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Degenerative disc disease is one of the most common causes of low back and neck pain, and also one of the most misunderstood. Degenerative disc disease in the lumbar spine, or lower back refers to a condition where one or more of your discs becomes dehydrated and deteriorated and begins to cause low back pain. In some people this condition can be genetically related, but in most it is related to multiple factors. Our vertebrae and disc can simply wear down and develop micro tears in the outer wall of the disc called the annulus. Sometimes theses conditions can also result from a trauma such as an accident or excessive lifting of heavy objects.
The discs in our spine do not have a blood supply, so when they do sustain a traumatic injury they do not repair themselves. Sometimes insignificant insult or injury to the disc can start a degenerative cascade that begins to wear out the disc. Degenerative disc disease is fairly common and estimated to affect 30% of people aged 30-55 years of age. Not all people with DDD will suffer from pain or be diagnosed formally. In fact people of 60 years of age are expected to have some level of disc degeneration and is normal findings on an MRI scan.
ConditionCausesSymptomsDiagnosis, Treatment & Recovery
With trauma, degeneration begins and the outer layers of the disc may tear (Annular Tear) and may expose the spinal nerve and exiting nerve to the inner nucleus pulposus. It is believed that nucleus pulposus can irritate one or both of the nerves and thus produce a great deal of pain. If the annular tear becomes large enough the disc may protrude, extrude or herniate through the tear resulting in a disc herniation. Annular tears can be diagnosed with a history of pain and can be observed on an MRI as a white, high intensity zone on the posterior disc. Discogenic pain is the term used to describe pain resulting from annular tears.
When DDD and annular tears become prevalent the following symptoms are associated with this condition:
Treatment for degenerative disc disease ranges from conservative therapies to surgical intervention. The goals of treatment are to relieve pain, prevent or reduce stress on the discs or spinal nerves and maintain normal function. It is always recommended that patient be prescribed non-surgical conservative treatment initially to help relieve symptoms.
Accurate and thorough diagnosis is key to selecting the best treatment options. The following is part of a comprehensive diagnostic workup:
Once conservative measures have been exhausted and the patient is still in considerable pain after 6 months then surgery is recommended. The following procedure has shown great results in minimizing in most cases and alleviating pain altogether in some cases:
Our Least Invasive Procedure patients’ can begin getting out of bed one hour after surgery and go home shortly afterwards. There will probably be some pain after the procedure and is usually localized to the incision site. Activity is gradually increased and patients can return to non-physical work as early as two weeks. Keep in mind just because there is less or no pain, always consult your physician before beginning any physical work.
Our Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery patients’ post-operative recovery is much longer and may involve overnight stay in the hospital. Once your pain in under control you can go home. Dr. Rodriguez will give you medication to control your pain while you recover at home.
At home, you will need to continue to rest. You will be instructed on how to gradually increase your activity. You may still need to take the pain medications for a while. However, pain and discomfort should begin to reduce within a couple of weeks after surgery. The doctor will discuss with you other techniques for reducing pain and increasing flexibility before you leave for home. MIS patients can return to non-physical work as early as four to six weeks. Spine fusion patients can return to non-physical work as early as two to three months.
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Dr. Marco Rodriguez is a board-certified and fellowship trained orthopedic spine surgeon who specializes in compassionate care for spine patients utilizing least invasive and minimally invasive spine surgery techniques.
Kenner LA Office 3705 Florida Ave.Kenner, LA 70065
Baton Rouge Office 606 Colonial Dr Ste A Baton Rouge, LA, 70806
Spinal Injections
Endoscopic Rhizotomy
Artificial Disc Replacement
(504) 620-5520