Degenerative disc disease is a condition that causes the discs to lose their water content and narrow or shrink. As a result, these discs are no longer able to act as the spine’s shock absorbers and debilitating pain can develop, along with numbness and tingling. This condition commonly occurs due to becoming arthritic or degenerative due to injury or natural aging in individuals over the age of 40. However, if you are under the age of 40 and are suffering from a degenerative disc, the factors described in the following article can be contributing to your condition.

Degenerative disc disease contributing factors

For young people suffering from degenerative disc disease, there are a variety of factors that accelerate this condition, including:

• Poor dietary habits
• Excess weight
• Smoking cigarettes
• Traumatic injury
• Strenuous physical activity

Treatments for degenerative disc disease

In order to reduce your risk of developing degenerative disc disease at a young age or to relieve your symptoms if you have been diagnosed with this condition, your doctor may recommend a conservative treatment plan for minor degenerative changes. This may consist of pain medication, weight management, decreasing heavy lifting and reducing high-impact activities like running or jumping. Instead, low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, biking, core-strengthening and working out on a stationary bike or elliptical machine may be helpful as the discs degenerate.

If your spinal discs are causing nerve compression or spinal narrowing despite weeks or months of conservative therapy, then surgery may need to be considered. We understand that surgery often poses a lot of risks and is a major decision. However, if you have doubts regarding traditional open back surgery, there are less invasive options available for lasting pain relief. For instance, USA Spine Care offers safer and effective alternatives to traditional open spine surgery in the form of minimally invasive spine surgery.^ To learn about the procedures we offer for degenerative disc disease, contact us today.

USA Spine Care is the leader in minimally invasive spine surgery and has helped more than 75,000 patients find relief from chronic neck or back pain. To treat degenerative disc disease, our highly skilled surgeons are able to access the spine through small incisions that are muscle-sparing in order to remove the portion of the disc that is compressing the nerve or narrowing the spine. Reach out to our dedicated team today and ask for a no-cost MRI review* to determine if you are a potential candidate for our outpatient surgery. We can help guide you through your journey to wellness.

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