In short: no. it’s not a disease at all, but in fact, a condition that arises a result of fluid loss in your vertebra disc. It doesn’t just appear unannounced like a disease either, instead, gradual drying out of the discs, general wear and tear, and high-impact sports can cause this problem. These discs acquire fluid through osmosis rather than blood supply, which means they cannot be re-filled organically by the body. This is why the deterioration of such a disc can be such a problematic ongoing problem; much like a disease. Here are the more specific causes of this condition:
Drying out: Your disks are, for the most part, composed completely of water and fluid. Aging can cause your discs to get thinner and less hydrated. This means that your discs cannot effectively absorb shock as well as they used to. This, in turn, can lead to pain.
Fracture: As mentioned, degenerative disc disease can result from general day-to-day wear and tear. The real consequence of this, however, are small fractures in your vertebrae. These will affect the outer wall and can be incredibly sore. In fact, the aforementioned soft disc may start to squeeze through the cracks in these fractures. Once they start to do this, it will often result in what is referred to as a ‘slipped disc.’