Degenerative Spine Disease - Neurosurgery of St. Louis

MANAGING PAIN FROM DEGENERATIVE SPINE DISEASE

There is no way to prevent degenerative spine disease, but there are several options for managing the pain so you can return to normal activities.

Types of Degenerative Spine Disease

Learn more about what types of degenerative spine disease that you may suffer from. Contact a St. Louis degenerative spine disease doctor to help manage the pain.

Cervical stenosis – the narrowing of the spinal column in the neck
Lumbar stenosis – the narrowing of the spinal column in the back
Herniated disc – a disc between the vertebrae slips out and pinches a nerve
Spondylolisthesis – caused by a vertebra slipping out of place and pinching a nerve

Diagnosis

We talk to you about where and when your back pain started, and how it has progressed. We’ll take a look at your medical history and do an MRI to view the condition of your vertebrae and discs.

Risks and Symptoms

Degenerative spine disease comes from wear and tear on the spine simply by aging. So if you are over the age of 60, and experiencing moderate back pain with severe flare ups, or shooting pain in your arms or legs, it could be a sign of the discs degenerating in your neck or lower back.

Symptoms include:

Continuous low-level pain in the affected area
More painful flare-ups that may last days or weeks
Pain reduces when changing positions
Stiff neck or back
Lessened range of motion
Shooting pain down arms or legs

Learn More About Degenerative Spine Disease

Treatments for Degenerative Spine Disease

Prescribed or over-the-counter pain meds work to reduce inflammation and ease pain. These will be most effective in combination with other treatment options.

We use epidural injections as both a diagnostic and therapeutic treatment option. Using radiographic guidance, pain management physicians insert a needle into the epidural space of your spine to inject the area with a steroid, anesthetic, or a combination of both.

Chiropractic care can help treat neck and back pain with multiple modalities.

Massage therapy from a massage therapist, chiropractor, or physical therapist can help treat muscular causes of neck or back pain.

We recommend incorporating back stretches and exercises into your daily routine as a simple way to relieve pain.

If you are carrying extra pounds, you are adding significant pressure to your spine. Every excess pound you can shed will help ease the stress on your discs.

Smoking can affect your spine health. It is associated with delayed wound and fracture healing, decreased bone density, and a higher incidence of degenerative disc disease.

Ready to learn more? Contact us today to get started.

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New and existing patients may request an appointment by filling out the form below. Someone from our team will be contacting you to schedule an appointment time.