Degenerative disc disease (DDD) can cause debilitating neck and back pain that prevents you from living a full, active life. Fortunately, there are many conservative, nonsurgical treatments available to treat DDD that may help you find pain relief without the need for surgery.

Of the symptoms caused by degenerative disc disease, pain is the most devastating. The pain of degenerative disc disease can manifest itself in several ways. It can be chronic and persistent, or it may be intermittent, beginning abruptly and fading into asymptomatic periods. It can be localized in the neck or back, or radiate to the shoulders, hips, buttocks and limbs. The pain also might be sharp, burning or aching. Because the symptoms and causes of DDD can vary so much between patients, it’s extremely important that you receive a proper diagnosis from your physician before starting a treatment plan.

Sometimes, additional rest, as well as exercises and physical therapy, may be enough to ease your pain and symptoms. However, if rest and special degenerative disc disease exercises fail to ease pain, medication could provide relief and allow for the restoration of daily activities. Medications your physician may prescribe for degenerative disc disease include:

• Over-the-counter pain relievers
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Prescription pain relievers and narcotics
• Muscle relaxants
• Steroid injections

In some cases, patients may not respond to conservative treatment. If medication and other conservative treatments have done little to relieve your DDD pain and your physician has recommended surgery, you should determine the least invasive, yet effective, surgical treatment possible. Currently, the least invasive form of spine surgery is minimally invasive spine surgery, like the procedures performed at USA Spine Care, to treat degenerative disc disease. We offer minimally invasive decompression and stabilization procedures with shorter recovery periods^{^} and lower risks of complication than traditional open spine surgery.

As the leader in minimally invasive spine surgery, we have helped more than 75,000 patients receive pain relief from their spinal conditions. Contact us today to learn more about our state-of-the-art procedures and for a review of your MRI report or CT scan to determine your potential candidacy.

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