Low Back Pain Disc Degeneration

Low back pain disc degeneration starts at the intervertebral discs and can be the cause of many problems in the spine.

Any activity that you engage in while being upright will be a test to your spine's ability to support your body weight. Minor injuries occurring to the disc may go unnoticed because of the absence of pain at the time of the injury. But when such occurrences repeat themselves and are complemented by the daily stress, the disc in your spine degenerates over time and

Understanding your Lower back

Before we go into the symptoms and treatment, it would be beneficial to have an understanding of the medical information of your low back. A short description of the various parts making up your lumbar spine and how they work together is presented below:

One or more of the intervertebral discs would generally be the main cause of degenerative disc disease. A disc is positioned between each vertebrae in the spine, and takes on most of the mechanical stress of our daily movements. These discs are designed to absorb pressure and maintain the flexibility of the spine by a cushioning action during body movement - much like shock absorbers. This cushioning action is so very important to absorb stress and provide the movement necessary to twist and bend.

Causes

When your intervertebral disc is healthy, it has a good deal of water in the center portion of the disc (nuclear pulposus). This water content lends a spongy quality to the nucleus allowing it to absorb the spinal stress. When excessive pressure or injury to the disc occurs, the outer ring of tough ligament material (annulus) which holds the vertebrate together is injured. This is the primary point of the disc which takes on the injury.

Small tears occur in the ligament material and they heal through scar tissues. The scar tissues are not as strong as the normal ligament tissue. Over a period of time, the annulus becomes weaker and more scar tissue forms. As a result of this process, the water content goes down finally leading to a dried up state. Once the dried up state is reached, the disc loses its ability to provide the cushioning effect. With more stress on the annulus, more tears will occur leading to a total dried up state when the nucleus will collapse. Lack of the cushioning effect of the discs will prevent the vertebrate in your spine from absorbing the stress or providing the movement necessary to bend and twist.

Bone Spurs

The formation of bone spurs can begin around the disc space or around facet joints. This is perhaps the body's response to prevent the excess motion at the spinal segment. When bone spurs start to grow into the spinal canal pressing into the spinal cord and spinal nerves, it can accentuate your problem.

Symptoms

 When your doctor talks of degenerative disc disease, he is usually referring to a combination of problems in the spine which start with damage to the disc, and can potentially affect all parts of the spine. Problems attributable to low back pain from disc degeneration can include discogenic pain and bulging discs.

Treatment Options - Conservative Treatment

The seriousness of your condition will determine the treatment plan. Certain cases will demand immediate attention, including perhaps surgery. But, the good news is that a majority of back problems do not call for surgery. In most cases, it could be a simple reassurance that you are not having a serious problem and needing nothing but watching and waiting. Simple therapies/medicines like mild pain relievers or anti-inflammatory and rest can be effective in provide relief from immediate pain. The composite goal of treatment is to make you comfortable as quickly as possible, prevent further degeneration through a carefully designed spine care program and getting you back to normal routine in a timely manner.

The more you learn about your low back pain from disc degeneration, particularly the way your back works and how you can help prevent further injury, the treatment program will be more effective on you.

Different ways to search for low back pain disc degeneration are:
disc degeneration
spinal disc degeneration
cervical disc degeneration
severe arthritis cervical disc degeneration

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