Can degenerative disc disease affect your legs?

Degenerative disc disease may cause back and/or leg pain, as well as functional problems such as tingling or numbness in your legs or buttocks, or difficulty walking.

Can degenerative disc cause hip and leg pain?

Degenerative disc disease can cause muscle tension or spasms, as well as pain that grows through the shoulders, arms, or hands. If the degeneration is at the lumbar disc or lower back, pain may radiate down the backs of the legs or in the hips or buttocks.

Will degenerative disc disease cripple me?

Without appropriate treatment, degenerative disc disease can cause lasting, debilitating back pain. The pain may become so severe that you find it difficult to carry out your normal daily activities. It can interfere with your mobility and your overall quality of life.

What is the best treatment for degenerative disc disease?

Bed rest, or reduced activity, for the first 1 to 2 days after onset of severe pain, combined with anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen, and ice and/or heat therapy. Prescription muscle relaxant medications, as needed, for up to 1 week. Gentle stretching and aerobic exercise, for at least 3 times a week.

What does pain from degenerative disc disease feel like?

Painful aches at the site of a damaged disc is the most common symptom of a degenerative disc. Pain may spread to the buttocks, groin, and upper thighs. This pain typically feels achy, dull, and can range from mild to severe. Occasional pain flare-ups.

Degenerative Disc Disease: Common Symptoms

Is walking good for degenerative disc disease?

Walking can help treat degenerative disc disease since it's a mild form of physical therapy, which is good for your spine and joints. The pain of degenerative disc disease could be in your lower back or the neck. It can extend to the hands, arms, legs, and butt.

What stage is severe degenerative disc disease?

Stage 4. The final stage of degenerative disc disease is the most severe and is typically considered irreversible. Discs are at their thinnest or gone altogether. The flexibility of the spine is extremely limited and pain is often considerable.

What activities should you avoid with degenerative disc disease?

Skip movements that involve significant axial loading on the lower back, such as squats and leg presses. Avoid toe-touches, sit-ups, and yoga poses that worsen the pain and lead to significant bending of the back.

Is degenerative disc disease a serious condition?

Degenerative disc disease isn't actually a disease, but rather a condition in which a damaged disc causes pain. This pain can range from nagging to disabling. The condition can be caused by the drying out of the disc over time, daily activities, sports and injuries.

How should you sleep when you have degenerative disc disease?

Side sleeping is okay and sleeping on your back is the most supportive and comfortable position to sleep in if you have DDD. However, it's best if you use supports to keep your spine neutral all night long. Back sleepers: Sleep with a pillow under your knees to maintain your spine's natural lower back curve.

What are the stages of DDD?

The Four Stages of Degenerative Disc Disease

They can result in pain, degenerative scoliosis, and loss of mobility. These four stages are the Dysfunction Stage, the Dehydration Stage, the Stabilization Stage, and the Collapsing Stage.

Is degenerative disc a disability?

Degenerative Disc Disease, or DDD, is among the most common impairments for which the Social Security Administration (SSA) receives disability applications. While it is a qualifying disability under certain circumstances, proving your condition meets the SSA's duration and severity level requirements can be difficult.

What is the long term prognosis for degenerative disc disease?

Long-term Outcomes of Degenerative Disc Disease

The degenerative process of the spinal disc may start gradually or suddenly, but progresses over 2 to 3 decades from severe and at times even disabling bouts of pain to a state in which the spine is restabilized and the pain is diminished.

What does it mean when your lower back and legs hurt?

Lower back and leg pain are common symptoms that often result from sprains and strains or poor posture. However, severe or recurring pain may indicate an underlying medical condition, such as arthritis or fibromyalgia.

What does it mean when back pain goes down your leg?

Sciatica is a shooting pain that begins in the lower back, radiates into the buttock and down the back of one leg. The pain is often caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve from a herniated disc, bone spurs or muscle strain (Fig. 1). You play an important role in the prevention, treatment, and recovery of leg pain.

Does degenerative disc disease spread?

Degenerative disc disease can spread to other parts of the spine as they develop arthritis. Fortunately, most of the time, the symptoms are short-lived and could get better either on their own or with physical therapy and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications or other types of pain medications.

Are there any new treatments for degenerative disc disease?

These cushion the spine, maintain flexibility, and help absorb the pressure of movement. But the discs degenerate with age, and chronic back pain is common among older adults. There are currently no treatments to stop disc degeneration. A research team led by Dr.

Why is disc degeneration so painful?

Because the disc itself has very little innervation, pain usually occurs when the degenerating disc affects other structures in the spine (such as muscles, joint, or nerve roots).

How can I prevent degenerative disc disease from getting worse?

What causes flare ups in degenerative disc disease?

These flare ups can be caused by a simple action, such as bending over to tie your shoes, or twisting. Or, you can just experience this discomfort without being able to pinpoint the exact cause. You may experience a rise in pain for several days to several weeks before it diminishes.

Can you live a normal life with degenerative disc disease?

Can you live a normal life with degenerative disc disease? The answer is yes, even it forces you to be out of work for an extended amount of time. Do not give up. There are many methods of pain relief that you can do at home that can help you live a normal life.

Can surgery fix degenerative disc disease?

If back or neck pain caused by degenerative disc disease doesn't respond to medication or therapeutic injections, NYU Langone doctors may recommend a surgical procedure. Surgeons may remove some or all of a damaged disc, take pressure off a pinched nerve, or eliminate movement between the bones of the spine.

What can a neurologist do for degenerative disc disease?

When does degenerative disc disease need surgery?

Surgical treatment is an option in cases of severe, debilitating lumbar degenerative disc disease, and is usually only recommended after at least 6 months of nonsurgical treatment. Most cases of degenerative disc disease can be managed using nonsurgical methods, and do not require surgery for effective pain relief.

What happens when a disc completely degenerates?

Over time, a degenerating disc may break down completely and leave no space between vertebrae, which can result in impaired movement, pain, and nerve damage.