With age, nearly everyone experiences degenerative disc disease as the discs between the vertebrae begin to wear out. The discs, which are 80 percent water, according to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, dry out with age, and no longer absorb shocks well. Injuries and everyday activities causing general wear-and-tear result in degeneration over time; most people over age 60 have some degree of degeneration. Since damaged discs can't regenerate, the outer part may break down, allowing the soft material inside to leak out, a condition called herniation, and press against nerves.
Pain
While not everyone with degenerative disc disease has pain, pain often begins acutely in a person's 30s, 40s or 50s, then becomes intermittent and finally stabilizes, causing less pain. Pain from degenerative disc disease worsens when sitting, since the stresses on the lower back increase threefold when sitting over standing, according to Cedars-Sinai. Pain decreases when walking over standing still, and increases when bending or twisting. Changing positions frequently helps decrease pain. Pain affects the back, buttocks, legs or neck, if the problem area is in the lower part of the spine and the shoulders, back of the head, neck and arms, the Neurology Channel states.
Numbness and Tingling
Nerve compression from the flattening of the discs can cause numbness and tingling in the areas affected by nerve root compression. Sciatica, compression of the sciatic nerve often caused by degenerative disc disease, starts in the spine and travels down the leg, often causing tingling or numbness anywhere from the hip down to the soles of the feet, according to MedlinePlus. Problems with the cervical discs in the neck can cause numbness and tingling down the arm and hand, giving the sensation that the limb is "asleep"
Weakness
Weakness from damage to the sciatic nerve from degenerative disc disease can make it difficult to bend the knee, and deep tendon reflexes may be suppressed. Foot drop, which affects a person's ability to raise the foot at the ankle and can change a person's gait, can also occur from sciatica. Additionally, hands and arms can suffer from weakness if degenerative disc disease affects the cervical discs. Although rare, loss of bowel and bladder control can follow nerve damage from degenerative disc disease, the Neurology Channel reports.
