Seeing as degenerative disc disease is affected by age, it is one of the more common back pain conditions that affects the spine. Although it is not the actual degeneration of the disc that causes the pain, degenerative disc disease is a gateway condition that can lead to multiple back problems such as spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal, constricting either the spinal cord or nerve roots), spondylolisthesis (developed as a vertebra “slips” forward), or retrolisthesis (where the opposite of spondylolisthesis occurs and the vertebra “slips” backwards).
Degenerative disc disease is in fact not a disease but, rather, a degenerative condition that can have painful results (further developed conditions) and can greatly affect the victims quality of life. Disc degeneration is a normal part of aging and is generally not a problem by itself. However, for certain individuals, a degenerative disc can cause pain, such as when bone spurs grow adjacent to the discs and pinch or put pressure on the nearby nerve roots or spinal canal.



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