Knee and hip pain becomes more and more common as we age, but did you ever stop to think what’s causing that discomfort?

Disc patient Imelda Brewer says, "I never thought it was my spine at all, I thought it was my hip or my knee, I could barely walk, I couldn't do any house work or yard work."

Orthopedic Surgeon Paul Fuchs explains, “If the spine becomes unstable and forms a deformity or a curve or scoliosis, as the curve progresses they can develop leg pain because the nerve is being pinched.”

Doctors like Dr. Fuchs are now using a new technique to help treat what is known as degenerative disc disease. It is a much less-invasive procedure using small incisions to help stabilize the spine. “So the concept here is that we can actually put a very large bone graft into the spine and fuse it. Do small incisions, probably three centimeters in length.”

Imelda says the surgery was a breeze and got her back walking – pain free -- in no time. "He said walk, walk, walk. Actually the 2nd day after surgery they had me up and walking immediately.”

And the good news is she’s free from yardwork for awhile- her husband has happily stepped up to the plate for that duty.

Doctors advise that preventing back problems in the first place is the best line of defense, and staying in good physical shape lowers your risk.