Degenerative disc disease
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- help each other live better and uncover the best ways to manage your health today
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What is degenerative disc disease?
Degenerative disc disease is part of the natural process of aging. It may also be due to structural damage. Intervertebral discs lose their flexibility, elasticity, and shock absorbing characteristics, ligaments that surround the disc become brittle and the disc starts to dry out and shrink.
Common symptoms reported by people with degenerative disc disease
Common symptoms
How bad it is
What people are taking for it
Reports may be affected by other conditions and/or medication side effects. We ask about general symptoms (anxious mood, depressed mood, fatigue, pain, and stress) regardless of condition.
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Treatments taken by people with degenerative disc disease
Treatment name(s)
Type
How many have tried
Tried for
Type
Physical Therapy
How many have tried
105
Tried for
degenerative disc disease
(104)
depressed mood
(1)
2 more
Type
Prescription Drug
How many have tried
67
Tried for
pain
(61)
degenerative disc disease
(6)
2 more
Type
Over the Counter Drug
How many have tried
64
Tried for
degenerative disc disease
(58)
pain
(30)
Data from patients with degenerative disc disease, who reported starting treatments within the last 5 years.
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Compare treatments taken by people with degenerative disc disease
Treatment name(s)
Perceived effectiveness
Side effects
Total evaluations
Tried for
Perceived effectiveness
for degenerative disc disease (55 evaluations)
Total evaluations
62
Tried for
degenerative disc disease
(104)
depressed mood
(1)
2 more
Perceived effectiveness
for pain (41 evaluations)
Total evaluations
60
Tried for
pain
(61)
degenerative disc disease
(6)
2 more
Perceived effectiveness
for degenerative disc disease (29 evaluations)
Total evaluations
42
Tried for
degenerative disc disease
(58)
pain
(30)
Perceived effectiveness
for pain (24 evaluations)
Total evaluations
25
Tried for
pain
(49)
degenerative disc disease
(6)
Perceived effectiveness
for pain (36 evaluations)
Total evaluations
39
Tried for
pain
(46)
degenerative disc disease
(5)
Perceived effectiveness
for depressed mood (18 evaluations)
Total evaluations
25
Tried for
depressed mood
(32)
pain
(4)
3 more
Perceived effectiveness
for pain (20 evaluations)
Total evaluations
22
Tried for
pain
(31)
degenerative disc disease
(4)
Perceived effectiveness
for pain (21 evaluations)
Total evaluations
30
Tried for
pain
(25)
degenerative disc disease
(8)
Perceived effectiveness
for pain (20 evaluations)
Total evaluations
22
Tried for
pain
(27)
degenerative disc disease
(5)
Perceived effectiveness
for pain (20 evaluations)
Total evaluations
21
Tried for
pain
(27)
degenerative disc disease
(5)
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
- Severe
- Moderate
- Mild
- None
Data from patients with degenerative disc disease, who reported starting treatments within the last 5 years.
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Who has degenerative disc disease on PatientsLikeMe?
- 5,635 patients have this condition
- 27 new patients joined this month
- 808 say degenerative disc disease is their primary condition
| Age | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| <20 | 3 | |
| 20s | 85 | |
| 30s | 605 | |
| 40s | 1,561 | |
| 50s | 1,996 | |
| 60s | 1,017 | |
| 70+ | 187 |
| Age at first symptom | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| 0-19 years | 246 | |
| 20-29 years | 759 | |
| 30-39 years | 1,018 | |
| 40-49 years | 775 | |
| 50-59 years | 274 | |
| 60-69 years | 38 | |
| 70+ years | 2 |
Distribution of sex
| Sex | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 610 | |
| Female | 4,851 |
| Diagnosis status | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosed | 4,134 | |
| Not Diagnosed | 42 |
These charts show data from degenerative disc disease patients who have completed their condition history
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