What is Degenerative Disc Disease? Veteran actor Pen Medina hospitalized due to spine disorder

On Saturday, July 16, it was revealed that veteran Filipino actor Pen Medina is currently hospitalized because of a spinal disorder at the age of 71. He has reportedly been hospitalized for the last three weeks and cannot stand up or sit down.

The actor’s son, Alex Medina, shared the update on his condition via Instagram. In the post, he called for charitable donations for his father’s medical expenses, and stated that Medina will have a major spine surgery on July 19, 2022.

Alex Medina also disclosed that his father is suffering from Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD). No further details as to how the actor has been keeping up recently were shared by his son.

Pen Medina is best known for his roles in projects like Muro-ami (1999), Deathrow (2000), Layang bilanggo (2010), and 10000 Hours (2013), amongst others.

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What happened to Pen Medina?

According to his son’s post on Instagram, Pen Medina is suffering from Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD). Going by the nature of the disease and its development, the 71-year-old actor has likely been afflicted for the past few years.

Alex Medina’s post read:

“Our dad, 71-year-old actor Pen Medina has been in the hospital for three weeks now and currently cannot sit or stand up due to Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD). He is scheduled for major spine surgery on Tuesday, July 19.”

He further mentioned:

“Due to the pandemic, our dad scarcely had any work, which siphoned his savings over the past two years. We are trying to help him as best as we can, but it will be a long road to sufficient recovery for him.”

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Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD): Causes, symptoms, and treatment

This disorder affects the spine in old age as the discs get worn out and become drier, which causes much pain in the back. The discs in the spinal column cushion the movement of the vertebrae, making smooth mobility of the back region possible. So, when the discs are impaired, the cushioning effect is drastically reduced, which would explain why Pat Medina is unable to sit or stand up.

According to Spine Universe, the disease is caused due to multiple factors, old age being the primary one. The medical portal stated:

“The spine starts degenerating somewhere between the ages of 20 and 25, explains Dr. (Neel) Anand (MD orthopedic surgery and director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center, Los Angeles.) But there’s a reason you don’t see most 20-somethings wincing from back pain: it takes a long time for spinal discs to wear down on their own.”

Meanwhile, other causes can include participation in extreme activities which accelerates degradation of the spinal discs. Injuries to the spinal column, obesity, and other spinal diseases may also lead to Degenerative Disc Disease.

The symptoms of this disorder include back pain, loss of mobility, stiffness in the spine, and more. Meanwhile, in highly advanced cases, the patient may feel radiating pain in the lower parts of his back, which can often cause pain in the legs as well.

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Treatment options

According to Web MD, treatment options include medication and steroids that can reduce inflammation and pain. Furthermore, physical therapy and even surgery may be considered to ease the pain of the patient in critical cases. This suggests that Pen Medina may have a more advanced case of Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD).

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The upcoming surgery will hopefully facilitate Pen Medina's recovery. He last appeared in 2022 TV series Love You Stranger.