Degenerative disc disease and sciatica are both very common conditions that can lead to debilitating pain. If you are living with sciatic nerve issues, you may not realize that these issues are actually connected to a degenerative disc, but this condition is a common cause of sciatica. So how exactly does degenerative disc disease cause sciatica?
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease is a condition that affects the spine, specifically spinal discs. It happens when wear and tear from stress placed upon the spine lead to physical tears in the outer part of the spinal disc, known as annular tears. Once the disc is torn, the outer portion of the disc loses its ability to provide stability to the spine as well as to contain the inner gel-like part of the disc, known as the nucleus pulposus.
These annular tears in the outer part of the disc, or annulus fibrosus, can cause the disc to become dehydrated. Once this happens, the spinal disc loses its ability to provide a cushion between the vertebrae, leading to spine issues such as osteoarthritis. This dehydration of the discs also causes the spine to become stiff in the affected area, making movement painful or difficult. If the annular tears are severe enough, the nucleus pulposus can even begin to leak out of the spinal disc, and this is what leads to disc herniation.
Sciatica
Sciatica is a condition characterized by pain or numbness felt along the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back, through the leg, and down to the foot. It’s commonly believed that sciatica is caused by the sciatic nerve being pinched or compressed by a bone spur or spinal disc that has slipped out of place. It also usually only affects one side of the body.
Sciatica is very common, but it’s usually a secondary condition that is caused by something else. Some of the most common causes of sciatica are lumbar spinal stenosis, isthmic spondylolisthesis, piriformis syndrome, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, and of course, degenerative disc disease. It can also be caused by pregnancy, tumor, or an infection, but these causes are much less common.
If left untreated, sciatica can evolve into a condition much more severe called bilateral sciatica, which can cause paralysis. However, even if sciatica does not turn into bilateral sciatica, it can still be incredibly painful and debilitating.
How are Degenerative Disc Disease and Sciatica Related?
Degenerative disc disease is a known cause of sciatica, and while it can sometimes be caused by bone spurs that develop as a result of this condition, there is another way that disc disease affects the sciatic nerve.
Degenerative disc disease involves the formation of annular tears in the annulus fibrosus of the spinal disc, which is what keeps the nucleus pulposus in place. If the annular tears become severe enough, the nucleus pulposus can begin to leak out of the disc. The proteins that the nucleus pulposus is made up of can then cause the surrounding nerves it comes into contact with to become inflamed or irritated.
This is an explanation as to why sciatica symptoms can increase and decrease or seem to be affected by activity. Because it’s caused by a liquid leaking out of the disc, the irritation it causes isn’t constant, while if it were caused by physical compression or a bone spur, the symptoms would be felt consistently.
Having a good understanding of what is causing your symptoms is the best way to get the treatment you need, especially when sciatic nerve issues are commonly misunderstood as being due to compression. If you’ve been living with sciatica, understanding that it may be caused by degenerative disc disease might change the treatment you receive, making it more effective.
