Both inflammation and micro-motion instability can cause lower back or neck muscle spasms. The muscle spasm is the body's attempt to stabilize the spine. Muscle tension and spasms can be quite painful, and are thought to cause the flare-ups of intense pain associated with degenerative disc disease.
A dull, continuous pain may indicate degenerative disc disease. This pain will often flare up and may do so repeatedly as the degenerative process continues. Flare ups can last for several days or even several weeks.
The greatest indicator of degenerative disc disease is a constant, chronic pain that then flares up with great intensity. You can feel this in your cervical (neck) or lumbar (lower back) region. These flare ups can be caused by a simple action, such as bending over to tie your shoes, or twisting.
Although DDD is not reversible or curable, the pain flareups that are associated with it can be treated. A pain specialist can offer you medications and pain-relief injections to control the pain.
People with degenerative disk disease need to avoid foods that promote inflammation and physical activities involving heavy lifting and twisting. Additionally, a person should avoid smoking, if applicable, slouching, and consuming more than moderate amounts of alcohol.
Live an Active Life and Include Exercise
Ask any spine specialist about the one thing you can do to slow the progression of degenerating discs and they'll likely tell you to stretch. Basically, this translates to taking your joints through a full range of motion and doing so regularly.
As such, one of the most preferred positions for people with degenerative disc disease is laying on the stomach. This works best if you are laying on a firm mattress. To enhance your comfort, you might find that placing a pillow under your stomach will make all the difference.
While Degenerative Disc Disease isn't curable, there are a range of surgical and non-surgical options you can explore to find relief from your symptoms and stop or slow its progression.
While there is no way to totally correct degenerative disc disease, for the vast majority of people suffering low back pain, sciatica, neck pain, or arm pain and tingling due to this condition, they can successfully manage their pain and regain their lives – while avoiding surgery.
No, degenerative disc disease cannot heal on its own.
Unfortunately, there's currently no cure for degenerative disc disease, and once you're diagnosed with DDD, it's typically a lifelong journey of learning to live with back pain, neck pain, or other symptoms. Once your discs begin to degenerate, you can't really reverse the process.
Movement stretching are all really important parts of managing degenerative disc disease and can help really alleviate your symptoms.
Regular aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming, or taking a low-impact aerobics class, has been shown to help relieve pain, promote a healthy body weight, and improve overall strength and mobility—all important factors in managing DDD.
This is especially true if you already have DDD to contend with. As such, making an effort to improve your posture with the right ergonomic support and sitting alignment can go a long way. Generally, you'll want to sit with your back straight and the tops of your legs parallel to the ground.
Therapeutic massage:
Therapeutic massage is an excellent treatment for the adverse effects of DDD and other spinal conditions.
It does. Drinking water and keeping properly hydrated in general supports disc health, and the best way to help with degenerative disc disease is through prevention, including drinking water. Exercises for your back and maintaining a healthy body weight will also help prevent or mitigate degenerative disc disease.
Vitamin D deficiency has been found to be highly associated with patients suffering from degenerative spine disease. 1 Degenerative spine disease is a condition that is characterized by gradual loss of proper functioning and organization of the spine.
But among its side effects, caffeine can leech the calcium deposits in your bone and actively undermine your spinal health. If your diet is not very calcium- and vitamin D-rich to begin with, or if you have a family history of osteoporosis, consider reducing your caffeine intake and see if it helps.
Supplements Recommended for Spine Health
For example, supplements for degenerative disc disease, like a herniated disc, include glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, manganese ascorbate and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM).
Long-term Outcomes of Degenerative Disc Disease
The degenerative process of the spinal disc may start gradually or suddenly, but progresses over 2 to 3 decades from severe and at times even disabling bouts of pain to a state in which the spine is restabilized and the pain is diminished. Spinal osteoarthritis.
avoiding anything that causes physical pain, especially in the back, as this is a sign that the exercise is irritating the affected disk. avoiding high impact exercises — which include jumping on a trampoline, jumping rope, step aerobics, and sprinting — immediately after sustaining a disk injury.
Collapsing Stage (Stage 4)
In the final stage of DDD, the spinal discs become dangerously thin and may become herniated, collapsed, and/or disintegrated. The severe pain felt during this stage often results from bone rubbing against bone or from herniated discs pushing into nerves.