Slipped Discs

[RoisinMD]

hello,
I'm 17 years old and I have two slipped discs my L4 & L5S1, these are sitting on the root nerve to my spine, causing a numbess & constant pain in my left leg. sciatica has been mentioned and the doctors have said that they are degenerative, just wondering is there anyone else with this?
Thanks.

[Kurizu]

Many patients are confuse about the term “degenerative” because it sounds like a progressive condition (get worse with age).  The term applies to the disk, but does not apply to the symptoms. While it's true that the disk degeneration is likely to progress over time, the pain from degenerative disc usually does not get worse and in fact usually gets better over time.

Physical therapy treatment is very important in herniated disk recovery.  They will teach you how to condition your body to prevent further injury.

Usually surgery will only be indicated if there is a progressive neurological deficit involve.

I hope this helps! Take care!

[Kurizu]

Degenerative disk disease is fairly common, and it is estimated that at least 30% of people aged 30-50 years old will have some degree of disk degeneration, although not all will have pain.

A herniated disc may occur suddenly in an event such as a fall or an accident, or may occur gradually with repetitive straining of the spine.

Treatment plan depends on the symptoms experienced by the patient, the physical exam findings, and the MRI results.