What Is Degenerative Disc Disease?
Those people diagnosed with degenerative disc disease wonder if the term degenerative means they will be crippled in the future. This is especially true for those that have back problems. The information about this condition can be helpful in getting treatment.
What happens when you are experiencing pain in your back due to the degeneration of the discs? The pain is the result discs being injured. The annulus is the protective outer layer and is made of thick and fibrous tissue.
Sometimes, this outer layer sustains tearing in its tissue when you have a back injury. Because of this, scar tissue from the healing tears forms. Scar tissue is a lot weaker than the rest of tissue. Your discs can also become worn out due to just simply growing old as well.
When the annulus becomes too weak to provide protection of the center of the disc, the nucleus, the water that is in it begins to diminish. Once there is no water left, the disc rupture and allows the bones to begin rubbing together. This friction between bones causes bone spurs.
When a person has bone spurs, their movement becomes really limited because of the pain they might experience. In many cases, the only comfortable and pain free position is lying down. Life can be hard when you are unable to move without pain.
Patients with this condition should consult with their doctor about disc replacement surgery. Although it is a fairly new procedure, it may the very answer to spinal fusion and non surgical procedures that only treat the symptoms of pain.
For more information on degenerative disc disease as well as possible treatment options, visit Dr. Dirk Kancilia’s site www.CaliforniaDiscInstitute.com