Can a 25 year old have degenerative disc disease?
While it’s possible to be diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease as early as 20 years old, the majority of people affected are in their 40s and 50s. It is possible that DDD can worsen over time, but it’s not considered a progressive disease. In fact, many people begin to feel some relief from DDD as they age.
What causes degenerative disc disease in 20s?
People may start to develop the disease in their 20s, says Dr. Claire Bingham, a physical therapist at OrthoCarolina Hickory. This is typically due to the natural loss of water content in the body as we age. By the time folks reach age 50, 80% have signs of degenerative disc disease, though not all are in pain.
What age does degenerative disc disease begin?
Age. The spine starts degenerating somewhere between the ages of 20 and 25, explains Dr. Anand. But there’s a reason you don’t see most 20-somethings wincing from back pain: it takes a long time for spinal discs to wear down on their own.
Can you have a herniated disc in your 20s?
What causes disc herniation in young adults? It could be an injury, motor vehicle accident, work injury. That could just cause enough trauma to where the disc herniates and pushes on the nerve. Other than that, they don’t have any other real neck or degenerative issues, and so we just try to treat the exact problem.
How bad can degenerative disc disease get?
In some cases, degenerative disk disease can lead to numbness and tingling in your arms and legs. It can also cause your leg muscles to become weak. This means the damaged disks may be affecting the nerves near your spine.
Is DDD serious?
Complications. Advanced forms of DDD can lead to osteoarthritis (OA) in the back. In this form of OA, the vertebrae rub together because there are no discs left to cushion them. This can cause pain and stiffness in the back and severely limit the types of activities you can comfortably accomplish.
