[April R]

My MRI shows that I have degenerative disc disease with mild disc height loss & disc desiccation at C5-6 as well as C6-7.I would like to know is degenerative disc disease actually just a bulging disc? The findings also show that I have mild disc bulge at C6-7 which is right paracentral with mild right neural foraminal narrowing.Is there anyone out there that can explain these findings

[Leesa]

Hi ~ Degenerative Disc Disease is just the "drying out" of discs. That's all it is. When the discs dry out, they tend to kind of smash down, and you lose disc height ~ sometimes the discs bulge and/or herniate. Not all people with bulges or herniations have pain ~ most people in the world right now are walking around with herniated discs but they don't even know it!! That's cause the discs aren't pushing on any nerves. It's just us unfortunate folks that have discs pushing on nerves that have the pain.

Foraminal narrowing ~ The foramen is the hole that the nerves go thru to get to the spinal cord & vice/versa. So that "hole" is narrowed.

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is NOT a disc bulge. Disc dessication is the same as DDD - it's drying out of the discs.

When they said you have a loss of disc height, it means that the 2 vertebra are closer together because the discs (spongy stuff between the vertebra) have dried out and smashed, so that makes the bones (vertebra) also kind of smash down or get closer together. In other words, you shrink a little.

I hope I've answered your questions. Or else i've confused you totally! Let me know if you have any more questions. God bless. Hugs, Lee