Almost all individuals were born with “normal” discs. Degenerative changes occur with life experience and aging. Genetics does however play a significant role in the degenerative experience. Genetics cause the collagen fibers of the disc (in the annulus- see website) to have different tensile strengths in my opinion.
The more brittle the collagen, the greater propensity to tear. I have ten year olds in my practice with degenerative changes of the discs. I also have eighty year olds who have worked at hard labor with relatively normal discs.
You are talking about injury at work and causation. In many states, the workman’s compensation laws hold that an injury on the job or an aggravation of a preexisting condition caused by the occupation will be held to be compensable through workman’s compensation insurance.
Dr. Corenman
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.
