Ross Hauser, M.D.
 

So you have been diagnosed with degenerated discs. Join the club. Yes, even yours truly had an MRI. What a horrific experience. I had a pinched nerve in my neck and the flu both at the same time. The MRI technician placed me in the exact position that caused the radiating pain down my arm. I got through the first 15 minutes of the MRI, but then I was just too claustrophobic to continue. I had to cough because I had the flu - it was awful. So I had to go back the next day. That time I took a lot of drugs to get through it. Yup, it’s true! Interestingly enough, the MRI didn’t show the herniated disc I thought it was going to show. Like a lot of people, because of my bad posture and forward head posture, I developed a lot of degeneration in my lower neck. It was really only a matter of time before something happened. I just wanted to let you know that I not only treat pain, but have been in pain myself, so I can relate to what you are going through! But this article is not about me – it’s about YOU!

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD): Degenerative disc disease results from wear and tear on your body over the years. Some of us beat up our bodies more than others with contact sports and resulting sports injuries. But many people develop degenerative disc disease just from activities of daily living. Unfortunately, as you know, degenerative disc disease may have profound effects on your ability to do the things that you want to do in your life. Some patients become so disabled, that they are no longer able to lift things, play with their children or grandchildren, walk around a store, or even go to work. I can’t tell you the number of patients who walk into our office with this condition and say, “I wish I would have found you sooner.”

The most common symptoms of degenerative disc disease are back or neck pain. When degenerative disc disease causes compression of the nerve roots, the pain often radiates down the legs or into the feet, and may be associated with numbness and tingling. In severe cases of degenerative disc disease in the back, where there is evidence of nerve root compression, patients may experience symptoms of “sciatica” and back pain, and sometimes even lower extremity weakness. The same is true for the neck. Many patients come to Caring Medical with complaints of neck pain and stiffness and some are starting to feel pain radiating down the arms into the hands. If this sounds like you, it’s time to get real! REALIZE that you can stop this DDD process – so you don’t have to feel like an old broken down car!

Let’s take a look at some of the causes of degenerative disc disease and what you can do about it:

Bad posture: A person with bad posture in the neck, as evidenced by a forward protruding neck, stretches the ligaments that hold the vertebrae together. When the ligaments are stretched far enough, they loose their strength. This puts more pressure on the discs as the vertebrae move more than they should. Sometimes they move out of normal position or sublux. While chiropractic care can help move them back into place, the ligament laxity or weakness remains. Ultimately, the facet joints (where vertebrae meet or join) and discs become degenerated. I believe the treatment of choice for this (besides good posture) should be Prolotherapy to tighten and strengthen the ligaments.

Scoliosis: When one has scoliosis (curvature of the spine) it typically occurs in the thoracic region. This is another way that degenerative disc disease can form. A hump on the back because of too much thoracic kyphosis can also cause the ligaments to stretch too much (as does scoliosis), and the same degenerative process in the neck occurs. Again Prolotherapy gets at the root cause of the pain, which is the ligament weakness. When the ligaments stretch too much, pain occurs. Posture again should be corrected, but to eliminate the pain, get Prolotherapy where the ligament weakness and degenerative disc disease is located.

Slouching: For those of you who slouch in the chair, you most likely experience some lower back pain. If not, it will come soon enough. What you most likely do have is degenerative disc disease in the lower back. It is important to maintain the lumbar lordosis (curve), as this keeps the pressure off the ligaments and discs in the lower back. When the lower back relaxes, as when a person slouches in a chair, this puts increasing pressure on the ligaments which eventually stretch out or become lax. This causes increased pressure on the discs and facets and again the degenerative process accelerates. The best treatment beside proper posture, which sometimes includes using a lumbar roll on the back of your chair to keep the lumbar lordosis, is Prolotherapy.

Aging: Much of what you read about DDD is that it is just a natural part of the aging process. In other words, you should just expect to feel poorly in the mornings, have trouble walking, stop participating in sports/activities, and eventually just stop working because of your DDD. Hum? That doesn’t sound like a good idea to me – you?