Degenerative disc disease
Dr. Wayne Fichter/Disk and Spine Northwest | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 5 months AGO
Degenerative disc disease is not actually a disease. It's a term that describes the natural changes the spinal discs undergo as we age. As a disc degenerates, it may put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, which often leads to pain and may affect nerve function.
Sooner or later, everyone will experience these changes in their discs, but most people will have no pain. Degenerative disc disease is so common that doctors say it is a "natural part of aging." Well, so was osteoporosis until we discovered that bone strength is strongly related to muscle strength.
Spinal disc break down with age, which results in a loss of fluid that can prevent discs from acting as natural shock absorbers. This fluid loss makes the discs thinner and shrinks the gap between the vertebrae. Then one set of muscles overpowers another and creates postural dysfunction that put abnormal pressure on discs, causing wear and tear. The structural changes created by bad posture overload the muscles of the back or the intervertebral discs, which in turn can contribute to degenerative disc disease, along with other degenerative changes to the spine.
Most traditional treatments fail because they address the symptoms and not the cause of the condition. Your degenerated disc is a physical problem and it requires a physical solution. There are no pills or injections that can create a postural balance in your body, which is necessary to reduce the nerve pressure.
A degenerative disc can result in pain and decreased mobility because the discs separating the vertebrae in the spine shrink and become less flexible. Strength condition and stretching exercises are recommended to strengthen back muscles, provide stronger spinal support, and improve posture to keep the spine in the correct alignment.
Dr. Wayne Fichter is the lead doctor at Disk and Spine Northwest, a comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation center specializing in the treatment of serious, chronic back pain, acute injuries and postural/scoliosis problems. Contact him at diskandspinenorthwest.com or (208) 215-3261.
MORE IMPORTED STORIES
ADVERTISING: Advertorial — Effects of aging on your spine
Coeur d'Alene Press | Updated 2 years, 1 month ago
ARTICLES BY DR. WAYNE FICHTER/DISK AND SPINE NORTHWEST
Chiropractic is health care, not disease care
Chiropractors have, since 1895, treated sickness and infirmity without the use of drugs and with the goal of avoiding surgical removal or repair of any of the body's organs or structures. Chiropractic's message is that the proactive care of one's body and wise lifestyle choices are necessary to achieve health. Chiropractors have held and maintained this view even before it became fashionable, and long before evidence made it clear that the drug and surgery model of "health care" is really nothing more than "disease care," waiting for disease to occur and then treating the effects. Chiropractic takes a preventive approach to health care.
Is the little yellow packet doing you harm?
Having Sucralose sensitivity myself, I understand firsthand the symptoms people have when consuming these products. I myself get fibromyalgia-type symptoms, swollen joints and headaches any time I eat anything with Sucralose in it. So when I have patients come into my office complaining of such symptoms and see that they eat or drink products with artificial sweeteners in them, I have to wonder what really is causing the particular symptom. Is it more spinal- or disc-related, or is more chemical-related?
How water can elevate your health
Water is the most fundamental nutrient your body needs. Two-thirds of our body's mass is composed of water. It stands to reason, then, that water intake should be closely monitored. Obviously, the amount of water we consume is directly related to our overall health and wellness. How? By facilitating joint movement, the digestion of food, and protecting soft tissues, just to name a few. Water consumption also assists in the process of breaking down and/or storing fats.