Degenerative spine disease includes both degenerated disc (known as "slipped" disc by lay person) and facet joint arthritis. It is actually not a "disease" (unlike cancer or diabetes) but a natural aging process of our spine as we age, similar to wear and tear in our joints and dementia.
As such degenerated spine including "slipped" disc is not a disease that can be "treated". Rather, "treatment" for patients actually means management (or "reduction") of his neck/back pain and subsequent disability.
More than 90% of pain and disability can be successfully managed with neck/back rest and care, bending/falling precaution, pain medications, physical therapy, TCM, or combination of the above. Like all degenerative joint pain, it frequently takes 2-3 weeks of treatment to notice any sustainable improvement but majority usually resolves within a month, so please don't rush the recovery process!
Rarely spinal injection is needed for persistent pain lasting more than a month of conservative management. However patients will often experience relapse of pain again later if they are not careful with their neck or back, confirming this natural "disease" cannot be "treated" permanently.
Occasionally 10% of patients may suffer more serious spinal nerve/cord encroachment by the "slipped" disc will experience nerve pain, numbness and weakness besides neck/back pain.
This can only be confirmed by MRI scan only and unfortunately may require surgical treatment to release spinal nerve/cord before neurological deficits worsen further to paralysis. Despite surgery to alleviate "pinched" nerve and enable patients to resume normal work and life, neck/back pain still remains on-and-off for life, confirming the fact of no permanent cure for degenerative spine.
