Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease refers to the back and neck pain caused by spinal discs beginning to wear out. Spinal discs, which are pads of cartilage between vertebrae, act as shock absorbers that help your back stay flexible. Regular wear-and-tear on these discs may cause pain and instability.
Causes
As a natural process of aging, spinal discs start to wear down and can sometimes cause pain or discomfort. Spinal discs can degenerate due to a number of factors, such as discs drying out or tearing. As people age, their spinal discs lose water and shrink, which results in pain and loss of mobility. Spinal discs also sustain tears and cracks in their outer walls over time, and the soft core of the disc can push through the cracks or slip out of place and affect other nerves. This displacement is also known as a herniated disc.
Symptoms
Symptoms of degenerative disc disease include pain in the neck or lower back, but may extend to the arms and hands, buttocks, or upper thighs. The pain may come and go, and range from mild to severe or disabling. The pain may also vary depending on position—it may be worse when seated, and better when moving, changing positions or lying down. Degenerative disc disease may also lead to numbness or tingling in the extremities or cause the leg muscles to become weak, which means that the damaged discs are affecting the nerves near the spine.
The pain from degenerative disc disease does not usually get worse and, according to the degenerative cascade theory, may even get better over time as the discs restabilize. Additionally, degenerating discs do not always cause pain, and the condition varies greatly in its nature and severity.
Physiotherapy at Flxme
Studies show that physiotherapy can provide both short-term and long-term relief from degenerative disc disease, and that patients with low back pain due to degenerative disc disease can do so well with physiotherapy that they can avoid spinal fusion surgery. At Flxme, our physiotherapist will work with you to design a program tailored to your specific needs to help relieve your pain.
Sources
https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/degenerative-disc-disease
https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/degenerative-disc-disease/what-degenerative-disc-disease