Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease In Teenagers

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Degenerative Disc Disease is a disorder that is commonly related to age and wear and tear upon the back. Sufferers most commonly experience its symptoms in their thirties or forties, which usually consists of pain, and possibly even numbness or weakness in the limbs if a nerve has been compressed. In many cases, however, people may experience no symptoms at all.

It is called "Juvenile" Degenerative Disc Disease when its sufferers are under twenty-one.

The spine is made up of bones called vertebrae, which are separated and cushioned by little sacks of fluid called "discs." As we age, these discs lose fluid and grow weak. Sometimes they are damaged.

Unfortunately, discs can not heal themselves, so any damage to a disc can continue to cause problems for the rest of your life. Some people experience more disc problems than others. These are the conditions that lead to a diagnosis of Degenerative Disc disease.

Some people are naturally more prone to disc problems; a genetic component to lumbar disc degeneration has been identified. Smokers, athletes and heavy lifters are also at greater risk for Degenerative ...
... Disc Disease.

The lumbar region is that of the lower back. For disc problems in the lumbar region, one of the more common locations for disc disease, pain typically originates in the lower back, sometimes radiating into the buttock and thigh.

In fact, studies show that approximately twenty percent of teenagers have lumbar discs that show early signs of deterioration. This disc deterioration accelerates rapidly with time - especially for boys. However, Juvenile Degenerative Disc Disease is believed to be experienced equally often in girls and boys.

Although the typical population experiences no symptoms until at least their twenties, Juvenile Degenerative Disc Disease is a major cause of chronic lumbar pain in teenagers. In the past, doctors believed that chronic lumbar pain in the young was most likely due to cancer or a serious injury, but a recent study showed that this is not the case.

Clearly, this type of problem in teenagers is of particular concern because of the life span remaining before them, during which their discs will continue to deteriorate.

Although, usually Degenerative Disc patients can be treated without resorting to surgery, teenagers with this problem may be more likely to undergo surgery than the typical lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease patient, due to the age of disease onset. This is unfortunate, because back surgery is inherently risky.

One way in which Juvenile Degenerative Disc Disease can become apparent is by loss of lordosis (or curvature) in the lower back. The disease, when present in juveniles, may co-exist with spinal stenosis - a narrowing of the spine, which can, eventually, put pressure upon the spinal cord.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a helpful diagnostic tool when attempting to diagnosis this problem, as it can show both narrowing of spaces between the vertebrae, as well as actual disc damage, such as the bulging disc.

Since Juvenile Degenerative Disc Disease is inherently destructive to the back, parents should be watchful for signs of this potentially debilitating disorder.