Neck Degenerative Disc Disease

Your neck and lower back are the two most common places to feel pain as you get older. Your neck contains seven bones, called the cervical vertebrae. They sit at the very top of your spine, connecting your head to your shoulders. When anything happens to these bones or their support system — the vertebral discs, muscles, tendons, and cartilage — the result is neck pain.

Between each vertebra in your neck is a disc that acts as a shock absorber. Each disc is made up of a gel-like center surrounded by a thick shell. Discs keep your vertebral bones apart and facilitate movement. If a disc becomes compromised, it may collapse or leak. When your vertebrae squeeze closer together, they often impinge on nerves, and that’s what causes pain.

Sometimes, your pain goes away on its own without the intervention of degenerative disc disease neck treatment. Maybe it was a tight muscle and you worked out the kink. Other times, though, a damaged disc is causing of the pain. In this case, you need to visit our sports and pain doctor.

Diagnosing the Cause of Your Neck Pain

If your pain is due to degenerative disc disease or degenerative arthritis in the neck, there are a number of tests that your Midtown Manhattan physician can run to reach an accurate diagnosis. The first steps involve a physical examination and a medical history. Make sure to tell your doctor if you’ve been in an accident or had an injury from sports. Then your doctor may decide on additional tests, including:

• X-rays, a common test that can show bone spurs or injuries to the vertebrae themselves
• MRIs, which illuminate soft tissue, like the spongey discs in your spine
• CT scans, which can detect other diseases, such as spinal stenosis
• An electromyogram or an EMG tests muscles that are experiencing weakness

Osteoarthritis is the most common diagnosis for explaining degenerative disc disease in the neck. Other terms your doctor may use to describe this condition include a degenerative arthritis neck condition, osteoporosis, or degenerative joint disease. All are due to a damaged disc in your cervical spine. Even a diagnosis of a herniated disc or spinal stenosis is related to the breakdown of the discs in your spine.

If you don’t respond to conservative treatments, surgery may be necessary. Surgical procedures include disc replacement and fusion, but these operations may result in a loss of range of motion. Other risks from surgery include nerve damage and infection.

How to Prevent Degenerative Disc Disease in the Neck?

Degenerative arthritis in the neck is often caused by aging. But there are some things you can do to lessen your pain and delay the onset of degenerative arthritis neck conditions:

• Quit smoking
• Practice good posture
• Don’t carry heavy bags on one shoulder
• Take frequent breaks from sitting to walk and stretch
• Don’t tuck the phone between your cheek and shoulder
• Find a good sleep position, using pillows that support your neck

Febin Melepura, MD is a top rated, best in class interventional pain management doctor. He is a nationally recognized pain relief specialist and is among the top pain care doctors in New York City and the country. He is an award winning expert and contributor to a prominent media outlets.

Dr. Febin Melepura has been recognized for his thoughtful, thorough, modern approach to treating chronic pain and, among other accolades, has been named a “top pain management doctor in New York”, and one of “America’s Top Doctors™” for an advanced sports injury treatments.