Definitions for "DISC DEGENERATION"
A wearing down of the disc that generally causes mechanical instability and osteophytes.
An aging process that occurs in all discs over time. This happens to us all eventually but can be hastened by a straining back injury. A degenerated disc usually contains less water and looks darker on MRI scans and often loses some of its height and bulges a little. If it has been bulging a little for a long time, the vertebrae on either side of a disc frequently form a little bone spur in reaction to the bulging. We can see the little spurs on regular X-rays and know the disc degeneration must be present. We call those little spurs and the implied disc degeneration "Spondylosis" (we are expected to use fancy terms). Most gradual disc degeneration that occurs over time is not painful but merely an indication of years of use.
is a natural part of the aging process that begins around the mid 20's. The phrase simply refers to the opposite of growth (or generation) of tissue. This means that the water content of each disc (which is very high at birth) slowly begins to decrease. It is similar to, and usually causes no more trouble than, the natural aging process that makes skin become drier during adulthood. Unfortunately, when the term "disc degeneration" is used by a health care professional, many patients conclude that their spines are literally disintegrating.
The loss of the structural and functional integrity of the disc.