Degenerative Disc Disease & Disability

Americans spend billions each year on low back conditions, including degenerative disc disease. This acute spinal condition, in which individual discs deteriorate, can cause people to miss work for long periods of time, and severe cases can make them eligible for disability benefits.

Identification

• Degenerative disc disease occurs when one or more of the individual discs that comprise the spine break down, causing pain and limiting movement.

Effects

• Back pain is the chief symptom of degenerative disc disease. Pain may increase when bending, lifting, or sitting for extended periods of time. The condition often impairs a person's ability to do necessary tasks at work.

Significance

• Degenerative disc disease is one of many conditions recognized by the Social Security Administration as eligible for Social Security disability payments.

Considerations

• Under Social Security rules, people with degenerative disc disease are considered disabled if they cannot do the work they did previously, cannot adjust to other work and the disability is likely to last a year or longer.

Significance

• Back pain, including degenerative disc disease is the most common cause of job-related disability, according to the National Institutes of Health.