Degenerative Disc Disease: What is it?

DDD: What is it?

Degenerative Disc Disease is not an actual disease, it is actually a condition of the spine. Commonly known as the breakdown of cartilage in your lower spine, this disease can be caused by age. Mostly worn down over time, this disease cannot be caused by a sudden incident but rather something that happens over a long duration. Many people get the disease in their early 30s to late 50s. Everyone has a spine with 33 interlocking bones known as vertebrae. 

Each vertebrae has a spongy connective tissue between them called discs, which are used for shock absorbance and flexibility. Each disc is composed of two parts, the firm outer layer known as the annulus fibrosus and an inner jelly like component called nucleus pulposus. 

The outer region of the annulus fibrosus is composed of many nerves and if the disc is torn can cause pain. Also if the inner portion of the disc leaks out it can also cause pain as this fluid contains proteins that can irritate said nerves. These discs are composed of connective tissue and are what allows ease with every day movement. Movement such as twisting, bending, and rotating around are all easily done with these vertebrae and discs. The disease becomes an issue when a disc is ruptured. 

Rupture is mainly caused by a herniated disc which is defined as a bulge or breaking open of a spinal disc. The rupture then causes nerves to be pushed on which causes pain, weakness and sometimes numbness to where that nerve leads. 

Another leader in pain is not only the nerve pressure, but also the irritation by the protein filled center. Herniated discs mainly happen in the lower back region, but can happen anywhere along the spine.