Degenerative disc disease (DDD) affects millions of individuals. Older individuals are most commonly affected, however DDD can impact younger individuals as well.

Surgery may be used to treat a wide variety of back conditions, including degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, and spinal stenosis, when conservative treatments fail.

The rates of spine surgery have increased significantly in recent years and one of the most common types is spinal fusion.. While there will be some temporary restrictions during the healing process, there are few permanent restrictions and most patients experience a return to their normal activities.

Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure that joins two or more vertebrae. Similar to a welding process, it works by fusing two or more vertebrae into one single bone. When a patient first wakes up from this surgery, their spine is stabilized. It takes time for their spine to heal and become truly fused.