Your spinal discs are in close proximity to many nerves, and when they weaken over time, they can get shorter and cause painful nerve compression between the vertebrae. At Joint Effort Chiropractic in White Plains, New York, chiropractors Jonathan Donath, DC, and Vinh Tran, DC, CCSP, treat degenerative disc disease using spinal decompression and other careful techniques. To schedule an appointment, call Joint Effort Chiropractic or book online today.
Spinal discs, also called intervertebral discs, are round cushion-like structures between each of your spinal vertebrae. The vertebrae are the bones stacked on top of each other that comprise your spinal column, and they protect the spinal cord within.
Discs prevent the vertebrae from rubbing or grinding together and allow your spine to have some flexibility.
When discs are healthy, they’re soft and spongy. Unhealthy discs are drier and more rigid, with a weaker outer portion that leaves them prone to herniation. A herniated disc happens when the soft center of a disc pushes through the outer layer.
Degenerative disc disease is a condition that impacts the health of your spinal discs over time.
Because your discs serve as shock absorbers in your spine, they withstand a lot of pressure as you age. On top of that, they’re more prone than other body tissues to a decline in quality because spinal discs don’t have direct blood supplies for oxygen and nutrients.
If you have degenerative disc disease, your discs shrink and weaken. As their height is reduced, they can compress nearby nerves. With thinner and less hydrated spinal discs, simple movements like bending down or twisting the spine cause increased damage and irritation.
Degenerated discs themselves don’t cause pain. Any symptoms you get from degenerative disc disease, including pain and numbness, come from the resulting nerve compression.
Some people don’t realize they have degenerative disc disease because they have mild symptoms or none at all.
The team at Joint Effort Chiropractic uses Non-surgicalspinal decompression to treat degenerative disc disease. During Non-surgical spinal decompression, your provider carefully stretches your spine to separate the vertebrae and take pressure off nerves where disc degeneration is compressing them.
Stretching your spine during spinal decompression allows water back into the discs, hydrating them, and allowing nutrients to reach them. In addition to Non-surgical spinal decompression, you might benefit from other techniques like:
The Joint Effort Chiropractic team creates your treatment plan based on your symptoms and their severity.
To learn more about degenerative disc disease and available treatments, call Joint Effort Chiropractic or book an appointment online today.