degenerative disc disease

Is degenerative disc disease hereditary. I do have scoliosis, and 2 herniated lumbar discs, and my father and I are worried that I will have the same medical issues that she has with her back. If it is, what can/should I do to help protect myself from this????

[selmaS]

  What is degenerative disc disease?
Degenerative disc disease is not really a disease but a term used to describe the normal changes in your spinal discs as you age. Spinal discs are soft, compressible discs that separate the interlocking bones (vertebrae) that make up the spine. The discs act as shock absorbers for the spine, allowing it to flex, bend, and twist. Degenerative disc disease can take place throughout the spine, but it most often occurs in the discs in the lower back (lumbar region) and the neck (cervical region).

What causes degenerative disc disease?
As we age, our spinal discs break down, or degenerate, which may result in degenerative disc disease in some people. These age-related changes include:

The loss of fluid in your discs. This reduces the ability of the discs to act as shock absorbers and makes them less flexible. Loss of fluid also makes the disc thinner and narrows the distance between the vertebrae.
Tiny tears or cracks in the outer layer (annulus or capsule) of the disc. The jellylike material inside the disc (nucleus) may be forced out through the tears or cracks in the capsule, which causes the disc to bulge, break open (rupture), or break into fragments.
These changes are more likely to occur in people who smoke cigarettes and those who do heavy physical work (such as repeated heavy lifting). People who are obese are also more likely to have symptoms of degenerative disc disease.

A sudden (acute) injury leading to a herniated disc (such as a fall) may also begin the degeneration process.

As the space between the vertebrae gets smaller, there is less padding between them, and the spine becomes less stable. The body reacts to this by constructing bony growths called bone spurs (osteophytes). Bone spurs can put pressure on the spinal nerve roots or spinal cord, resulting in pain and affecting nerve function.

[ThaisH]

I was diagnosed with DDD about 2 yrs ago now.  It started out with numbness and tingling down my left arm and then the right. At times I would have no gripping abilities and would drop things quite often. Then there was pain that would not go away or would at least subside slightly. An MRI was done and the diagnosis was infact DDD.  I was doing physical therapy for about 3 months (1x per week then every other week due to insurance).  Now I use a at-home traction device that hangs over my bedroom door. I hate this thing.  Does anyone know if there is anything else I can do for the discomfort?

[selmaS]

  What other symptoms did u have?...do u get HA's?

  Did they do a cervical spine MRI, brain MRI?


     "selma"

[ARgirl]

I am 20 years old and i was diagnosed with DDD. My mother has it. She was diagnosed at 29. She has had over a dozen of surgeries now. Upon this, I have many , many other health problems. All my doctors said my health problems sped up the degenerating process.

[selmaS]

  It is very possible for other conditions to speed up others...I have several others that I am sure have played with one another.....

This is y I asked about testing and MRI's  as they could show what else might be going on that would have or could have triggered early onset of DDD.

   "selma"

[aiyanas_momma]

i have went to a spine doctor and he told me that it is heredatery. My mom has it one of my sister has is and one of my brothers have it. I have it to and I just got an Epidudal shot to do I got to go back and get two more to see if it helps with the pain. I am 31 yrs old.