Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative Disc Disease Help in Toronto
Degenerative disc disease is a common type of Osteoarthritis seen with aging, where the spinal discs gradually wear out. Spinal degeneration can cause significant physical and psychological pain and may severely impact your quality of life, even if you don’t experience spine pain.
- 80% of people will have low back pain during their lifetime
- You are likely to become shorter as you age. This is largely due to discs losing their water content.
- Degenerative disc disease results from both normal aging and disease processes.
- Everyone’s spines degenerate at different rates and amounts
- Lumbar disc herniation with sciatica tends to occur in middle-aged people (30–50 years) rather than in seniors.
Some of the most important preventive measures you can take are low-cost and can be done at home.
Some Factors That Accelerate Spinal Degeneration:
- injuries from certain contact sports and competitive games
- poor form while exercising
- car and other accidents
- lack of stretching before and after sports or exercise
- performing exercises that are too advanced for you
- years of poor posture
- sitting at work for many hours each day
- work that involves heavy lifting each day
- repeated episodes of low back pain
Early Detection of Disc Degeneration is Important!
Since your spine is such an integral part of your health and well-being, it is wise to have yearly spinal checkups.
Following periods of back and spine pain, areas of spinal restrictions and scar tissue may be left behind. This may lead to:
- Localized back pain, stiffness and spasms
- morning stiffness
- loss of segmental ranges of motion in a part of your spine
- difficulties sitting, standing, or walking
- postural changes/deformities, such as being stuck in one direction, reduced ability to bend
- ongoing episodes of back spasms and pain
- sciatica/nerve inflammation and compression may develop leading to numbness, tingling, aching, and weakness in your thigh, buttocks, leg, or foot
- Loss of height with advanced spinal degeneration
- reduced flexibility, strength
- loss of confidence/hesitation in resuming activities or exercises you enjoy
- fear of re-injury and avoidance of staying active
- in some cases, mood and sleep may be negatively affected, which can lead to social withdrawal, unemployment, anxiety, and possibly substance use
During a Chiropractic spinal examination, advanced techniques are used to identify signs of spinal dysfunction. The majority of degenerative disc disease cases can successfully be treated without the use of drugs or surgery.
If you experience any of these symptoms regularly, you can reach out to My Toronto Chiropractor clinic for help.
How Can Yearly Chiropractic Checkups and Care Help?
- Learn safe exercises and stretches to prevent excessive strain on your spine
- Learn which exercises to avoid that are known to cause spinal stress, including disc degeneration and herniation
- Improve your posture and ranges of motion
- Reduce pain
- Prevent future episodes of spasm
Can Degenerative Disc Disease be Reversed or Prevented?
The nature of degenerative disc and spine disease is that it progresses with age. However, it is possible that with preventive chiropractic care, disc degeneration can be slowed down. Once degenerative changes become more advanced, it is unlikely that the changes can be reversed.
However, research and long-term studies are lacking on spinal manipulation for degenerative disc disease and spinal arthritis.
How is Degenerative Disc Disease Diagnosed?
Degenerative disc disease is seen on various imaging modalities, such as radiographs (X-rays) and MRI images. Loss of disc height, altered spinal alignment, bony growths called osteophytes, and facet joint irregularities appear to varying degrees.
- More than 90% of people over age 50 have degenerative spinal changes on their MRIs, however, they may have little or no pain.
When to Seek Emergency Care
Go to your nearest emergency department if you are experiencing:
- Severe muscle weakness, such as not being able to lift your foot when you walk
- Sudden and worsening loss of bowel or bladder control
- Numbness in your anal or buttock areas
Surgical treatment is mainly for those patients with urinary dysfunction, persistent or worsening neurological damage, and pain that is so severe that their quality of life has been significantly affected.
What is the Prognosis of Degenerative Disc Disease?
By taking care of your spine and practicing spinal health at an earlier stage of degeneration, you can reduce the intensity and number of flare-ups.
Pay attention to your body and spine. Seek preventive Chiropractic care and do not ignore episodes of back pain, even if the pain montly resolves.
Ignoring these episodes can lead to the formation of scar tissue and residual segmental restriction, which may cause long-term issues.
At My Toronto Chiropractor, we offer effective, drug-free treatment to relieve back spasms and speed up recovery.
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