Degenerative Disc Disease Treated by Top Spine Doctors at Mercy
Mercy Medical Center, in Baltimore, Maryland, offers comprehensive care for a wide range of spine conditions, including physician expertise provided by orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and neurologists.
At Mercy, our spine specialists are dedicated to providing treatment options for an array of spine disorders, including degenerative disc disease.
Disc degeneration, also known as disk degeneration, is part of the normal aging process. In young people, the discs are very elastic and have high water content. As people age, they naturally loose the disc molecules responsible for its elasticity and water content. This process is known as disc degeneration.
Genetic predisposition, overuse, or injury can accelerate the degenerative process. As disc elasticity wanes and the central disc becomes soft, more stress is transferred to the fibrous tissues surrounding the central disc (the annulus). With time, fibers in the overloaded annulus begin to fail, the annulus bulges, and the disc becomes narrower (shorter).
Degenerative disc disease affects the limbs, back and neck. Disc degeneration can occur without major symptoms. However, when symptoms do occur, they typically include pain and weakness:
- Lower back pain that intensifies when sitting
- Back pain that increases when lifting, bending and rotating
- Certain movements like walking and jogging may feel better than sitting or standing
- Adjusting positions to ease pain
Diagnosis of degenerative disc disease begins by obtaining a full medical history. Additionally, a doctor may perform several tests including:
Many patients with degenerative disc disease can obtain pain relief with a combination of:
- Short-term bracing
- Medications
- Physical therapy
If non-surgical treatments are not effective and severe pain is still limiting daily activities, surgery may be necessary.
A great emphasis is placed on finding the precise source of pain before considering surgery. If surgery is needed, our spine surgeons determine the least amount of surgery necessary to correct each patient’s disc degeneration.
At Mercy, the most common surgery for painful disc degeneration in the lumbar spine is a one or two level posterior surgical fusion. This surgery is well established and safe with high success rates and permanent results. Our spine surgeons are careful to select the smallest and safest procedure to relieve the patient’s source of pain.