Degenerative Back Pain

Degenerative back pain is caused by any of the various aging processes that affect the spine. As we get older, the spinal structures break down as part of their natural and normal life spans. Most of the time, this structural degeneration does not cause any pain or symptoms. However, some patients do experience symptoms, as well as an increased chance for spinal injury. A proper diagnosis is crucial for the successful treatment of degenerative pain.

degenerative back pain

Degenerative Back Pain Causes

* Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is really not a disease at all. It is a normal thinning of the intervertebral discs that occurs in everyone, as we get older. DDD is rarely responsible for serious pain, but it is often a scapegoat when pain is coincidently present.

* Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) is also a completely normal part of the aging process. DJD is also called spinal osteoarthritis, and is rarely overly painful. DJD is another scapegoat often blamed for common back pain.

* Degenerative Spondylolisthesis can be a direct result of DJD. Most cases are not painful, but some patients do suffer moderate to severe symptoms.

* Facet Syndrome is another result of spinal osteoarthritis. Facet syndrome is rarely painful, and is often blamed for pain in older patients.

Degenerative Back Pain Realities

Degenerative conditions are rarely the main reason for serious back pain. These conditions are simply part of the aging process, and might be mildly symptomatic. A large percentage of patients that have been diagnosed as suffering from DDD or DJD as the primary source of their pain, might actually be suffering from psychological back pain. Psychological pain is rarely diagnosed, but makes much more sense that horrible pain caused by a completely normal condition such as DDD.

Unfortunately for the patient, most treatments will do little to relieve their pain, and the nocebo effect of the diagnosis will perpetuate their symptoms long term. The luckiest of these patients discover the true nature of the pain and find a cure outside of the medical treatment industry. The majority enter into a struggle with treatment resistant back pain. Of course the treatments will fail if they are seeking to correct a problem that is not even responsible for the pain !!! Some of these patients will become addicted to pain management drugs, especially if they are receiving primarily symptomatic relief treatments. A few unlucky patients will be talked into spinal surgery. Few will find relief, and many will suffer from the consequences of these invasive procedures.

Recommendation on Degenerative Back Pain

Remember that degeneration is normal in most instances. Some patients will suffer from accelerated spinal degeneration due to lifestyle and genetics. These patients might face some discomfort earlier in life than usual. Most degenerative conditions will cause mild symptoms at worst. Severe back pain is often a clue that the true cause of the symptoms has been misdiagnosed. Misdiagnosed back pain is more common than you might believe and is one of the main reasons for the epidemic of back pain today.

Degenerative Back Pain to Lower Back Pain Home page 9/7/06 Revised 5/9/08