Degenerative Disk Disease Research Paper

Degenerative Disk Disease

It 's estimated that as many as 75% of us will have some form of back or neck pain at some point in our lifetime. The good news is that most of us will recover without the need for surgery—and conservative care such as physical therapy usually gets better results than surgery. Degenerative disk disease (DDD) is one cause of back and neck pain. Usually the result of the natural aging process, degenerative disk disease (DDD) is a type of osteoarthritis of the spine. Your spine is made up of 33 vertebrae that are stacked on top of one another. Between each of these vertebrae is a rubbery piece of cartilage called an "intervertebral disk." (See images: Degenerative Disk Disease - Cervical | Lumbar) Imagine the disk as

Disk degeneration might occur throughout several regions of the spine, or it might be limited to one disk. When it 's part of the natural aging process, the degeneration does not always lead to pain. For some people, however, it can cause a great deal of pain and disability.

Herniated Disk

It 's estimated that as many as 75% of us will have some form of back or neck pain at some point in our lifetime. The good news is that most of us will recover without the need for surgery—and conservative care such as physical therapy usually gets better results than surgery. A herniated disk is one cause of neck and back pain. Your spine is made up of 33 vertebrae (bones) that are stacked on top of one another. Between each vertebra is a cushion-like piece of cartilage called an "intervertebral disk." Imagine the disk as a tire, with gelatin filling the hole in the tire. The rubbery outer part is called the "annulus,” and the gelatin is called the "nucleus." When we 're young—under 30 years of age—the disk is made mostly of gelatin. As we age, we start to lose some of that gelatin. The disk becomes flatter and less flexible, making it easier to injure. In some cases, the gelatin can push out through a crack in the rubbery exterior and lead to a herniation (bulge) or rupture

As we age, the discs in our spine can wear, begin to bulge, and become narrowed. These changes can put strain on the cartilage, ligaments, and joints at the involved level of the spine and may cause pain. The narrowing of the disc also results in narrowing of the space between the spinal joints, called the "facet" joints. Weight-bearing forces on the joints increase because of these disc changes. As a result, the cartilage covering the joint surface can begin to fray and wear away over time. If your cartilage wears down so that your bones begin to rub together, it can result in enlarged joints, inflammation, stiffness, and pain.

As OA of the spine progresses, your body will try to repair it by growing new bone. This bony growth is called a "bone spur." Spur development can result in a condition known as spinal stenosis. Most often this disorder affects men and women over 50 years of age. If the spurs enlarge, they can create a narrowing of the spaces in the spine. The narrowing can involve small or large areas and can result in pressure on nerves near the involved joints, resulting in symptoms that may include pain, tingling, numbness, or