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Diagnosis
Degenerative disc disease is diagnosed through a combination of the patient's medical history and physical examination and, when warranted, may include diagnostic tests such as an MRI scan or CT scan.
Medical history. This includes detailed descriptions of your symptoms, such as a description of the pain (e.g. dull, aching, persistent, intermittent), which activities/positions/treatments make the pain better and which make it worse. You will also be asked about any injuries or illnesses, any previous treatment, and specific habits and activities that may affect your back.
Physical exam. A complete physical exam will also be performed, with special attention paid to your back to check for flexibility, range of motion, pain caused by certain movements, or any areas of tenderness. Certain tests will also be performed regarding your muscle strength and reflexes to see if your nerve roots are being affected.
Diagnostic tests. In many situations, doctors will order an MRI or a CT scan (CAT scan) in order to see an image of the degenerative changes in the lumbar spine.
- An MRI scan is valuable to determine the health of the disc space, and clarify if there is nerve root compression.
- A CT scan is often used to evaluate the bone in the spine, which can show how much space is available for the nerve roots and in spinal canal.
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