DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE: Causes and How to Treat It Without Surgery

To being with, let’s start at the location of where degeneration takes place, the spinal discs. The spinal discs are soft, shock absorbing cushions of the spine that fit between the vertebrae (or bony segments that make up the spine). They aid in movement, to help your back stay flexible, so you can bend and twist.

They have two main parts: a soft inner core, called the nucleus pulposus; and a tough outer wall called the annulus fibrosus.

So degenerative disc disease involves the breakdown or deterioration of a spinal disc.

What’s the most common cause of this? Injury, accidents, or falls? No, it’s actually just from the normal process of aging. We just wear out over time. 

When we are born, spinal discs are primarily composed of water, roughly 80%. As we age, though, water gradually leaves the disc and they start to dry out. This causes the spinal discs to have less shock absorbing abilities, and leads to less cushion between the joints. 

Other causes can be linked to wear and tear on our bodies from strenuous activities like sports and labour intensive work duties. But even daily activities like bending, lifting, and twisting will start to add up. And, of course, Injuries and accidents, especially if not treated properly, may also lead to damaged discs that progress into degenerated discs.

The majority of most people by the age of 60 will have some amount of disc degeneration (even if they are not experiencing neck or back pain). I also want to note it’s not a fast process by any means, it can take several years, even decades before symptoms are experienced. 

To dive deeper, let’s take a look at the progression of degenerative disc disease in 3 phases, and the associated symptoms that may be experienced at each stage.  

The early, first stage is called ‘dysfunction’. This phase is like having a locked, rusty hinge in one of your spinal joints due to the disc wearing out.

Your joints, discs, nerves and posture are stressed and begin to age more quickly. The joints won't move as easy as they once did, and there may even be a loss of normal spinal curves.  

Common symptoms that might be noticed may include:

• Pain that is worse when sitting. This is because while seated, the discs of the lower back can have up to three times more load and pressure on them than when standing.
• Back pain that gets worse while bending, lifting or twisting.
• Moving usually makes you feel better, especially while walking or doing light activity. Inactivity does the opposite, so sitting or standing for long periods of time makes you feel worse.
• Changing positions often, or lying down, gives pain relief.

Surprisingly, though, at this stage there may be no pain experienced at all other than occasional discomfort. Some people may also just experience a slight lessening of energy and height loss. 

The second phase is called ‘instability’. Just like the name implies, there’s a much greater degree of joint decay and disc narrowing. Bone spurs (or osteophytes) begin to form. Postural changes are much more noticeable, and other issues like spinal canal narrowing (known as spinal stenosis) may occur that can lead to nerve pinches. 

This phase is characterized by more frequent aches and pains, fatigue, and a lessened ability to deal with everyday stress. Periods of nagging to severe pain, lasting from a couple days to months, may come and go. Pain can be felt from the neck to the low back, buttocks and thighs.

In more severe cases that involve spinal stenosis, nerve pinching may occur, that can lead to radiating pain, numbness or tingling, and weakness in the arms or legs. 

Also, at this point, decreasing height becomes more noticeable. 

Last is the ‘stabilization’ phase, where most joint space is lost and is bone-on-bone. Being the most advanced stage of degeneration, posture changes are severe and back or neck range of motion can be very limited. There can be extensive nerve damage, permanent scar tissue, and bone spurs may grow so large they can begin to fuse with each other. 

Individuals may experience frequent (to constant) severe pain, various degrees of physical disability, and continued loss of energy and height. Unfortunately, at this stage, the condition is usually considered irreversible. 

Like any condition, treating degenerative disc disease in its early stages usually will lead to a better outcome. In the first phase, conservative treatments such as chiropractic care, spinal decompression therapy, and physical therapy may help reduce the frequency and intensity of the symptoms. A lot of people have gotten significant, long-lasting relief from these treatments. 

As it progresses into the later stages, the degree in which someone may get relief will lessen. Treatments usually will include pain management through medications and injections, possibly surgery if it’s severe enough. 

That’s why it’s so important to treat it as soon as possible. Again, treat it as soon as possible!

So I hope you found the video helpful, and if you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below and I’ll get to them as soon as I can.

And if you are in the St. Joseph, MI area and are looking for neck or back pain relief, especially if it’s being caused by degenerative disc disease, please get in touch with us.

We offer non-surgical chiropractic and spinal decompression treatment options to help reduce the pain and discomfort caused by this condition. You don’t need to sit and passively watch your neck or back pain get worse. Call us today and take one step towards better health.