My doctor says I have degenerative changes in my spine. Does this mean I have arthritis?Answer From April Chang-Miller, M.D. Show
Yes. The phrase "degenerative changes" in the spine refers to osteoarthritis of the spine. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. Doctors may also refer to it as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis in the spine most commonly occurs in the neck and lower back. With age, the soft disks that act as cushions between the spine's vertebrae dry out and shrink. This narrows the space between vertebrae, and bone spurs may develop. Gradually, your spine stiffens and loses flexibility. In some cases, bone spurs on the spine can pinch a nerve root — causing pain, weakness or numbness. If you have osteoarthritis, your doctor will work with you to develop a treatment and pain management plan, which may include exercise, medications and measures to protect your joints. Your doctor may also refer you to a rheumatologist, physical therapist or orthopedic surgeon. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this
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Case Reports Treatment of multilevel degenerative disc disease with intradiscal electrothermal therapyK Malik. Anaesth Intensive Care. 2007 Apr. Free article AbstractIntradiscal electrothermal therapy is a frequently performed procedure for the pain of internal disc disruption. It is typically performed on one to two discs; the discal treatment is followed by a long period of rest and rehabilitation. In patients with multilevel disc disease, intradiscal electrothermal therapy is either not contemplated or only one to two discs are treated at a time. This approach therefore either denies these patients the potential benefits of intradiscal electrothermal therapy or significantly prolongs the period of pain and disability. A 25-year-old female patient presented with internal disc disruption at four lumbar disc levels, diagnosed by provocative discography and post discography CT scan. All these discs were treated simultaneously by intradiscal electrothermal therapy. The patient tolerated the procedure well and responded favourably with significant and prolonged decrease in her symptoms. She reported sustained reduction in her pain and showed no clinical evidence of early neurological or infectious complications during 18 months of follow-up. This report indicates that intradiscal electrothermal therapy can be performed at multiple levels at a single sitting, compared to intradiscal electrothermal therapy performed at one to two discs at a time, this approach may obviate the need for surgery and may reduce the duration of pain and disability incurred. However, the influence of multilevel intradiscal electrothermal therapy on long-term complications or outcome is not known. Similar articles
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What does mild multilevel degenerative disc disease mean?The “disease” is nothing more than the gradual deterioration and thinning of the shock-absorbing intervertebral discs in the spine. When it happens at multiple discs or levels throughout the spine, this is known as multilevel degenerative disc disease.
What is multilevel degenerative disc disease of the thoracic spine?The vertebrae (bones of the spine) are stacked on top of one another and separated by intervertebral discs. Degenerative disc disease develops as the intervertebral discs experience degenerative changes; when this occurs at multiple levels of the spine, this is multilevel degenerative disc disease.
How is multilevel degenerative disc disease treated?Physical therapy can help stretch and strengthen the right muscles to help the back heal and reduce the frequency of painful flare-ups. Lifestyle modifications, such as changing your posture, losing weight or giving up smoking, can sometimes help reduce stress on the damaged disc and slow down further degeneration.
Is mild multilevel degenerative disc disease a disability?Degenerative disc disease by itself is not recognized as a listed disability by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Why? For one reason, the pain caused by disc degeneration is usually intermittent, and often goes away after a few months of conservative treatment.
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Mild multilevel degenerative disc disease of the thoracic spine
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