• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Front Range Spine
and Neurosurgery
  • Bill PayRequest Appointment
    (303) 790-1800
Denver Hip & Knee Clinic
  • Home
  • Meet the Team
    • Meet the Surgeons
  • Conditions & Surgeries
    • Colorado Artificial Disc Institute
    • Cranial Conditions & Tumors
    • Minimally Invasive Surgery
    • Spine & Nerve-Related Conditions
    • Hip & Knee Conditions
  • Treatments
    • Hip & Knee Treatments
    • View All Treatments
  • Patient Resources
    • New Patient Forms
    • Opiod Consent Form
    • Post-Op Care
    • Preparing for Surgery
  • Contact & Locations
    • Lone Tree
    • Parker
    • Colorado Springs
    • Castle Rock – Trail Boss Drive
    • Castle Rock – Limelight Ave

Degenerative Disc Disease

March 8, 2019

As we age, we face a host of challenging issues. Health problems may crop up, poor lifestyle choices can catch up with us, while exercise and healthy eating often fall by the wayside of our busy lives. For example, by the age of 40, nearly everyone has experienced some type of back pain. In many cases, this is caused by degenerative disc disease.

Degenerative disc disease progressively worsens over time, as the spinal discs, which act as cushions between the bones of the spine (vertebrae) become damaged due to wear and tear. The gel-like fluid within the discs may dry up or leak, leading to bone-on-bone friction in the spine, and the irritation of nearby nerves.

Spinal vertebrae may lose density and become brittle due to arthritis or osteoporosis. Bone spurs may develop and impinge upon nearby tissue. Vertebrae may become misaligned due to degeneration or weakness, leading to instability of the spinal column. All of these problems, as well as trauma and exertion, can worsen pain in the back, neck, arms, and legs caused by degenerative disc disease.

Treatment for Degenerative Disc Disease

There are many types of treatment for damaged spinal discs.

On the conservative side, physical therapy and occupational therapy is a good place to start.

Pain relief has also been achieved also with alternative therapies such as acupuncture, biofeedback, and herbal supplements. Sometimes chiropractic services can provide relief with manual spinal manipulation (as long as your doctor indicates it is safe for your condition – i.e., as long as your spinal vertebrae are stable).

Medications such as corticosteroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, muscle relaxants, even anti-depressants may help alleviate the pain caused by degenerative disc disease. Nerve blocks and facet point injections may also help.

Surgery can also alleviate back and neck pain due to this condition. Popular surgical solutions include repairing or replacing the damaged disc, and spinal fusion. Newer, minimally invasive methods can offer pain relief without the trauma and extended recovery time of a traditional, “open” spinal surgery.

If you’re experiencing back or neck pain, you’ll want to see a medical professional who specializes in disorders of the spine. The neurologists at Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery are highly qualified, trained, and experienced in treating disorders of the spine, like degenerative disc disease, and associated nerve issues. There is no better type of doctor to diagnose and treat the cause of your back pain.

Make sure you’re receiving the best possible care for your back pain at Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery. Call (303) 790-1800 or use the convenient appointment request form.

Filed Under: Back Pain, Neck Pain, Spinal Fusion Tagged With: back pain, Front Range Spine & Neurosurgery, Neurological Disorders, spinal discs, spinal disorders, spinal fusion

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • Acupuncture
  • Arachnoid Cysts
  • Artificial Disc Replacement
  • Back Pain
  • Back Surgery
  • Brain Surgery
  • Brain Tumor
  • Chronic Pain
  • Concussion
  • Disc Replacement Surgery
  • General
  • Lower Back Pain
  • Lumbar Spine
  • Minimally Invasive Surgery
  • Neck Pain
  • Nerve Pain
  • Neurological Conditions
  • Neurosurgeon
  • Neurosurgery
  • Spinal Cord
  • Spinal Fusion
  • Spinal Surgery
  • Spine Surgeon
  • Stereotactic Radiosurgery
  • Stroke
  • Tumor
  • Upper Back Pain
  • Workers Compensation
March 2019
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Feb   Apr »

Tags

artificial disc replacement artificial disc replacement Colorado Springs CO artificial disc replacement Denver CO artificial disc replacement Lone Tree CO artificial disc replacement near me Artificial Discs artificial spinal disc replacement back pain back pain treatment near me Back Surgery Best Spine Surgeon near me Brain Surgeon in Colorado brain surgery Brain Tumor brain tumor symptoms Chronic Pain Concussion Front Range Spine & Neurosurgery Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery Lower Back Pain minimally invasive spinal surgery minimally invasive spinal surgery Colorado Springs CO minimally invasive spinal surgery near me Neurological Disorders neurologist neurosurgeon neurosurgeon colorado neurosurgeon Colorado Springs neurosurgeon Colorado Springs CO Neurosurgeon Denver CO Neurosurgeon experts Near Me neurosurgeon Lone Tree CO neurosurgeon near me neurosurgery neurosurgery Aurora CO spinal discs spinal disorders spinal fusion Spinal Surgery spine surgeon Lone Tree CO spine surgeon near me spine surgery spine surgery Aurora CO Spine Surgery near me traumatic head injury

Footer

Read Our Blog

Get the most up-to-date information about our practice and the latest advances in neurosurgery with our exclusive blog.

Learn More

Patient Education

Broaden your knowledge of the conditions we treat with our comprehensive patient education library.

Learn More

  • Home
  • Meet the Surgeons
  • Conditions & Surgeries
  • Treatments
  • Patient Resources
  • Contact & Locations
  • HIPAA Privacy Policy
  • ADA Disclaimer
  • Sitemap

Phone: (303) 790-1800
Fax: (303) 790-1809

Copyright © 2023 Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery. All Rights Reserved

iHealthspot Medical Website Design and Medical Marketing by iHealthSpot.com

The neurosurgeons at Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery specialize in Colorado Artificial Disc Institute, Cranial Conditions & Tumors, Minimally Invasive Surgery, and Spine & Nerve-Related Conditions.