Degenerative Arthritis Bone & Disc Disease

Many medical terms seem to overlap and can cause confusion. This is often the case in describing degenerative joint disease, degenerative bone disease and degenerative disc disease. While they all involve a degenerative process, they refer to different conditions.

Degenerative Joint Disease

1. Arthritis is a disease that causes damage to your joints. There are two broad categories of arthritis: Rheumatoid, which arises from a fault in your body's immune system and can cause inflammation and swelling in the linings of your joints; and osteoarthritis, which is generally the result of wear and tear on your joints. Degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease is simply an alternate name for osteoarthritis. Degenerative refers to the chronic nature of arthritis in general and the progressive damage it causes to the cartilage and bone in affected joints.

Degenerative Bone Disease

2. While arthritis may affect the ends of the bones, degenerative bone disease may more likely describe osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones lose some of the minerals that make them firm. While it is not degenerative condition in the same way as arthritis or degenerative disc disease, without proper treatment, it can be progressively debilitating.
   Another type of degenerative bone disease is Paget's disease, in which your body's renewal process becomes abnormal, often leading to fragile and misshapen bones. Pain, including low back pain, especially at night, bowlegs, fractures and osteoarthritis in the joints are all possible outcomes of this condition, which mainly tends to affect older people.

Degenerative Disc Disease

3. This condition is not really a disease, and although it may progress as part of the normal aging process, the symptoms actually tend to subside over time. DDD refers to damage to the discs that act as cushions between the vertebrae in the spine. This is one of the leading causes of low back and neck pain and most often appears in people in their 30s and 40s, especially if they are very active or their job involves heavy lifting. The pain tends to be much worse in the early stages, as a result of inflammation, instability in the spine and muscle spasms. The damaged disc becomes less inflamed and stiffens over time, so the back actually stabilizes, and the painful episodes subside.

When to Seek Medical Help

4. Osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease both result from the normal wear and tear of daily physical activities. If either becomes so debilitating as to prevent you from carrying out your normal activities, it's time to talk to your doctor, who will order x-rays or an MRI and possibly some lab tests to be sure your arthritis is of the degenerative, rather than the systemic, variety.
   As you age---and especially if you're female or you have a family history of the condition---you should be tested for periodically for osteoporosis. Your doctor will order bone density tests for this.
   If you are older and experiencing increasing low back or hip joint pain, especially if it's worse at night, or you have unusual headaches or hearing loss, and especially if you notice that your bones seem to be getting more misshapen or your bones are breaking unexpectedly, you need to see your doctor, who will be able to differentiate between osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and Paget's.

Treatment

5. Osteoarthritis and DDD can often be managed by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including exercising and eating moderately. If you're already debilitated from one of these conditions, a physical therapist can help develop an exercise program for you. Over-the-counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are generally adequate to help you manage pain. Joint replacement or disc replacement surgeries are also possible if your condition becomes untenable.
   Medical management for those with Paget's or osteoporosis usually involves prescription medicines. You also need to keep your weight down, eat healthy foods and follow a prescribed exercise program that focuses on weight-bearing activities that stimulate bone growth, as well as strengthening and flexibility. Because your bones are at risk, it's important to clear paths in your home, so you're less likely to fall.

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