What does it mean to have severe degenerative disc disease?
Degenerative disk disease is when your spinal disks wear down. Spinal disks are rubbery cushions between your vertebrae (bones in your spinal column). They act as shock absorbers and help you move, bend and twist comfortably. Everyone’s spinal disks degenerate over time and is a normal part of aging.
How do you treat L4-L5 degenerative disc disease?
Treatment of the L4-L5 spinal motion segment typically begins with nonsurgical methods….Surgical Treatments for L4-L5
- Microdiscectomy. In this surgery, a small part of the disc material near the nerve root is taken out.
- Laminectomy.
- Foraminotomy.
- Facetectomy.
- Lumbar artificial disc replacement.
- Fusion of L4-L5.
What can be done for severe degenerative disc disease?
Treatment may include occupational therapy, physical therapy, or both, special exercises, medications, losing weight, and surgery. Medical options include injecting the joints next to the damaged disc with steroids and a local anesthetic. These are called facet joint injections. They can provide effective pain relief.
What stage is severe degenerative disc disease?
Stage 4. The final stage of degenerative disc disease is the most severe and is typically considered irreversible.
Is degenerative disc disease serious?
Degenerative disc disease isn’t actually a disease, but rather a condition in which a damaged disc causes pain. This pain can range from nagging to disabling. The condition can be caused by the drying out of the disc over time, daily activities, sports and injuries.
Is degenerative disc disease fatal?
Degenerative disc disease can have no symptoms or be very painful. Very rarely, it can become so severe that the nerves leaving the spinal column are severely entrapped. Without treatment this can lead to paralysis, but it is not life threatening.
Can degenerative disc cause hip pain?
Pronounced pain in your lower body It may be degenerative disc disease if you notice persistent pain in your lower back, hips, thighs, and buttocks. This is the result of your aggravated nerve sending pain southward.
Why is disc degeneration so painful?
Pain associated with degenerative disc disease generally stems from two main factors: Inflammation. Inflammatory proteins from the disc space interior can leak out as the disc degenerates, causing swelling in the surrounding spinal structures.