Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a condition where the discs between the vertebrae of your spine begin to degenerate over time. DDD can cause pain, reduce mobility, and even nerve compression. One common question many individuals with DDD have is whether the condition will go away on its own.
What Is DDD?
The discs between the vertebrae act as a cushion for the spine and help with flexibility. When these discs start to break down and degenerate, you might experience restricted movement, stiffness, and pain.
There are several factors that contribute to DDD, including:
- Aging: Intervertebral discs naturally start to lose water and protein content as you age, which makes them more brittle and susceptible to damage
- Wear and tear: Repetitive movements can cause wear and tear on the discs over time.
- Injuries or Trauma: If you experience a sudden injury like a fall, you might experience damage to your discs.
- Genetics: Research shows that some individuals are genetically predisposed to developing DDD
Other factors that contribute to the development of DDD include lifestyle, such as smoking, obesity, and lack of exercise, as well as inflammation.
How to Treat Degenerative Disc Disease
The wear and tear on the spinal discs is the summation of a lifetime of activity, and your body’s natural ability to repair itself is limited. This means that the most effective way to treat DDD is to focus on managing its symptoms, so you can enjoy a better quality of life.
Managing Degenerative Disc Disease
There are several non-surgical ways to manage the symptoms of DDD, including:
Lifestyle Changes
Making positive changes to your lifestyle can have a significant impact on your DDD symptoms.
Some changes you may consider include:
- Maintaining a healthy weight, as excess weight puts additional strain on the spine.
- Regular exercise, which can help strengthen the supporting muscles of the spine and improve flexibility.
- Practicing proper posture, which can reduce pressure on the intervertebral discs.
- Quitting smoking, since smoking can accelerate DDD.
Practicing these changes can help reduce pain and increase mobility.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapists help you strengthen the muscles that support the spine. They also teach proper mechanics for everyday activities like sitting, bending, and lifting. The goal of physical therapy for DDD is to improve mobility and flexibility.
Pain Management
Pain management strategies include medications like NSAIDs, heat and cold therapy to help relieve pain and reduce inflammation, and therapies like massage and acupuncture, which help relieve muscle tension.
Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, focuses on helping the damaged tissues repair, with the goal of regenerating damaged disc tissue. When this damaged tissue is repaired, the potential for significant symptom relief increases.
Mesenchymal stem cell therapy offers a potential regenerative approach to address the underlying causes of DDD with their anti-inflammatory effects, regeneration of disc tissue, promotion of extracellular matrix production, and modulation of immune response.
Non-surgical management of DDD involves a multifaceted approach. Regenerative medicine shows promise as an innovative treatment that may offer relief from a range of the symptoms associated with DDD. With the right treatment plan, you can effectively manage this condition.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for back pain, also known as stem cell therapy for degenerative disc disease. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.