WHERE DOES THE PAIN COME FROM IN DEGENERATIVE DISK DISEASE?	PRINT VERSION

It is not entirely clear where the pain comes from due to degenerative disk disease. In fact, the pain probably comes from more than one part of the lumbar spine. Many physicians feel that at least part of the problem is caused by a condition called segmental instability. Remember our earlier description of a spinal segment? Segmental instability is a term used to describe the shift of one vertebra on another in a spinal segment. This movement can result in pinching and irritation of the nerve root as it exits through the foramen. The excess motion at the spinal segment can also inflame the facet joints and cause mechanical pain from arthritis of the joints. Muscle spasms may occur in the muscles that support the spine. These muscles begin to spasm (meaning that they tighten up uncontrollably) in an attempt to stop the painful spinal segment from moving. Just like a cramp in your calf, if it goes on for long it can become quite painful. Finally, the degenerating disk itself can become inflamed and may cause mechanical pain.

In the late stages of spinal degeneration, bony spurs from the degenerative process can cause a condition known as spinal stenosis. In this condition, the spinal canal becomes too small and presses on the nerve roots causing pain and nerve dysfunction in the legs . This usually occurs after years of wear and tear on the spine and is much more common in elderly people. Spinal stenosis is usually a term that is used to describe narrowing of the whole spinal canal in the lumbar spine. Technically, anything that causes the bony tube that the spinal nerves run in to become too small can be termed spinal stenosis. You may hear the term segmental spinal stenosis used to describe the combination of bone spurs arising from the facet joints and a bulging disk at the same spinal segment causing a narrowing of the spinal canal.

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