You couldn’t imagine a more comfortable role: sitting relaxed behind your desk, typing away at your keyboard with a coffee close at hand. You don’t have to fret over a job that leaves your body aching or exhausted at the end of your day.
What you didn’t account for, however, was the radiating pain down your neck and into your lower back.
Despite the leisurely role, sitting hunched over behind your desk for hours on end may be contributing to the development of spinal degeneration, also known as degenerative disc disease.
What is this spinal condition, and what does that mean for your spine? Continue reading as we explore the symptoms and causes of spinal degeneration and how an MRI of the spine and spinal cord can aid in diagnosis.
What is Degenerative Disc Disease?
Despite the name, degenerative disc disease is not a disease but rather a condition in which the discs in your spine begin to deteriorate.
Discs in your spine act as cushions between the bones in your spinal column, called vertebrae. As you move, bend, and twist through life, your spinal discs absorb the shock. Just like the soles of your shoes begin to break down over time due to normal wear and tear, the same happens to your spinal discs.
When the discs begin to break down, your vertebrae will start to rub together, resulting in pain and other conditions, such as:
- Adult scoliosis
- Herniated discs
- Spinal stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis
Degenerative disc disease can affect the discs in the lower back, the neck, or multiple areas of the spine simultaneously.
Spending Most of Your Days Hunched Over? A Closer Look at Degenerative Disc Disease Symptoms and Causes
One of the most common and primary symptoms of degenerative disc disease is neck and back pain. The pain may be intermittent, lasting for weeks or months at a time, and radiate down your lower back and buttocks, worsening with activities such as sitting, bending, or lifting.
Depending on the stage of spinal degeneration, you may experience mild to severe pain that can be sharp, aching, or leave you with stiffness in the affected area.
Other symptoms may include:
- Tingling and weakness
- Sensory loss
- Bladder and bowel function issues
- Limited motion
Causes of Degenerative Disc Disease
One of the main reasons spinal degeneration develops is due to a factor outside of our control: aging.
As you begin to age, the nutritional supply and blood supply to your discs decrease, resulting in structural changes to the disc that ultimately cause it to break down over time.
Other factors that can contribute to spinal degeneration stem from your environment and lifestyle. For example, smoking, obesity, and health concerns like diabetes can put you at an increased risk for developing degenerative disc disease. Another factor that falls into this category? Working a physically demanding job.
While working at a desk does not necessarily qualify as “physically demanding,” disc degeneration can be exacerbated by poor posture and a primarily sedentary lifestyle, both of which are often present as you sit hunched over a desk.
Supporting Your Spine: Why a Spine MRI May Hold the Answers to Your Back Pain
The degeneration of the spinal cord is not always met with pain – sometimes, you don’t even realize it’s breaking down until other conditions begin to arise.
Like many conditions, catching spinal degeneration early opens the door to more treatment options, slowing its progression and giving you more control over your day-to-day life.
At MRI Wellness, our whole-body MRI scans can screen for nearly 500 health conditions across 13 organ systems – including the spine. By undergoing a spinal cord MRI, we can identify areas of degeneration that may already be developing or pinpoint areas to monitor – all before it’s too late.
Don’t Let Severe Back Pain Stand In Your Way – Seek Out a Full Body MRI Scan From MRI Wellness
The primary purpose of your spine is to support you – it’s only right to support it in turn by maintaining its health for a better quality of life for years to come.
At MRI Wellness, our goal is to help you take a proactive approach to your healthcare by providing a comprehensive report on the health and well-being of your entire body. When you undergo a full-body MRI in Charleston, SC, you choose an experience built on accuracy, speed, safety, and, above all, comfort.
Don’t stay hunched over at the keyboard – sit back, relax, and schedule an appointment with us today!
