Disc degeneration is very painful because of proteins which leak out to the nerves of the outer layer of your disc which leads to a lot of pain.
Degenerative disc disease pain does not tend to progress with age.
While the discs will often continue to degenerate, the associated pain tends to subside.
Generally by age 60 a degenerated disc will have stabilized and will usually not be painful.
You can strengthen your back with degenerative disc disease by doing pelvic tilting exercises, bird dog stretches, knee to chest stretches, back extensions, cat cow stretches, stationary exercise biking, hamstring stretches and walking which can strengthen the back and also prevent the progression of degenerative disc disease.
There are 4 stages to degenerative disc disease which is stage 1, stage 2, stage 3 and stage 4.
Grade 1, normal shape, no horizontal bands, clear distinction of nucleus and annulus; grade 2, nonhomogeneous shape with horizontal bands, some blurring between nucleus and annulus; grade 3, nonhomogeneous shape with blurring between nucleus and annulus, annulus shape still recognizable; grade 4, nonhomogeneous shape.
The difference between spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease is that spinal stenosis is a condition of the spine where the central canal diameter is reduced like a pipe that becomes clogged.
Degenerative disc disease is where the discs degenerate with age and cause the vertebrae to sit closer together.
If you don't treat degenerative disc disease it can lead to permanent damage, spinal osteoarthritis, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, paralysis and debilitating pain.
Degenerative disc can cause hip pain when the disc degeneration is at your lumbar disc or lower back which can cause the pain to radiate down the back of your legs or in your buttocks or hips.
L4-L5 degenerative disc disease is a high risk of disc degeneration which can be caused by increased loads at the L4-L5 motion segment and also a decreased movement in the segments below that level.
Most disc herniations happen at the lower lumbar spine, especially at the L4-5 and L5-S1 levels.
Degenerative disc disease can also occur in the thoracic area of the spine, most frequently at the thoracolumbar junction (where the thoracic and lumbar areas of the spinal column meet).
Degenerative disc disease is a condition that occurs when your spinal disks break down.
When these disks wear out, people typically experience back pain and stiffness.
You may find pain relief with nonsurgical treatments such as physical therapy and spinal injection.
Degenerative Disc Disease is not life threatening, but if left untreated, can lead to debilitating pain, permanent damage, and serious conditions such as spinal osteoarthritis, herniated discs, spinal stenosis and potentially paralysis.
The degenerative disc disease cannot heal on its own.
Many treatments for degenerative disc disease focus on reducing symptoms.
Some people experience more severe or longer-lasting symptoms than others.
Degenerative Disc Disease is usually not too serious although it is painful.
Degenerative Disc Disease can cause pain in the hips, legs and even lower back.
However in some cases Degenerative Disc Disease can cause Paralysis if Disc herniations happen in the persons cervical spine.
Although you can become paralyzed from Degenerative Disc Disease it's very rare for it to happen and Degenerative Disc Disease is usually not that serious although just painful and debilitating.
If the degenerative disc disease gets too severe and it's in the end stage it can paralyze a person.
And unfortunately there's no cure for degenerative disc disease and there's not much you can do for it.