Degenerative Disc Disease(DDD) is a progressive arthritic change to the spinal joints in your body from excessive wear and tear.  There is no main cause for DDD but can be attributed to mostly from excess stress on the spinal joint due to many different factors, but not limited to: Overactivity, trauma, family history, underuse, and more.  DDD typically is seen in older adults ages 40y.o. and up but can be seen in younger people as well.  This condition doesn’t always cause pain, but it can cause issues/pain to some.  Most people with this condition notice a decrease in function of the spine, decrease in mobility, pain, disc irritations and disc herniations to name a few.

There are many different treatments that can help with DDD, medically as well as holistically.  Chiropractic care is a great treatment for DDD.  It can help decompress the discs of the spine, decrease joint irritations, improve mobility, and function of the joints, and slow the progression of DDD.  If you add things like Manual Therapies and Exercise Therapy into the treatments, you may notice great benefit with these therapies as well.

The best course of action for this issue is to seek professional help.  A professional will be able to evaluate, diagnose, and build a treatment plan specific to the individual and the issue.  A proper treatment plan for this issue should include manual therapy to help decrease muscular, tendon, and ligament irritations which will help decrease pain.  Joint mobilization/manipulation will help keep the joints moving properly and decrease tension and stiffness.  Stability and strength programming will help improve support and balance to the muscles for decreased risk of irritation.  And finally, build a self-care program for the individual on how to manage this issue on their own.