Degenerative disc disease

You can injure a disc in your back and not even feel it at the time. Repeated stress on your back over time can cause discs to degenerate or break down which can cause pain.

Bone spurs (also called osteophytes) sometimes form around the discs. They can also form around joints (a place where two bones meet). They form because the body tries to stop the injured part of the spine from moving too much. Bone spurs can lead to spinal stenosis.

The most common symptom of degenerative disc disease is back pain that spreads to the buttocks (rear end) and upper thighs. It's common for pain caused by spine problems to be felt in other parts of the body.

Discogenic pain is caused by a damaged disc. Movement that places stress on the disc can result in back pain that appears to come from the disc. Movement can start the feeling of pain and make it feel worse.

Bulging discs are common in young adults and older people. They shouldn't be cause for alarm. Bulging discs can be found in people with and without back pain as they are a normal part of the aging process. 

More serious cases can lead to bone spurs on the joints behind the bulging disc. When this happens, sometimes the spinal canal narrows. This is called segmented spinal stenosis.

We always try to find the least invasive treatment plan or the one that requires either no surgery or the simplest surgery possible. Most people don't need surgery. If your quality of life continues to be affected after nonsurgical treatment, surgery may be the best choice.