How Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease Is Diagnosed

• Updated on: 2017-04-18
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As you may know, the symptoms provoked by lumbar degenerative disc disease can mimic those caused by other lower back conditions.

To help distinguish between lumbar degenerative disc disease and other lower back conditions as the cause of your pain, your doctor will likely perform the following 3 steps:

See Causes of Pain in the Lumbar Spine

Often the first step in diagnosing lumbar degenerative disc disease is an assessment of your recent medical history. For example, your doctor will likely ask the following questions:

See Medical and Family History to Present to a Spine Surgeon or Spine Specialist

The list above is not comprehensive, but it is helpful to write down your answers to these questions beforehand—as this can help you make the most out of the few minutes you get with your doctor.

After asking questions about your medical history, your doctor will then likely conduct a physical examination. This exam typically focuses on your lower back and legs (as this is the location of symptoms from lumbar degenerative disc disease).

The goal of this exam is to determine whether or not you exhibit signs of a symptomatic degenerative disc. To accomplish this goal, you doctor may test for any of the following:

To make the above tests easier, it is helpful if you wear athletic apparel to your appointment in order to facilitate movement.

See Preparing to Meet with a Spine Surgeon or Spine Specialist

X-rays are often the first step to understanding your spinal alignment and spinopelvic parameters (which indicate your natural posture). Fractures can be diagnosed from x-rays, as well as instability and other disorders which may cause pain. X-rays are fast in providing physicians with baseline information regarding spinal disorders, and they can make either CT Scans or MRI scans more meaningful once obtained.

In some cases, your doctor may also order an MRI scan following your physical examination. This scan can help confirm a diagnosis of lumbar degenerative disc disease and rule out any other lower back conditions as contributing factors to your symptoms. It is particularly useful in evaluation of the nerves of the lumbar spine, as well as the surrounding soft tissues (ligaments, discs, synovium, etc.).

See MRI Scan of the Spine

An MRI scan can help detect a collapsed disc space as well as cartilaginous endplate erosion. Both of these issues are closely linked with degenerative disc disease pain, and it will also show bulging discs and pinched nerves.

CT scans are rotational X-rays which provide the physician with a great deal of three dimensional detail regarding bone anatomy, which is especially helpful in evaluating degenerative disorders of the lumbar spine. It is not uncommon for patients to require a CT scan for further illumination of anatomic findings not obvious from an X-ray or MRI.

However, it is important to note that a degenerated disc does not always cause pain. So you may display evidence of disc degeneration, but your lower back pain may actually be the result of a different condition (such as isthmic spondylolisthesis).

If you suspect you have lumbar degenerative disc disease, the first step to finding relief is to schedule an appointment with your doctor. She or he can help you find both the right diagnosis and the correct course of treatment.

See Getting an Accurate Back Pain Diagnosis