Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease refers to the pain that results from wear and tear of the spinal discs. These are like soft washers that stop the vertebrae that make up the spine from rubbing together. They are filled with water inside and have a harder outer crust to stop the liquid from flowing out.

As one ages, there is less water that stays in the soft centre. It can suffer from inflammation. The outer crust can tear letting water escape, so that there is no longer a protective cushion or not as big a protective cushion between the vertebrae. This can be painful and is a condition known as “herniated disc” – “slipped disc,” in common parlance.

Apart from the friction between the vertebrae, if a disc outer crust tears near to a nerve, this will also lead to pain.

Symptoms

Degenerative disc disease tends to feel worse when sitting and better when moving around. It can also feel better through a simple change of position or just by lying down. It can feel worse when bending or lifting things. It tends to come and go, lasting from a few days to a few months. Sometimes there is a numbness or tingling in the arms or legs.

Treatments

The pain of degenerative disc disease can be managed with various different treatments. This disease is mostly the cause for lower back pain, especially in young adults.

Medication

In order to treat the pain of lower medication such as acetaminophen, NSAIDs, oral steroids, narcotic drugs, and muscle relaxants. These drugs are of different strengths and some can be bought over-the-counter like ibuprofen and some will have to be prescribed by a doctor like codeine. These medications will not stop the disease, but can help to manage the pain that comes from it.

Chiropractic Manipulation

This can provide relief on your lower back by releasing the pressure from the sensitive neurological tissue and help to increase the motion in your back, decrease muscle tension, restore blood flow, and help with endorphin release. A professional chiropractor and other health professional can help you with the pain in the lower back.

Epidural Injections

This treatment gives steroids such as cortisone to your lower spine through an injection. It helps to limit pain by reducing inflammation in your lower back. This relieves more serious pain.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators (TENS) Units

This therapy is the use of electrodes on pads which are placed over the painful area and are connected to a device which sends a current to the electrodes. This then stimulates the sensory nerves and causes a tingling feeling through the afflicted area and decreases the pain.

Ultrasound

If you suffer from acute pain in your lower back, the treatment of an ultrasound can be used in order to warm the afflicted area which can then send blood flow and healing nutrient to the lower back, where the pain is located.

Things to do at Home

Alongside medication and other treatments there are somethings you can do at home to help relieve your lower back pain caused by degenerative disc disease.

Invest in ergonomic items — ergonomic items such as furniture, footwear, and lifting techniques can help to reduce the pain in your lower back. Try to avoid static posture for long periods of time.
Exercise — to achieve long term pain relief, most patients keep active and do exercises including strength, stretching and aerobic exercises to make your lower back stronger and apply a larger range of motion.
Don’t smoke — in order to achieve better blood circulation and healing it’s best not to smoke. Smoking is linked to chronic pain in the lower back.
Lose Weight — if you’re overweight, you can help relieve the pain in your lower back by losing weight, thus taking off the pressure and stress on your back muscles.

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