What is the Difference Between Degenerative Disc Disease and Spinal Stenosis

The key difference between degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis is that degenerative disc disease occurs when the spinal disks break down, while spinal stenosis occurs when there is a narrowing of spaces in the spine.

Degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis are two spinal cord disorders. Spinal cord disorders are medical conditions that cause damage to the spinal cord. Examples of these conditions include degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, hematoma, abscess, and vertebral fractures. These conditions can be treated with physical or occupational therapy, activity modification, surgery, and specific medicines.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Degenerative Disc Disease 
3. What is Spinal Stenosis
4. Similarities – Degenerative Disc Disease and Spinal Stenosis
5. Degenerative Disc Disease vs Spinal Stenosis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Degenerative Disc Disease vs Spinal Stenosis

What is Degenerative Disc Disease?

Degenerative disc disease occurs when the spinal disks break down and wear out. Spinal disks are rubbery cushions situated between bones in the spinal column. They usually act as shock absorbers and help to move, bend, and twist properly. In every person, the spinal disk degenerates over time. Therefore, it is a normal process of aging. But when it happens abnormally, it leads to degenerative disc disease. The causes of degenerative disc disease may include spinal cord dry-out, tear, or crack.

The most common symptoms of degenerative disc disease are neck pain, back pain that comes and goes,  pain that lasts for weeks or months at a time, numbness or tingling in the arms or legs which radiates down the buttocks and lower back, and pain worsens with sitting, bending, or lifting. The risk factors in this condition include acute injuries like falling, obesity, biological sex (women affected more), smoking, and working physically demanding jobs.

Moreover, degenerative disc disease can be diagnosed through physical examination for nerve function, pain level, and strength, X-ray, CT, or MRI scan. Furthermore, treatment options for degenerative disc disease may include physical therapy, medications (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), steroid injections, and radiofrequency neurotomy.

What is Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal stenosis occurs when there is a narrowing of spaces in the spine, which leads to the compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots in each vertebra. Spinal stenosis more commonly occurs in the lower back (lumbar spinal stenosis) and neck (cervical spinal stenosis). It is caused by bone overgrowth (arthritic spurs) and bulging disks (herniated disks). The symptoms of spinal stenosis include pain in the lower back, neck pain, sciatica, a heavy feeling in the legs, numbness or tingling, weakness in the leg or foot, pain that worsens when standing for long periods of time, walking or walking downhill, pain lessening when leaning, bending, walking uphill or sitting, loss of bladder or bowel control, problems with balance, and loss of function in hands (problems with writing and buttoning shirts). The risk factors for spinal stenosis include advanced age, scoliosis, trauma, and tumors.

Spinal stenosis can be diagnosed through physical examination, X-ray, MRI, CT, or CT myelogram. Furthermore, treatment options for spinal stenosis include applying heat and cold, exercises, oral medications (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), physical therapy, steroid injections, decompression procedure, surgeries like laminectomy, laminotomy, laminoplasty, foraminotomy, interspinous process spaces, and spinal fusion.

What are the Similarities Between Degenerative Disc Disease and Spinal Stenosis?

• Degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis are spinal cord disorders.
• Degenerative disc disease triggers spinal stenosis.
• Advanced age is a risk factor for both degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis.
• Both conditions affect bones in the spinal column (vertebrae).
• They can cause neck pain or back pain.
• Both conditions can be diagnosed through imaging scans like X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans.
• They can be treated through pain medications, physical therapy, and surgeries.

What is the Difference Between Degenerative Disc Disease and Spinal Stenosis?

Degenerative disc disease occurs when the spinal disks break down, while spinal stenosis occurs when there is a narrowing of spaces in the spine. Thus, this is the key difference between degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis. Furthermore, the risk factors for degenerative disc disease are acute injuries like falling, obesity, biological sex (women affected more), smoking, and working physically demanding jobs. On the other hand, the risk factors for spinal stenosis are advanced age, scoliosis, trauma, and tumors.

The below infographic presents the differences between degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Degenerative Disc Disease vs Spinal Stenosis

Degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis are spinal cord disorders characterized by pain along the spine. Both conditions can be observed mainly in people who are in their advanced age. Degenerative disc disease occurs when the spinal disks break down, while spinal stenosis occurs when there is a narrowing of spaces in the spine. So, this is the difference between degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis.

Reference:

1. “Degenerative Disk Disease: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment.” WebMD.
2. “Spinal Stenosis.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Degenerative disc disease – high mag” By Nephron – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Spinal Stenosis” By Blausen.com staff (2014). “Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014”. WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia