Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a condition that affects the discs in your spine as you age. As the discs lose hydration and wear down over time, they are less able to act as shock absorbers between the vertebrae. This can lead to pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the back, neck, arms, and legs. DDD is a common cause of chronic low back pain and neck pain. The good news is that chiropractic care can often help reverse degenerative disc disease, as long as the vertebrae involved haven’t fused together.
What Causes Degenerative Disc Disease?
There are a few key factors that contribute to the development of DDD:
- Aging – As we get older, the discs in our spines become less flexible and hydrated. The discs lose height and begin to collapse, which strains the surrounding structures.
- Injury – An injury that tears or ruptures one of the discs can accelerate degeneration. Even small tears in the outer layer of the disc allow inflammatory proteins to enter that break down the nucleus pulposus gel-like material inside.
- Genetics – Some people simply inherit a predisposition for their discs to degenerate earlier than normal.
- Daily wear and tear – Poor posture, improper lifting, carrying excess weight, and repetitive motions like bending and twisting can place extra stress on the discs over time.
Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease
Symptoms of DDD depend on which discs are affected but can include:
- Chronic low back pain or neck pain
- Radiating pain into the hips, buttocks, legs, shoulders, or arms
- Numbness/tingling in the extremities
- Muscle spasms
- Stiffness and reduced range of motion
- Weakness in the legs or arms
The degenerating discs cause irritation and inflammation of nearby nerves, leading to radiating pain patterns. And the instability between vertebrae can cause muscle spasms as the body tries to stabilize the spine. Over time, bone spurs can also develop as the body tries to fuse the unstable vertebral segment.
Can Chiropractic Care Reverse Degenerative Disc Disease?
Yes, chiropractic care has been shown to effectively treat and reverse disc degeneration in many patients. Unless the specific discs have advanced to complete vertebral fusion, chiropractic treatment can help restore range of motion, reduce inflammation and pain, and slow down further degeneration.
Chiropractors use gentle spinal manipulations called chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal mobility. Research shows these adjustments bring more nutrient-rich blood flow to the discs, helping them repair and regenerate. The adjustments also reduce mechanical stress to enable inflamed nerves to calm down.
In addition, chiropractors may use specialized techniques to mobilize the affected joints and prescribe rehab exercises. Flexion-distraction technique is one example that involves a gentle pumping action to take pressure off the discs. Spinal decompression stretches the spine to create negative intradiscal pressure, drawing in fluid to rehydrate the discs.
Patients typically need multiple chiropractic sessions a week for several weeks to regain mobility and function. Ongoing maintenance care, such as monthly adjustments, helps sustain improvements long-term.
When paired with heat/ice therapy, anti-inflammatory diet, and targeted exercises, chiropractic care offers a well-rounded, non-surgical approach to healing degenerative disc disease. Over 90% of patients avoid risky spinal surgery with conservative chiropractic treatment.
Degenerative Disc Disease Treatment from Stover Chiropractic, P.C.
At Stover Chiropractic, P.C. in Mechanicsville, VA, Dr. Tripp Stover specializes in reversing degenerative disc disease through upper cervical chiropractic care. As craniocervical instability specialists and upper cervical chiropractors, their goal is to identify and correct misalignments in the top bones of the neck.
The upper neck region is intimately connected to the rest of the spine. Fixing misalignments here can remove nerve interference, restore proper spinal curves, increase mobility, and halt degeneration throughout the back and neck. Dr. Stover uses precise diagnostic imaging and low-force adjustments to realign the upper cervical vertebrae.
Their office is located at 9129 Dickey Drive in Mechanicsville, VA. New patients can call (804) 559-1100 to schedule a consultation. Dr. Stover will perform a thorough exam, order x-rays or MRI scans if needed, and discuss a customized treatment plan. Their approach gets outstanding results for patients suffering from disc degeneration and back pain.
Don’t let chronic back or neck pain from DDD interfere with your quality of life. The expert chiropractors at Stover Chiropractic are here to help you regain mobility and live pain-free. With regular chiropractic care, most patients find lasting relief from degenerative disc disease.
This article is copyrighted by Blogging Chiropractors for its Doctor of Chiropractic members and may not be copied or duplicated in any manner including printed or electronic media, regardless of whether for a fee or gratis without the prior written permission of Blogging Chiropractors.
