Degenerative Disk Disease at 23?

[hopsie87]

I found out from a recent MRI of my neck and cervical spine that I have some degenartive disc disease.  I just looked it up and it said that it's just the normal part of aging.  That's brings up my question of, is this a normal thing in a 23yr old female?  Could there be another cause of this that I should look into?

[samyekaye2]

i am 23 as well and i just found out today that i have it also so dont feel alone i guess you could say it happens to the best of us lol. i havent done alot to injure my back either but i found out mine was caused from abuse when i was younger so maybe something happened and you didnt even realise it

[hopsie87]

I've never done anything that has strained my back and I've never injured my back.  It just seems odd that it could just happen to me in my early 20s.

[skmedlin27703]

Its not really normal but it is more common than you can believe.  I have had DDD since my early 20s and working to manage the pain for the past 10 years.