Degenerative Disc Disease
What is Degenerative Disc Disease?
Degenerative Disc Disease, also known as DDD, is when the rubbery cushion (discs) between the vertebrates in your spine begins to wear down. Your discs are what allows you to bend, twist, and move comfortably by absorbing any sort of impact. Spinal degeneration is common and normal with aging in older adults; people over the age of 40 will start to see this occur. The problem occurs when the cushions begin to disappear and you have bone on bone rubbing.
This can cause conditions like:
- Adult scoliosis
- Herniated disc
- Spinal stenosis
- Spondylosis
What are the Causes and Symptoms?
Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) are neck and back pain. This pain can come and go, lasting weeks or months at a time. Other symptoms are numbness in the arms and legs, radiating pain down your buttocks and legs, and pain when bending, sitting, and lifting.
It is normal for discs to wear down with age and not to have any pain. Some of the causes as to why you are having pain can be due to:
- Drying out: naturally our discs have a core that mainly contains water, as you age that water slowly dissipates as you get older and you lose the cushion and absorption of any impact.
- Tear or crack: small injuries can lead to small cracks in our discs; these tears happen to be near nerves. Even the smallest of tears can be very painful. When part of the outer wall of your disc cracks it can allow the disk to bulge which is commonly known as a herniated disc.
How to Treat DDD?
Degenerative Disc Disease is a condition that we treat at Midwest Pain Solutions through our top-of-the-line chiropractic adjustments, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, and high-intensity laser therapy. Our high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) delivers healing light energy to the cells of the body. The light energy stimulates healing within your body through a series of biological changes at the cellular level. Our HILT improves blood flow, nerve function, and promotes healing at the source. We offer no-cost consultations in order for you to sit one-on-one with Dr. Jackson to go over your chronic condition and learn more about our clinic and treatments. Call (920) 569-2350 to schedule yours today!
