Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative Disc Disease is a common disorder of the spine. Causes of degenerative disc disease include chronic low back pain that sometimes radiates to the hips, or pain in the buttocks or thighs while walking.

You may also experience sporadic tingling or weakness in the knees. Pain may be worse when sitting, bending, lifting, and twisting. Causes of Degenerative Disc Disease may also include chronic neck pain from the upper spine, with pain radiating to the shoulders, arms and hands.

Long before degenerative disc disease— cervical, thoracic or lumbar—can be seen on an MRI, biochemical changes may have occurred. Some of these changes are like those associated with osteoarthritis.

Over time, the collagen (protein) structure of the outer wall of the intervertebral disc (also called the annulus fibrosus) weakens and may become structurally unsound. Additionally, water and proteoglycan (PG) content decreases.

PGs are molecules that attract water. These changes are linked and may lead to the disc’s inability to handle mechanical stress. Because the lumbar spine carries a large portion of the body’s weight, the stress on the annulus fibrosus from motion may result in a disc problem (e.g. herniation).

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) refers to a syndrome in which a deteriorating intervertebral disc causes chronic pain. There are three types of DDD:

• Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease
• Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
• Thoracic Degenerative Disc Disease

Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease

Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease is a gradual process that commonly compromises the lumbar spine.

The intervertebral discs in the lumbar spine are structures prone to the degenerative changes associated with wear and tear, aging, and misuse (e.g. smoking).

Degenerative changes in the lumbar spine often cause the loss of normal structure and/or loss of function in the legs.

Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease

Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease is less common than DDD in the lumbar spine because there is substantially less force exerted across the cervical spine during normal motion.

Sometimes, however, an injury to a disc in the cervical region of the spine may start a cascade of Degenerative Disc Disease that leads to chronic neck or arm pain.

Thoracic Degenerative Disc Disease

Thoracic Degenerataive Disc Disease is not as common as lumbar or cervical Degenerative Disc Disease due to the natural resistance of the middle and upper back regions to the typical degenerative changes which are part of the aging process. The thoracic spine is not meant to enable significant vertebral level movement. Instead, it is designed primarily as a protective and supportive structure which safeguards our bodily organs and forms the framework of the ribcage.

The Bonati Laser Discectomy is suggested for patients with cervical, thoracic or lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease. Treatment of degenerative disc disease starts with a visit at The Bonati Spine Institute!

The Bonati Spine Institute advocates spinal stenosis patients to be well informed. We encourage you to contact us to request a no-obligation MRI review or discussion with one of our medical professionals. Find out why The Bonati Procedures are considered to be among the worldӳ best solutions for laser spine surgery.