Living with Degenerative Disc Disease

Living with Degenerative disc disease

Approximately 90% of Americans are treated by a physician for some sort of back pain related to the onset of degenerative disc disease. The vertebrae are held fast with ligaments, tendons and muscles, and between them are the discs that are designed to be shock absorbers to prevent the bones of the spine from hitting one another when we move.

If you suffer from degenerative disc disease (DDD) you probably know the pain of a herniated or a ruptured disc. A herniated disc is sometimes called a sipped disc, and it can slip forward-which is called spondylolisthesis-and it can slip backwards-which is called retrolisthesis. This disorder of the spine is very painful and does greatly impair a sufferer's quality of life.

Degenerative disc disease is a diagnosis that includes various changes of the spine. As we generate more wear and tear on our spines, tiny tears can develop in ligaments and in the discs themselves. As changes occur in the spine, structures can shift and change position, causing narrowing in the spaces. This narrowing can cause the discs to move out of place and bulge into a spinal nerve root. In time, the discs can rupture from the stress and the fluid will be lost, causing the disc to dry out-this is called desiccation. With desiccation, the disc collapses and ligaments misalign. Narrowing of the spinal cord can develop, causing functional problems of the spine.

As a sufferer of degenerative disc disease, there are times when I cannot stand straight and walk without the aid of a cane to support myself. The pain can be unbearable. My pain was such that I underwent a series of 4 injections into the spinal space where the inflamed nerves live-called nerve blocks. Since the nerve blocks, my pain has been much more manageable.