What Is the Best Treatment for Degenerative Disc Disease?

The best treatment for degenerative disc disease includes ergonomic seats and shoes, etc. to maintain a healthy posture, lots of movement and light exercise, physical therapy and over-the-counter pain and inflammation relievers. Surgery is considered in advanced cases.

Degenerative disc disease is not actually a disease but a condition that occurs as a normal process of aging, in which the discs between each vertebra in the spine begin to wear down. This degeneration of the discs results in the bones rubbing against one another, causing pain and stiffness. 

What Are Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease?

Symptoms of degenerative disc disease include pain in the back that can:

• Mostly affect the lower back and neck
• Range from mild to severe and disabling
• Extend to the arms and hands 
• Radiate to the buttocks and thighs
• Worsen when sitting or after bending, lifting or twisting
• Come and go
• Cause weakness in the leg muscles or “foot drop,” which may indicate damage to the nerve root

The pain and stiffness of degenerative disc disease is caused by discs in the vertebrae that wear down. The discs in the spine are relatively avascular (very little blood supply), so when discs are injured, they are unable to repair themselves and they start to deteriorate.

Causes of disc degeneration include:

• Aging: discs dry out as people age
• Tears in the outer portion of the disc due to daily activities and sports
• Injury

Degenerative disc disease is diagnosed with a physical examination and patient history, along with imaging tests such as: 

• X-rays
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan 
• Computed tomography (CT) scan 

Treatment for degenerative disc disease is aimed at strengthening the muscles that support the back and relieving symptoms and may include:

• Self-care at home
• Heat and cold therapy
• Exercise 
• Strength
• Stretching
• Low-impact aerobics
• Modify activities that irritate the back
• Don’t smoke
• Maintain a healthy weight/lose weight if overweight
• Ergonomics
• Proper lifting techniques
• Ergonomic furniture
• Supportive footwear
• Avoid static posture for prolonged periods of time
• Medications 
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) 
  • Pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol)
  • Corticosteroid injections into the disc space
  • Oral steroids
  • Narcotic pain relievers 
  • Muscle relaxants
• Physical therapy
• Massage therapy 
• Chiropractic manipulation 
• Epidural injections 
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators (TENS)
• Ultrasound 
• Acupuncture
• Behavioral therapy
• Surgery
  • Artificial disc replacement
  • Spinal fusion