Orthopaedic Surgeon Questions Degenerative Disc Disease

Can surgery help degenerative disc disease?

I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease just recently, and I'm currently taking physical therapy to help improve my condition. Would I need surgery for this in the future?

3 Answers

Likely not.
I am not a spine surgeon but I do not recommend surgery to any of my patients unless they have radicular pain (pain that radiates into the legs). Back surgery for back pain is not advised.
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Surgery would be the last resort. It should not be inevitable. I would concentrate on all nonoperative treatment, especially physical therapy.