A worn disc and a painful disc are not always the same thing, and the gap between them decides what care is worth paying for. Wikipedia describes two ways a worn disc can start to hurt.
Pain can be mild or severe
Wikipedia says degenerative disc disease can cause mild to severe pain, either acute or chronic, near the involved disc, as well as neuropathic pain if an adjacent spinal nerve root is involved. That range is wide, so the label alone does not tell you what to expect.
When inflammation plays a part
Wikipedia also says that after an injury, some discs become painful because of inflammation and the pain comes and goes. That pattern matters when you track symptoms. Pain that comes and goes can look like improvement or relapse, so a diary of dates and activities gives your clinician better evidence than memory.
Which discs will turn painful
Which discs will turn painful, and when, is a question for your exam rather than for a general description. Ask your clinician what in your exam points to the disc as the source and what points elsewhere. For general reading, try the OrthoInfo sciatica page and the WebMD pain management center.
Comparing care in Little Falls
If you are weighing a short course of care against an ongoing plan, compare commitments side by side. Ask how many visits, how long the agreement runs and what the fee schedule says. The American Academy of Pain Medicine is a professional body you can use to see how pain care is described.
Take your pain pattern to the exam
Pain location and pattern are the useful facts. Write them down, take them to an exam, and ask for a plan with a review date. Our comparisons stop short of medical advice.