Intervertebral Disc Disease
Cody Hiles
Summary
Any disorder with the intervertebral disc. This is usually caused by the degenerative process with aging or taking a forceful impact to the spine which causes the disc to either rupture or slightly slip out of place.
Incident Rate
- Low back pain is the most frequently reported musculoskeletal problem and the third most frequently reported symptom of any kind. Nearly 20% of all visits to physicians for low back pain involved individuals over age 65.
- It is estimated that about 18% of the population is having low back pain at any time.
- Although degenerative disc disease can occur before age 20, it tends to peak in the fourth and fifth decades of life and declines after that.
- It is thought that discogenic pain from internal disc disruption accounts for the largest proportion of chronic low-back pain.
- Medicare data from 1991-2002 shows a 132% increase in low back pain patients and a 387% increase in related charges for low back pain.
- Its lifetime prevalence is 58-84% in the labor force, and is a leading cause in number of working days lost per year in the US (exceeds 100 million).
Body Parts Affected
Intervertebral discs between the vertebrae throughout the whole spine
herniated disc
A disc slips out of the space and may end up pinching a nerve
slipped disc
degenerating disc
Usually caused by excessive stress put upon it over time
Tests
- X-Rays
- MRI
- Discogram
Cervical Intervertebral Disk Disease Pre-surgery--Southeast Veterinary Neurology
Signs and Symptoms
Signs:
- no visual signs that others may see
Symptoms:
- intense pain and/or discomfort throughout the back
What are two ways to diagnose an abnormal condition with the intervertebral discs?
Treatments
Prevention:
- Use proper lifting techniques and other body mechanics.
Mild Severity:
- Physical therapy, exercise and gentle stretching to help relieve pressure on the nerve root.
- Ice and heat therapy for pain relief.
- Manipulation (such as chiropractic manipulation)
High Severity:
- Invasive Surgery
- Non-invasive treatments should be done for 4-6 weeks to reduce and/or get rid of the pain.
- Surgery is very rarely unsuccessful and most patients resume their normal daily lives within 2 weeks of surgery. A 2 year follow up is sometimes scheduled in order to see if over time the procedure lasts.
Cervical Intervertebral Disk Disease after surgery--Southeast Veterinary Neurology
Prognosis
Without proper treatment then the condition will most likely continue to get worse until immobility becomes the case.
How long should non-invasive treatments be done for in order to successfully treat pain?
Term Chart
- Disc/o- referring the the intervertebral discs
Citations
- http://morphopedics.wikidot.com/degenerative-disc-disease
- http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00534
- http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/treatment-options-a-herniated-disc
- http://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/degenerative-disc/exams-tests-degenerative-disc-disease
- http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/insights-and-advice-about-herniated-discs
- http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/herniated-disk/basics/definition/con-20029957
- http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1265453-overview