Degenerative Disc Disease

What is Degenerative Disc Disease?

DDD usually relates to normal changes in the spine due to aging, but DDD can be caused by an injury to the spine. DDD can occur throughout the spine, but it most frequently occurs in the lumbar (lower back) and cervical (neck) spine. When changes in the discs occur due to aging or injury, it can cause pain, loss of spinal function, and/or nerve damage. When pain and loss of function impair your ability to perform job requirements or impacts your concentration, you may find yourself unable to work.

Degenerative Disc Disease Symptoms That Evidence Disability

While DDD from aging can be disabled for people over 55, disabling DDD typically occurs following heavy physical labor over time or disc herniation due to injury. DDD typically produces disability for people after a time when their back pain and limitations grew progressively worse. While DDD impacts people differently, disabling DDD will typically produce one or more of the following symptoms:

severe pain that affects activities
pain in the neck, arms, back, buttocks, abdomen, and/or legs
pain is aggravated by bending, twisting, or reaching
numbness or tingling in the legs or arms
difficulty standing, walking, and sitting, and weakness in arms or legs may occur
loss of bladder and bowel control due to loss of nerve function

Proving disability without clear evidence of one or more of these symptoms is difficult to impossible.