Age related back pain affects everyone, your muscles lose elasticity, your bones lose strength, and your spine loses cushioning as you age, which in turn leads to lower back pain. Medical conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, viral infections, and other diseases can further contribute to the pain.
DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE:
The condition can be caused by prolonged and irregular pressure on the discs due to the patient’s poor posture and bio-mechanical deformities (such as a short leg). After the age of 60 when even normal discs lose up to 20% of their water content, they become prolapsed (thinner) and are not as elasticated as before. Remnants of the nucleus pulposus known as debris can then adhere to the sides of nerve sleeves causing pain and Degenerative Disc Disease often combines with other conditions such as osteophytosis or sponyltitus (cracks in the pars intervertebralis).
Key words related to ageing spine:
- lumbar spine
- age-related changes
- disc degeneration
- osteophyte formation
- facet osteoarthritis
- degenerative spondylolisthesis