Degenerative Disc Disease: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment in Upper Darby
Degenerative disc disease is a common age-related change in the spinal discs that can sometimes contribute to back pain, neck pain, stiffness, or nerve symptoms.
Despite the name, degenerative disc disease—often called DDD—is not necessarily a progressive “disease.” Spinal discs naturally change with age, and many people have degeneration visible on imaging without experiencing significant pain.
At Everybody’s Chiropractic Center in Upper Darby, PA, Dr. Dan Klein evaluates patients with back pain, neck pain, sciatica, stiffness, and other symptoms that may be associated with degenerative changes in the spine.
The important question is not simply whether degeneration appears on an X-ray or MRI. Instead, we want to determine whether those changes actually relate to your symptoms and what conservative treatment options may be appropriate.
What Is Degenerative Disc Disease?
Your spine contains intervertebral discs between many of the vertebrae. These discs help absorb forces and allow the spine to move.
As we age, spinal discs can gradually lose water content, flexibility, and height. These changes are common and do not automatically mean something is seriously wrong.
However, in some patients, disc degeneration may occur along with other spinal changes such as:
- Arthritis
- Disc bulging
- Herniated discs
- Bone spurs
- Foraminal narrowing
- Spinal stenosis
- Irritation or compression of a nerve
NIAMS describes degenerative disc disease as age-related breakdown of the discs between the vertebrae and notes that it may occur along with arthritis or spinal stenosis. Learn more from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
What Does Degenerative Disc Disease Feel Like?
Not everyone with degenerative discs has symptoms.
When symptoms do occur, they can vary depending on which part of the spine is involved and whether surrounding joints or nerves are affected.
Possible symptoms include:
- Lower back pain
- Neck pain
- Stiffness
- Pain after prolonged sitting
- Discomfort with bending or lifting
- Reduced spinal mobility
- Pain into the buttock or hip
- Pain traveling into an arm or leg
- Tingling or numbness
- Muscle weakness in more significant nerve-related cases
If your primary problem is lower back pain, visit our Back Pain Chiropractor Upper Darby page.
Does Degenerative Disc Disease Always Cause Pain?
No.
This is one of the most important things to understand about DDD.
Degenerative changes become increasingly common as people age, but imaging findings do not always correlate directly with pain. Some people have significant disc degeneration on an MRI and relatively few symptoms. Others may have less dramatic imaging findings but considerable pain.
Therefore, treatment should not be based on an imaging report alone.
A good evaluation considers:
- Your symptoms
- Physical examination findings
- Range of motion
- Neurological findings
- Activities that aggravate or relieve your pain
- Previous injuries
- Imaging when appropriate
What Is Advanced or Severe Degenerative Disc Disease?
Patients sometimes receive an imaging report that uses terms such as:
- Advanced degenerative disc disease
- Severe disc degeneration
- Disc space narrowing
- Loss of disc height
- Multilevel degeneration
- Osteophytes or bone spurs
- Foraminal narrowing
- Spinal stenosis
These terms describe structural changes seen on imaging.
However, words such as advanced or severe do not automatically mean that surgery is necessary.
Treatment decisions depend on your symptoms, neurological findings, overall health, and how much the condition is affecting your daily activities.
Can Degenerative Disc Disease Cause Sciatica?
Yes, degenerative changes can sometimes contribute to irritation or compression of spinal nerve roots.
When this happens in the lower back, symptoms may travel into the buttock or leg.
Possible nerve-related symptoms include:
- Shooting leg pain
- Burning pain
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Weakness
These symptoms are sometimes referred to as sciatica, although several different spinal problems can produce similar symptoms.
Learn more about Sciatica and Back Pain Treatment in Upper Darby.
Can Degenerative Disc Disease Cause Arm or Hand Symptoms?
Degeneration in the cervical spine may sometimes affect the nerves traveling from the neck into the shoulder, arm, or hand.
Possible symptoms include:
- Neck pain
- Shoulder or arm pain
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Weakness
- Pain traveling into the fingers
If this describes your symptoms, read our guide to Neck Pain Radiating Into the Arms or Hands.
Things to Avoid With Degenerative Disc Disease
There is no universal list of activities that every patient with degenerative disc disease must avoid.
In fact, completely avoiding activity can sometimes contribute to greater stiffness and deconditioning.
However, if certain activities repeatedly aggravate your symptoms, temporary modifications may help while the problem is evaluated.
Depending on the individual, this may include reducing:
- Repeated heavy lifting
- Frequent bending and twisting
- Long periods of unsupported sitting
- Activities that repeatedly trigger leg or arm symptoms
- Sudden increases in exercise intensity
- Poor lifting mechanics
The goal should usually be appropriate movement, not permanent avoidance.
How Chiropractic Care May Help With Degenerative Disc Disease
Chiropractic care cannot reverse age-related disc degeneration.
However, some patients with DDD also have joint stiffness, restricted movement, muscle tension, or mechanical back and neck pain that may respond to conservative treatment.
Depending on your examination, chiropractic care may include:
- Chiropractic adjustments
- Joint mobilization
- Soft-tissue treatment
- Stretching
- Therapeutic exercise
- Core strengthening
- Postural recommendations
- Activity modification
The goal is to improve function and manage musculoskeletal symptoms—not to claim that an adjustment can rebuild a worn spinal disc.
Spinal Decompression for Degenerative Disc Disease
For selected patients, non-surgical spinal decompression may also be considered.
Spinal decompression uses controlled traction to gently unload portions of the spine.
Depending on the individual condition, it may be considered for patients with:
- Disc-related lower back pain
- Herniated or bulging discs
- Some forms of sciatica
- Certain degenerative disc problems
However, spinal decompression is not appropriate for every patient. That is why we evaluate your history, symptoms, examination findings, and available imaging before recommending treatment.
Learn more about our Spinal Decompression Treatment in Upper Darby.
Can SoftWave Therapy Regenerate a Degenerative Disc?
We would not tell patients that SoftWave Therapy regenerates or rebuilds a degenerative spinal disc.
SoftWave Therapy uses acoustic shockwaves and may be used for selected musculoskeletal conditions involving painful muscles, tendons, or other soft tissues.
Therefore, when someone with degenerative disc disease also has surrounding musculoskeletal pain, SoftWave Therapy may sometimes be considered as part of a broader treatment plan.
Learn more about SoftWave Therapy in Upper Darby.
You can also read How SoftWave Therapy Works.
Does Degenerative Disc Disease Get Worse With Age?
Spinal discs commonly change over time.
However, that does not mean pain must steadily worsen as you get older.
Symptoms can fluctuate. Many patients experience periods when they feel relatively good and other times when pain becomes aggravated.
Factors such as strength, activity level, body mechanics, previous injuries, work demands, sleep, and overall health may influence how someone feels.
The goal of conservative care is often to improve movement and function while helping patients remain active.
Do You Need an MRI for Degenerative Disc Disease?
Not everyone with back or neck pain needs an MRI.
Your history and physical examination often provide valuable information first.
However, imaging may become appropriate when symptoms are severe, persistent, associated with neurological changes, or when another condition needs to be ruled out.
MRI can show soft-tissue structures including spinal discs, ligaments, and nerve roots.
If you already have an MRI or X-ray, bring the report or images with you when possible.
When Should Degenerative Disc Disease Be Evaluated Urgently?
Most degenerative back and neck problems are not emergencies.
However, seek prompt medical attention for symptoms such as:
- New bowel or bladder control problems
- Significant or progressive leg weakness
- Significant or progressive arm weakness
- Numbness in the groin or saddle region
- Severe pain following major trauma
- Fever with severe back pain
- Unexplained weight loss with persistent pain
- Severe pain that is rapidly worsening
These symptoms may require medical evaluation rather than routine chiropractic treatment.
Degenerative Disc Disease Treatment in Upper Darby, PA
At Everybody’s Chiropractic Center, we evaluate the patient—not just the imaging report.
Depending on your condition, conservative treatment may include:
- Chiropractic care
- Spinal decompression
- Rehabilitation
- Therapeutic exercise
- Soft-tissue techniques
- Postural recommendations
- SoftWave Therapy when appropriate for associated musculoskeletal problems
Our office serves patients from:
- Upper Darby
- Havertown
- Drexel Hill
- Springfield
- Lansdowne
- Clifton Heights
- Broomall
- Media
- Newtown Square
- West Philadelphia
- Surrounding Delaware County communities
- Main Line communities
Schedule an Evaluation for Degenerative Disc Disease
If you have been told you have degenerative disc disease or you are experiencing persistent back pain, neck pain, sciatica, numbness, or stiffness, the first step is determining what is actually causing your symptoms.
Everybody’s Chiropractic Center
Dr. Dan Klein
115 E Township Line Road
Upper Darby, PA 19082
610-789-1800