Signs & Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease is a back condition that takes years to develop, and will show itself gradually. Although it's considered a normal part of the aging process, there are things your doctor can do to help relieve the pain, and even stop the degeneration of the disc. The key is to pay attention to your symptoms, and get to a doctor as soon as you feel any suspicious pain.

General Back Pain

• The primary sign of degenerative disc disease is the gradual onset of pain that originates in the upper or lower back. This pain is often amplified during an activity such as turning, or it could be strongest when simply sitting down. The pain can sometimes be relieved by changing positions, or engaging in activities such as walking or swimming. The pain can seem to gradually get worse, and treatments used to relieve the pain may start to become ineffective. These bouts with pain can become a combination of chronic neck pain accented with acute stabs of pain down the legs or arms.

Numbness

• Over time, some of the symptoms of degenerative disc disease will start to evolve. The pain that used to be located in the lower or upper back, could move down the legs or arms. After a while there may be a tingling sensation, numbness and loss of sensation in the arms or legs.

Bowel and Bladder Control

• As the symptoms of degenerative disc disease advance, loss of control for some bodily functions may occur. Over time there may be a loss of bladder and bowel control. These are not immediate signs of degenerative disc disease, and when these symptoms begin to appear accompanied by the chronic neck or back pain, then it is important to see a doctor right away.

Minor Movement Pain

• One specific type of pain that can be closely associated to degenerative disc disease is pain in the back or legs when a simple task or movement is performed. For example, if you sneeze and then experience a sharp pain shooting down the leg or pain in the lower or upper back, then that may be a symptom of degenerative disc disease.

Hips

• One of the areas of the body that can show the most evident signs of degenerative disc disease is the hips. Over time it can become painful to bend at the waist, and returning to an upright position can take time and be very painful. Because of the pain that radiates through the hips it sometimes can be extremely difficult to walk. Some patients who have had previous leg pain may misdiagnose this as a sciatica episode, but it could also be a sign that the more serious condition of degenerative disc disease is present.