National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Intervertebral disc disease

Not a rare disease Not a rare disease
Other Names:
IDD; Intervertebral disc degeneration; Degenerative disc disease
Intervertebral disc disease (IDD) is a common musculoskeletal condition that primarily affects the back. It is characterized by intervertebral disc herniation and/or sciatic pain (sciatica) and is a primary cause of low back pain, affecting about 5% of individuals.[1][2][3] Both environmental and genetic factors are thought to predispose an individual to developing the condition.[3] Treatment for IDD may include physical therapy, pain medications, and sometimes surgical intervention such as discectomy or spinal fusion.[2]
Last updated: 3/12/2012
Intervertebral disc disease (IDD) is a multifactorial disorder, which means that both genetic and environmental factors probably interact to predispose an individual to the condition. It is likely that several factors are needed for development of IDD. Factors such as occupational stress, trauma, or obesity, together with genetic alterations, may result in the structural weakness of a disc, cause a herniation, and possibly initiate a cascade of events leading to sciatica and pathological disc changes.[3] One of the best-known environmental risk factors for IDD is vibration in occupational driving.[1] Inflammation is also likely to play an important role in the progression of this process.[3]
Last updated: 3/12/2012
In the absence of red flags, the initial approach to treatment is typically conservative and includes physical therapy and pain medications. In 90% of affected individuals, acute attacks of sciatica usually improve within 4 to 6 weeks without surgical intervention.[4] In cases where surgical intervention is necessary, surgical procedures may include discectomy or spinal fusion.[2]
Last updated: 3/12/2012

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Intervertebral disc disease. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Intervertebral disc disease. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.

In-Depth Information

  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Intervertebral disc disease. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know. Submit a new question

  • What can cause a person to have such a condition and what can one do for this condition? See answer


  1. Virtanen IM et al. Occupational and genetic risk factors associated with intervertebral disc disease. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). May 1, 2007; 32(10):1129-1134.
  2. Sakai D. Future perspectives of cell-based therapy for intervertebral disc disease. Eur Spine J. December 2008; 17 Suppl 4:452-458.
  3. Noponen-Hietala N. et al. Genetic variations in IL6 associate with intervertebral disc disease characterized by sciatica. Pain. March 2005; 114(1-2):186-194.
  4. Young K, Brown R, Kaufmann L. Clinical inquiries. When is discectomy indicated for lumbar disc disease?. J Fam Pract. August 2011; 60(8):490-491.