I too was diagnosed with early degenerative disc disease in my early 30s. The Dr. I went to said my back looked like I was 80-year-old women who had worked on a farm all of her life. I am now 80 and have had different areas of back pain all of my life. Every Dr. that I have gone to said to keep moving. I walk often 2-3 miles, lift 2-pound weights in different directions for about 15 minutes, and do 25 push-ups against my bathroom vanity. I find stretching after I walk helps also. On bad days I use Tylenol listen to my body and rest more, but most days I find that if I keep moving it helps with the pain. I also stretch some before getting out of bed in the morning.