Who specializes in degenerative disc disease?

Who specializes in degenerative disc disease?

Rheumatologists. As doctors who specialize in the care of the musculoskeletal system, rheumatologists frequently work with patients who have arthritis—and many patients with degenerative disc disease also have spinal arthritis.

What are the symptoms of degenerative disc disease?

There are a few symptoms you need to look out for. Mostly, you’ll start to feel pain somewhere in your back, and where you feel the pain in your back will depend on which disc has suffered damage. For example, you could feel pain in your buttocks, upper thighs, lower back or further up even into your neck. The pain may be sharp, or nagging.

How is pain management used to treat degenerative disc disease?

This degenerative disc disease treatment involves use of behavioral methods to help patient self-manage their low back pain. For example, cognitive therapy involves teaching the patient to alleviate low back pain by means of relaxation techniques, coping techniques (such as visualization), and other methods.

Are there any natural treatments for degenerative disc disease?

Degenerative disc disease treatment can sometimes include steroid shots. These are most commonly administered into the epidural space in your back, or a nerve or muscle, depending on where the pain is.

Can a person live with degenerative disc disease?

Unfortunately, no. (8) Once you’ve been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, then you’ll be living with it for life. The good news is that there are options for treating the symptoms. Many people today live their normal lives with the disease, using a combination of treatments that help them manage the symptoms.

What should I do if I have degenerative disc disease?

In most cases, any treatment undertaken is designed to relieve pain in the patient, and stop the discs from degenerating further and causing more problems later down the line. In the first instance, patients are given over the counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen, in order to combat the pain.

What kind of Doctor do you see for degenerative disc disease?

Patients whose degenerative disc disease is accompanied with severe pain should talk to their doctors about other options. Epidural steroid injections involve the injection of steroid medications into a space between the vertebrae and spinal cord. This is associated with effective pain relief for many patients.

Can a degenerative disc disease cause back pain?

If degenerative disc disease leads to or worsens spinal stenosis, myelopathy or radiculopathy, our orthopaedic spine experts can help address these conditions as well. U.S. Army veteran Richard Shetter has conquered many obstacles, but nothing took him out of commission the way his back pain did.

How can you tell if you have degenerative disc disease?

Symptoms vary for each patient. If you’re suffering from this condition, you may experience: Degenerative disc disease can cause pain in many parts of the back. Your pain may increase in response to movement. Some patients report their pain as being felt over a wide area. Others feel a concentrated sharp pain in one small area.