The only way to receive an accurate degenerative disc disease diagnosis is to pay a visit to an experienced physician. If you are experiencing pain or any other symptoms of this condition, schedule an appointment right away. When left untreated, degenerative disc disease can progress to cause debilitating symptoms, so it is important to begin treatment as quickly as possible.

What can I expect at my appointment?

If you are feeling anxious about your upcoming appointment, it may help to understand exactly what to expect at your meeting. This way, you will not be nervous about what will happen, and can instead prepare as much as possible. One thing you can expect is for your physician to ask you questions about your symptoms and overall health. These questions will help your physician understand more about your condition and confirm your degenerative disc disease diagnosis. Questions may include:

1. When did your symptoms begin?
2. What symptoms are you experiencing?
3. Are there any activities that cause your symptoms to worsen?
4. What, if any, self-care measures have you tried, and have they been of any help?
5. Do you have a family history of degenerative disc disease or any other spine conditions?

If your physician suspects that you may have degenerative disc disease based on your answers to these questions, he or she may order an MRI or other medical imaging test to confirm your diagnosis.

Treatment options for patients with degenerative disc disease

If you do receive a degenerative disc disease diagnosis, there are a number of treatments, both conservative and surgical, to help you reclaim your life from the related neck or back pain. Most often, conservative methods like pain medication and corticosteroid injections will be tried first. If symptoms persist after several weeks or months of nonsurgical treatment, surgery may be recommended. For patients in this situation, USA Spine Care offers minimally invasive outpatient surgery to treat degenerative disc disease. Our procedures are a safer and effective alternative to traditional open spine surgery and offer patients shorter recovery times, as patients are often up and walking within hours of their surgery.^ We can provide a free MRI review* to determine if you are a candidate for our procedures. To get started, contact USA Spine Care today.

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