Narcotics Treatment for Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease is a condition that causes premature aging and breakdown of the discs in the spine, resulting in low back pain. A number of treatments may be used for the pain caused by degenerative disc disease, including narcotics.

Significance

Narcotic is a name sometimes given to opioid drugs, which is a pharmaceutical classification of drugs that are derived from poppy plants or are synthetically produced to function like a drug derived from a poppy plant.

Function

Narcotics attach to pain receptors along the spine, disrupting the messages to the brain that signal the sensation of pain. In the brain, they interfere with the reception of pain messages, which results in the perception that the pain from the degenerative disc disease has subsided.

Types

Narcotics used for degenerative disc disease include codeine, Darvocet, Vicodin, Percocet and OxyContin.

Considerations

Narcotics are usually prescribed only for severe pain caused by degenerative disc disease. These drugs do nothing to treat the condition; they only disrupt the sensation of pain. In addition, narcotics are controlled substances and are available only with a doctor's prescription.

Warning

Narcotics can be highly addictive and because of this are rarely used for long periods of time for management of pain caused by degenerative disc disease. In addition, patients can build up a tolerance to narcotics in a short time, such as one to two weeks, which results in the need for higher dosages.