Discs are strong ligaments that connect you vertebrae. It is not uncommon to injure your disc from lifting something heavy without using proper precautions, or simply from not taking care of your back.
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is the general term used by chiropractors, orthopedic doctors and physical therapists to describe the gradual degradation (wear and tear) of the spinal discs. Sometimes the condition is associated with a previous trauma like a car accident or sports injury, but DDD is known to occur in people who do not have such a history. In these cases, aging, hereditary disposition, poor diet, smoking, lack of and adequate exercise have been implicated as the cause.
Persons suffering from DDD in the lumbar spine will experience nearly constant, deep pain in the lower back that does not respond to massage, exercise, stretches, and rest. Analgesics and spinal manipulation may provide temporary relief. The disc bulges outwards stretching pain receptors embedded around the periphery, and in more serious cases the nucleus (jelly-like center) protrudes and presses on the spinal cord or nerve root (that forms the nerves that go to the legs), causing leg symptoms like pins and needles, loss of sensation and even leg weakness. Fissures can also develop inside the disc, like rings of an onion separating, generating more pain.
Non-surgical spinal decompression may provide long term relief to some lucky patients experiencing DDD. This treatment basically “pumps” the affected discs, very gently, creating negative pressure that draws in surrounding fluids and nutrients into the weakened disc. If the patient is generally healthy, the body takes over and the discs heal themselves.
If you are experiencing re-occurring lower back pain that doesn’t seem to want to go away, you may be experiencing degenerative disc disease. It’s important to act fast at the onset of such symptoms, because the sooner spinal decompression is implemented, the greater the chance of it working.
Call our appointment scheduling service at (415) 627-9077 for a complimentary spinal decompression consultation.
Dan Perez, DC
San Francisco Spinal Decompression
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That is a great explanation of degenerative disc disease. I have had this problem for 22 years in my lower back. It’s exactly as you say, constant, deep and not helped by stretching and massage. I’m too chicken to get surgery, although my doctor recommended it.