Is degenerative disc disease hereditary? There are many factors that work together to cause degenerative disc disease and every case of this condition won’t necessarily have the same contributing factors. Just a few examples of contributing factors include which sports you participate in and how often, your occupation, injuries you may have sustained in the past, whether or not you smoke, and even your age.
Can genetics be added to this list? If you have a family history of degenerative disc disease, do you need to be taking even greater care of your spine health than people who don’t have this history?
How Genes Affect Pain
Recent studies focusing on how our genetics affect our susceptibility to pain, especially chronic pain, and how strongly we feel pain, have shown that DNA differences are most likely linked to how individuals experience pain. After various studies, it is now known that genes play a role not only in our sensitivity to pain but in our perception and how we express pain as well. There is even evidence to support that genes play an important role in how our bodies respond to pain following surgery. Further, in studies of monozygotic twins, there is a strong similarity in how the two report pain, compared to the way dizygotic twins report pain. So the answer to the question “Is degenerative disc disease hereditary?” is yes. In addition to this, we know that genetics play an important role in pain heritability.2
How Family History Affects Degenerative Disc Disease
This also explains how genetics affects our susceptibility to developing degenerative disc disease, and how we react to it. In the past, degenerative disc disease was believed to largely be caused by the factors mentioned previously, such as age, your job, or whether or not you smoke. However, recent studies have proven that there is an association between our genetics and the development of degenerative disc disease. A person’s risk of developing degenerative disc disease is shown to be six times greater when they have a family history of this condition.1
In another study of monozygotic twins with differing environmental backgrounds, it was once again shown that genetics has a great influence on the development of degenerative disc disease, with environmental factors only playing a small role.
There are specific genes that have been associated with degenerative disc disease, such as vitamin D receptor (VDR), which was the first gene noted to be associated with degenerative disc disease in the study of monozygotic twins.1 VDR is a steroid nuclear receptor and is known to have polymorphisms that contribute to osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Genes associated with degenerative disc disease are also known to be part of molecules that contribute to the integrity and function of cells that affect the mechanical properties of intervertebral discs. This explains how and why our genes can affect our likelihood of developing this condition.
How to Prevent Degenerative Disc Disease
If you have a family history of degenerative disc disease, you may be wondering if there’s anything you can do to lower your chances of developing degenerative discs. Fortunately, there are lifestyle changes that can be taken to protect your spine health. Even if you aren’t at a higher risk of developing degenerative disc disease, these are good changes to implement into your daily routine.
Maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle and regular exercise will help maintain the strength and integrity of your spine, so it’s important to implement this into your routine if it’s not already part of it. You should also be mindful of your posture and form when bending, twisting, or lifting, because poor form and posture can put extra strain on your spine, leading to annular tears. To learn more about what lifestyle changes can help reduce your likelihood of developing degenerative discs, read our full article.
Although degenerative disc disease is clearly linked to genetic factors, it is still affected by environmental factors as well, and the development of this condition is likely caused by a combination of both factors. Because of this, there are still precautions that can be taken and actions that you should be mindful of in order to reduce your likelihood of developing degenerative disc disease.
- Chan, D., Song, Y., Sham, P., & Cheung, K. M. C. (2006, August). Genetics of disc degeneration. Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2335375/
- James, S. (2013, November). Human pain and genetics: some basics. Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590159/
