Degenerative Discs

When the discs between the vertebrae in your back dry out, they can push against your nerves and cause severe pain.
The discs that sit between the five vertebrae in your lumbar spine allow your spine to be flexible. These discs are made up of two types of cartilage: a tough outer part, and a more “jelly-like” inner part. This inner cartilage acts as a shock absorber.
Normal discs absorb water so they can stay hydrated. Over time, though, discus can become dried out (dessicated) and act like flat tires. If this flattened disc material pushes against your nerves, you can experience severe pain down your leg or legs, known as radiculopathy. Patients will often describe the onset of these symptoms after they were lifting something, bending, and/or twisting their backs.

Diagnosis

The orthopedic specialist may suspect a diagnosis when a patient complains of pain radiating from the back down the leg. Patients will also commonly complain of numbness, tingling, and burning down their legs. They may also have muscle weakness.
After a detailed examination, the physician will evaluate the initial diagnosis with plain X-rays and can confirm it with an MRI or CT of the lumbar spine.

Treatment

Luckily, most degenerative discs do not require surgery. Therefore, many patients can initially be treated with pain management, physical therapy, and activity modification.
Patients with more severe or persistent symptoms may benefit from an epidural spinal injection. Patients with very severe pain and those who do not achieve long-lasting pain relief from injections may be candidates for surgery.
Sometime when a disc degenerates, it can lead to one vertebrae slipping on another. This is called a spondylolisthesis and will sometimes require surgery to treat the instability. Your surgeon can go into more detail about your treatment options.

ProOrtho Medical Specialties

Latest ProOrtho News

  • I need to work on my posture to prevent this pain

    Elevate Your Home Office Experience For Pain-Free Workdays

    Attention work-from-home and hybrid-work warriors! We get it—that relentless backache, the stiff neck, the sharp knee pain (where’d that come from?) and the overall feeling of being trapped in your own home office can be a real downer. But fear not, because here at ProOrtho we’ve got your back. Check out these simple tweaks to …

  • Osteoarthritis in Your 20s

    Osteoarthritis in Your 20s and 30s Is a Real Thing

    It’s time to break the age barrier on joint health, because osteoarthritis (OA) isn’t reserved for the golden years. And that’s not great news. In the dynamic realm of health, young adults can also find themselves face to face with OA, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies as the most common form …

  • Hikers Look At View of Snow Covered Pacific Northwest

    Enjoy Your Favorite Winter Sports Safely So You Can Always Come Back For More

    Here at ProOrtho, we know the happiest people during the slightly-less-than-fair-weather winter months of Western Washington tend to be those who: (a.) fly to warmer climates sometime before June, and/or  (b.) thoroughly enjoy winter snow sports. Sadly, we’re not here today to talk about tropically flavored poolside cocktails or the joys of beachcombing (maybe we …

Locations

Business Office

Surgery Center

MRI

Stay Connected

A Service of Proliance Surgeons


We’re a part of Proliance Surgeons, a team of independent, physician led care centers dedicated to providing exceptional outcomes, personally delivered.