Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease
You might be wondering how to distinguish degenerative disc disease pain from other types of back pain. Pay close attention to symptoms and signs of back pain and always be sure to discuss these symptoms with skilled spinal specialists at AICA Orthopedics. If you suffer from degenerative disc disease, you might feel a sharp, constant pain in the thighs, buttocks, lower back, upper back or even up into the neck. This type of pain may come and go for a while and then worsen over time if not treated. It will manifest itself more often when sitting, bending, or lifting, but could feel better when walking or lying down. In some instances, it can also cause numbness or tingling in the extremities as it affects nerves near the spine. If you suffer from these symptoms and think it may be from degenerative disc disease, be sure to talk to your local AICA Orthopedics specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment options.
Common Causes
Spinal discs are mostly made up of water. As you get older, the water can decrease or get thinner. Without as much water, the discs may flatten, causing them to lose shock absorbency. There’s less padding or cushion between each vertebrae which can lead to bone rubbing against bone. Dry discs can be the source of spine pain because of degenerative disc disease. Another problem with wear and tear over time is that our daily movements that we may take for granted can cause stress on spinal discs. This may in turn lead to tiny tears in the outer layers of the spinal discs. If the outer wall breaks down because of many tiny tears, the softer inner core can slip through, causing the disc to slip or bulge. This is known as a herniated disc. A slipped disc like this can put pressure on surrounding nerves and lead to extreme pain. Before pain from degeneration can worsen, talk to orthopedic specialists at AICA Orthopedics to hear from the experts what can be done to ease your spinal pain.
Accurate Diagnosis and Treatment
Consult with our expert spine specialists at AICA Orthopedics for an accurate diagnosis as well as a comprehensive treatment plan to provide relief from degenerative disc disease pain. First, talk to a specialist about your pain and symptoms. An AICA Orthopedics spine specialists will examine your spine and may send you for an MRI to get a close up look of the source of spinal pain. Thankfully, high tech imaging services can be performed in the same place as your appointment with your spinal specialists to avoid further hassel. Once the spine specialists has a clear picture of the problematic area, they can move forward with the best treatment plan for you. Treatment Options for degenerative disc disease can include anti inflammatory medications, steroid shots, or physical therapy. Again, AICA Orthopedics offers all these services, including physical therapy from highly qualified physical therapist all in one convenient location. Should more invasive procedures be necessary, your orthopedic specialists can recommend surgery such as a discectomy to remove the damaged disc, ease pressure on the nerves and alleviate pain. To find out your treatment options for degenerative disc disease, contact AICA Orthopedics to connect with our professional orthopedic specialists as well as our team of pain management specialists, radiologists, neurologist, chiropractors, or physical therapists who can work with you towards recovering from back pain. You deserve the very best in orthopedic care and are sure to find it all in one easy location at AICA Orthopedics.
