Did you know that more than 40% of adults aged 40 and over were affected by degenerative disc disease? The latter, commonly called DDD or disc desiccation in the medical world, isn’t untreatable, thus why it is important to know the best solutions for this condition. Let’s see what are the best ways to relieve pain from disc desiccation.
What’s Degenerative Disc Disease?
First and foremost, degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a condition that is mostly related to one’s age, so you won’t see any children nor any teenagers being affected by this disease. Moreover, DDD starts to show its first symptoms when the discs from your spinal column are deteriorating.
What are the symptoms you may ask? The most common ones are numbness, weakness, or pain that will come from your back and that can sometimes go all the way to your legs. Usually, this pain will feel like stiffness in the lower portion of your back, with a tingling sensation.
Is disc desiccation curable?
Yes, it partially is. The deterioration of the spinal discs is a natural thing that we all have to go through. Depending on your lifestyle, your diet, your posture, all of these things are going to affect your back’s health in the long run. There is not an absolute cure for DDD, but you can reduce or even prevent the symptoms by taking good care of your body. If you’re a heavy smoker, beware, because it has been proven that cigarette is one of the main causes of degenerative disc disease.
Is there any way to treat disc desiccation?
So let’s say you’ve been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, what should you do? Are there any treatments for your problem? As a matter of fact, there are a few solutions to reduce the pain and strengthen your spine:
- If it applies, stop smoking, taking drugs, or drinking alcohol
- Be aware of your posture when you are sitting down for long periods of time
- When you are lifting something, be careful to not bend your back improperly
- A good diet and regular exercises do wonder!
- Going through physical therapy or seeing an orthopedic doctor
- Getting pain relievers (over the counter)
- If the pain is really intense, then you can get a cortisone shot that will help relieve the pain or inflammation in a specific area
What are the causes of disc desiccation?
Of course, age is the main cause of disc desiccation, but there are a few more causes that could accentuate the symptoms, or accelerate their time of arrival. For example, intense physical labor or activities, such as working on a farm every day, can cause back problems. Moreover, an accident that left a mark like a sports injury, for example, could also cause your spinal discs some problems, even years later after the accident.
What happens if the disc desiccation is really severe?
Don’t start worrying now, but in rare cases, a surgical operation will be needed to either fusion a part of the affected disc, or to replace it with an artificial one entirely. That said, this is very rare, and as long as you take good care of yourself and that you periodically visit your doctor, you should be able to avoid any intense medical intervention of the sort. If you are to a point where you think this might be the only solution, we recommend seeing a doctor immediately.
I have spinal disc pain, what can I do at home to relieve the pain?
If you have back pain and you need a few home remedies, don’t worry, we got your back! Pun aside, there are few things you can do at home that will help you in a short while:
- Eat a lot of citrus fruits, such as lemons and limes, it’s a great source of vitamins and will help with the production of hyaluronic acid in your body
- Take vitamin D supplements
- Eat turmeric, either fresh or in capsules, turmeric is a very potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, it can even prevent cancer!
- Cherries and grapes also have anti-inflammatory properties, so eat lots of those
Ok, that’s for the food, but you can also do the following:
- Buy a cheap yoga mat, and exercise daily, find a YouTuber that offers fun little exercises
- Apply hot and cold compresses on the parts of your back that hurt
- Take the good habit to correct your posture every time you notice that you are not sitting properly
All that being said, you know that everything you do in your life will affect positively or negatively your body in the years to come. Thus, it’s just a question of having a well-balanced diet, coupled with regular exercises and good posture habits. That way, you won’t have to worry too much about back pain when you get older.
