.
For a vast majority of degenerative disc disease sufferers, the condition will eventually resolve itself. For a select few, however, the condition will continue to get worse and lead to reduced range of motion throughout the aging process.
Degenerative disc disease surgery
The disc is removed from between two vertebrae, then the vertebrae are fused together. This procedure is performed through a single incision in the back. Another surgical option is artificial disc replacement.
Doctors at NYU Langone offer nonsurgical treatment to relieve back or neck pain caused by degenerative disc disease. Pain medication and physical therapy can manage symptoms and help the body adjust to the damaged disc. Together, these treatments can relieve pain and improve function, often long term.
This is especially true if you already have DDD to contend with. As such, making an effort to improve your posture with the right ergonomic support and sitting alignment can go a long way. Generally, you'll want to sit with your back straight and the tops of your legs parallel to the ground.
Tobacco use: Smoking also affects your body's ability to absorb calcium, which is necessary for healthy bones. Excessive weight: Obese people are more likely to have symptoms of degenerative disc disease. Heavy physical work: Labor such as repeated heavy lifting may put excess stress and strain on your discs.
Risk Factors for Degenerative Disc Disease
Excessive strain on the low back caused by sports, frequent heavy lifting, or labor-intensive jobs. Strain on the lumbar spinal discs due to prolonged sitting and/or poor posture. Lack of support for the discs due to weak core muscles. Obesity.
Live an Active Life and Include Exercise
Ask any spine specialist about the one thing you can do to slow the progression of degenerating discs and they'll likely tell you to stretch. Basically, this translates to taking your joints through a full range of motion and doing so regularly.
DDD can cause spinal osteoarthritis in some patients. The key difference is that degenerative disc disease describes what is happening to the spinal discs. These changes in the discs can then lead to arthritis or radiculopathy such as sciatica or a pinched nerve in the neck.
Degenerative disk disease is when your spinal disks wear down. Spinal disks are rubbery cushions between your vertebrae (bones in your spinal column). They act as shock absorbers and help you move, bend and twist comfortably. Everyone's spinal disks degenerate over time and is a normal part of aging.