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Nuvo Pain Management

Nuvo Spine and Sports Pain Management

Personalized and Compasionate Pain Management

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    • Cervical Radiculopathy
    • Cervical Spinal Stenosis (CSS)
    • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
    • Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
    • Facet Joint Pain
    • Herniated Discs
    • Knee Arthritis
    • Labrum Tears
    • Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS)
    • Meniscus Tears
    • Hip Arthritis
    • Plantar Fasciitis
    • Rotator Cuff Injury
    • Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
    • Sciatica (Lumbar Radiculopathy)
    • Spinal Compression Fractures
    • Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
  • Procedures
    • A2M (Alpha 2 Macroglobulin)
    • Adipose and Bone Marrow Aspiration Stem Cell Therapies
    • Advanced Neurostimulation
    • Biological Therapy
    • Disc-FX® System
    • Epidural for Pain Treatment
    • Facet Joint Injection
    • Fluoroscopy Guided Injection
    • Genicular Nerve Block
    • HydroDiscectomy / SpineJet™ Percutaneous HydroDiscectomy
    • Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy (IDET)
    • Intrathecal Pump
    • Kyphoplasty and Vertebroplasty
    • MILD Procedure for Spinal Stenosis
    • Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
      • PRP for Chronic Back Pain
      • PRP for Hip Arthritis
      • PRP for Rotator Cuff Injury
      • PRP for Whiplash
    • Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
    • Spinal Cord Stimulators
    • Stem Cell Therapy
    • Sympathetic Nerve Block
    • Traumeel injections
    • Superion Procedure
    • Zeel Injections
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Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD): causes, symptoms and treatments

(last updated on April 17, 2019)
Home » Painful Conditions » Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
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  • Cervical Radiculopathy
  • Cervical Spinal Stenosis (CSS)
  • Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
  • Meniscus Tears
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
  • Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
  • Facet Joint Pain
  • Herniated Discs
  • Knee Arthritis
  • Labrum Tears
  • Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
  • Hip Arthritis
  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Rotator Cuff Injury
  • Sciatica (Lumbar Radiculopathy)
  • Spinal Compression Fractures
  • Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS)
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What’s Degenerative Disc Disease?

Degenerative Disc Disease, Advanced Pain Management Clinic Los Angeles

Despite its name, degenerative disc disease (DDD) is not actually a disease, but a medical condition of back pain, leg pain, weakness, and instability stemming from a degenerated disc in the spine. DDD is commonly misunderstood, and even the brightest medical minds may disagree over its diagnosis.

Let’s start with the disc. An intervertebral disc is the round piece of soft tissue that forms a fibrocartilaginous joint between two vertebrae. The disc lubricates the joint, allowing for small movements, and it also serves as a ligament, keeping the individual vertebrae aligned.

Like any joint tissue, a spinal disc may degenerate with age. This “wear and tear” on the disc, a.k.a. disc degeneration, can lead to intense and severe pain.

Pain flare-ups have two main causes. For one, disc degeneration will leak out proteins, which can cause inflammation, and trigger tenderness and muscle spasms. And two, without the disc’s protective cushioning, limiting disc space, tiny, abnormal micro-movements between the vertebrae can irritate the neighboring tissues, including muscles, facet joints, and nerve roots.

This may happen anywhere along the vertebral column, resulting in specific sub-types of degenerative disc disease, such as:

  • Degenerative disc disease in the neck
  • Lumbar degenerative disc disease
  • Multilevel degenerative disc disease
Nuvo Treatment Options

Pain Management Treatment Options for Degenerative Disc Disease Include:

Disc-FX

Stem Cell

A2M

Transforaminal Epidural

Facet Injections


Degenerative Disc Disease Symptoms

Symptoms of DDD can vary greatly from person to person. A full physical examination and review of medical history are recommended to properly diagnose and treat DDD. And in fact, the amount of pain does not necessarily correlate to the amount of degeneration in the spine. Some patients with a medical history of severely damaged discs report little or no pain at all. On the other hand, some milder cases of DDD can cause patients a great deal of pain, even though there is little damage to the spine or spinal nerve, limiting daily activities.

Some common symptoms of degenerative disc disease include:

  • Low, continuous pain surrounding the affected disc.
  • Occasional flare-ups of debilitating pain, with or without an obvious trigger.
  • Pain when bending or twisting the spine.
  • Pain during heavy lifting.
  • The spine locks up or “gives out.”
  • Muscle spasms.
  • Muscle tension.
  • Hot, sharp, or stabbing pain in the shoulder, arm, or hand; or hip, buttocks, or leg.
  • Pain while sitting or standing or long periods of time.
  • Pain while looking down at a phone or book.
  • Low back pain.
  • Chronic pain.
  • Ease of symptoms when stretching, or taking short walks throughout the day.

Treatment For Degenerative Disc Disease

DDD is one of the most common causes of chronic lower back and neck pain. But thanks to advancements in spine pain management, there are many treatment options available to you at Nuvo Spine, including:

  • Disc-FX: Accesses the damaged disc and treats the damaged tissue without injury to surrounding disc anatomy.
  • Stem Cell: Nonsurgical, minimally-invasive procedure that accelerates the body’s natural healing processes.
  • A2M: Natural healing method that prevents cartilage breakdown, promotes tissue growth and supports the overall restoration of an affected joint.
  • Transforaminal Epidural: Epidural steroid injection and anesthetic can reduce inflammation, relieving pressure off of pain-generating nerves
  • Facet Injections (also called Facet Block Injections) for pain relief
  • Physical Therapy: PT can reduce pain while improve range of motion, flexibility and strength,

With over 10 years of experience, our award-winning physician specializes in minimally-invasive and nonsurgical treatment for degenerative disc disease.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Dr. Payem Vahedifar M.D.

Dr. Payem Vahedifar M.D.

Dr. Vahedifar graduated with honors from UCLA and then from Tulane University College of Medicine where he did extensive research on nerve-associated pain. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and a member of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Dr. Vahedifar's pain management strategies integrate cutting-edge medical technology with targeted interventions to minimize pain and treat pain’s underlying causes.
Dr. Payem Vahedifar M.D.

Latest posts by Dr. Payem Vahedifar M.D. (see all)

  • The Health Hazards of Sitting: Osteoporosis, Heart Disease and More? - June 26, 2019
  • Pairing Mozart With Meds May Help Relieve Pain [new study] - April 8, 2019
  • LA Rams’ Todd Gurley Trying Regenerative Stem Cells to Heal His Knee - March 21, 2019

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310-584-7741

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About
ABOUT OUT PRACTICE
ABOUT OUR DOCTOR
ABOUT OUR LOCATIONS
Conditions
Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical Spinal Stenosis (CSS)
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
Facet Joint Pain
Herniated Discs
Knee Arthritis
Labrum Tears
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS)
Meniscus Tears
Hip Arthritis
Plantar Fasciitis
Rotator Cuff Injury
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
Sciatica (Lumbar Radiculopathy)
Spinal Compression Fractures
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Procedures
A2M (Alpha 2 Macroglobulin)
Adipose and Bone Marrow Aspiration Stem Cell Therapies
Advanced Neurostimulation
Biological Therapy
Disc-FX® System
Epidural for Pain Treatment
Facet Joint Injection
Fluoroscopy Guided Injection
Genicular Nerve Block
HydroDiscectomy / SpineJet™ Percutaneous HydroDiscectomy
Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy (IDET)
Intrathecal Pump
Kyphoplasty and Vertebroplasty
MILD Procedure for Spinal Stenosis
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
PRP for Chronic Back Pain
PRP for Hip Arthritis
PRP for Rotator Cuff Injury
PRP for Whiplash
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Spinal Cord Stimulators
Stem Cell Therapy
Sympathetic Nerve Block
Traumeel injections
Superion Procedure
Zeel Injections
Testimonials
Insurance
Blog

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WHAT REAL PATIENTS SAY ABOUT DR. VAHEDIFAR

Dr. Vahedifar is amazing! I have been to numerous doctors for my spine as I have several herniations that are incredibly painful. Dr. Vahedifar is literally the best. Spine herniations are scary; but he eases my mind because he is so intelligent and well-read—something that is so important to people who live with daily pain.
Suzanne G.
The patient care is excellent from the moment you walk in. Dr.Vahedifar is always on time and very thorough. Great staff also. He listens carefully and thinks of all possibilities to help with the problem.
Christine H.
Dr. Vahedifar is very compassionate and knowledgeable  I have been seeing Dr. Vahedifar for the past 7 years and he is the best Dr that I have ever had in my life. The office staff is also very helpful and supportive too. Thank you to Dr. Vahedifar and his staff!
Dionne W.
There's nobody else you should consider for pain management. I've going to Dr. Vahedifar for a long time for various spine and ailments and by far he is the best at what he does at diagnosing and managing pain. He is well known amongst his peers and doctors through out Los Angeles and that says a lot. His staff is superior and his diagnostic abilities are superior.
Steven B.
I have always valued Dr. Vahedifar as he has been able to manage my issues better than any other medical professional, and I had been suffering with these particular issues for years. I know that I can send an email and get a response by phone or a reply in a timely manner which is very important!
Alison F.
I have been a patient of Dr. Vahedifar for 9 years and he has managed to alleviate my excruciating pain with kindness and compassion. My quality of life has improved, because Dr. V is a brilliant doctor that keeps up with all of the latest techniques. I trust him 100%! .  
Dani D.
I have been so impressed and pleased with Dr. Vahedifar and his entire staff, that I have referred many patients to him over the last decade or so. Thank you so much for all you do.
Rhonda S.
Dr. Vahedifar has been my doctor now for about 10 years. He is the kindest, most compassionate and knowledgeable orthopedic physician I have experienced. He has been a lifesaver for me. If you are having chronic pain orthopedic or neuralgia PLEASE make an appointment with him. You will not regret it
Gallob J.
I highly recommend Dr. Vahedifar, he is as good as it gets. He is an extremely knowledgeable, passionate, and caring doctor.  I had a couple of epidurals done on my back, getting me out of the severe pain I was in from my herniated disc.
Nader Y.
Dr. Vahedifar has been my doctor for many years! He's always been compassionate and explained any/all options available to me. My family appreciates that he has given me back a quality of life that I would not have were it not for him. I trust Dr. Vahedifar 100% to do his best for me.
ERIK S.
Unless you have experienced pain there are no words that can describe it. Dr. Vahedifar is a doctor will work to find a way to help. He is gentle and caring and spends the time explaining and listening to the patient. Thank goodness I have finally found him. I feel like I might believe in miracles!
Yvonne L.
Dr. Vahedifar is very understanding & compassionate. I have been seeing him off and on for over 5 years and don’t plan on going anywhere else. His staff is also kind and caring.
Arin W.

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Pairing Mozart With Meds May Help Relieve Pain [new study]

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LA Rams’ Todd Gurley Trying Regenerative Stem Cells to Heal His Knee

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Gene Editing + Stem Cell Therapy = Pain Management Breakthrough? 

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Does Medicine Take Women’s Pain Less Seriously Than Men’s?  [new study]

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How to Manage Chronic Pain With These Opioid Alternatives

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Sitting at the Computer Can Be a Real Pain in the Neck 

Sitting at the Computer Can Be a Real Pain in the Neck 

Effective Pain Management Must Be More Than Just Meds [task force report] 

Effective Pain Management Must Be More Than Just Meds [task force report] 

Dr. Vahedifar, is consistently voted
a leading physician by his peers:

Top Doctors Award Winner
Super Doctors Top Southern California Award Super Doctors
Vitals Patient Choice Award
Compassionate Doctor Award Winner
Castle Connolly Top Doctors Award Winner

Encino

16633 Ventura Blvd, Suite 802
Encino, CA 91436
(818) 600-4822

Beverly Hills

450 N. Roxbury Drive Suite 602
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 584-7741

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Nuvo Spine and Sports Pain Management The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as medical advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.