Degenerative disc disease has a short answer, and most readers want more than it gives.
Aging and the discs of the spine
NIAMS names aging as the cause. It says: Degenerative disc disease: aging causes the discs between the vertebrae of the spine to break down.
That is a single, plain statement. It ties the condition to age.
Your history and your discs
Whether injury, work, weight or habits matter in your case is a separate question, and one sentence on aging cannot answer it. How fast a disc breaks down and how likely that is for you are also questions to take to a clinician, not ones to settle by reading a list online.
Next steps
Write down when the pain started and what makes it worse, then bring those notes to a visit. A reader in Little Falls should also ask what an evaluation costs and what terms come with follow-up care.
Three places are useful for background. WebMD's pain management center is a broad overview. OrthoInfo's page on sciatica covers a common symptom pattern. The American Academy of Pain Medicine describes the specialty.
From one cause to many questions
A one-sentence cause is a fair starting point and a poor stopping point. Treat it as the base of your questions, then compare what each office offers for the long term.