Degenerative Disc Disease
Symptoms and Diagnosis
The symptoms of degenerative disc disease are usually chronic low back pain or neck pain, with intermittent bouts of more severe pain. The painful episodes can last for a few days to a few months. The type, severity, and length of the pain episode vary from person to person.
Symptoms
In addition to low back pain or neck pain, if the degenerated disc is pressing on a nerve, the pain may travel down the leg or arm, and may be associated with numbness, weakness or tingling.
In addition to pain, there are other common symptoms and indicators of mechanical back pain from degenerative disc disease. For example, indicators for lumbar degenerative disc disease may include pain that becomes noticeably worse while sitting, bending, or lifting - all activities that increase pressure on the disc.
If symptoms include weakness or numbness that radiates down your arm or leg (or into the hand or foot), then it is important to see a spine specialist for an evaluation.
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