Degenerative Disc Disease Treatment at Zaker Chiropractic

If you have back pain or neck pain that comes and goes, varies in severity, and is most noticeable when you are sitting or bending and twisting your back, you may have degenerative disc disease. Degenerative disc disease treatment is quite commonly needed in older individuals, but you do not have to live with the pain. Our chiropractors in South Bay, San Pedro, and Newport Beach develop a total body wellness program to help reduce your back pain, heal your discs and improve your overall health.

Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease is a condition in which the discs of the spine slowly deteriorate over time. It is considered an age-related condition that causes a loss of flexibility and hydration. As the disc starts to deteriorate it loses the ability to cushion the vertebrae and may actually shrink and/or collapse, causing bone-on-bone grinding.

Causes of Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease is considered part of the normal aging process, and according to the Arthritis Foundation, almost everyone over the age of 60 has some degree of disc deterioration.

• Loss of Disc Hydration – The loss of hydration of the disc makes it less able to absorb the shocks to your spine from everyday movements, which means you may be more prone to developing back pain.
• Old and New Back Injuries – With degenerative disc disease, old injuries can become aggravated and new injuries can cause additional tears in the disc as well as inflammation in the back, which can lead to pain and a feeling like your back is unstable.
• No Blood Supply to the Disc – The disc in the back doesn’t receive a blood supply. Instead, they are filled with a clear fluid. This means that spinal discs can’t repair themselves and often need chiropractic treatments in order to reduce pain and promote healing.

Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease

Having degenerative disc disease doesn’t mean you will experience symptoms. Many people don’t have any pain associated with the condition. It depends on the severity of the disc degeneration, whether or not any nerves are pinched, and the individual.

• Back Pain
• Neck Pain
• Difficulty Bending or Twisting the Back
• Muscle Weakness in the Arms and Legs
• Numbness and Tingling in the Extremities
• Pain That Gets Worse While Sitting
• Radiating Pain From the Back to the Extremities

Treating Degenerative Disc Disease at Zaker Chiropractic

Our chiropractors at Zaker Chiropractic can develop a custom treatment program to help reduce your back and neck pain and help your discs refill with nutrient-rich fluid so that you can perform your daily tasks without severe back pain.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care is often the first line of defense when it comes to reducing the symptoms of degenerative disc disease. As your discs flatten and lose their flexibility, your vertebrae may become misaligned. Chiropractic adjustments help correct these misalignments and promote blood flow to the surrounding soft tissues.

Massage Therapy

If you are experiencing muscle or soft tissue pain from your degenerative disc disease, massage therapy may be able to help. Massage therapy involves kneading the tight and sore spots out of your muscles, which further helps reduce pain while promoting blood flow to the muscles. Your chiropractic adjustments may also last longer, which gives your spine and discs more time to heal between sessions.

Decompression Therapy

Decompression therapy involves gently stretching the spine to alleviate the pressure on the discs, muscles, soft tissues, and nerve roots. This gives your discs more room to refill with fluid while reducing pain associated with pinched nerves.

Physiotherapy

Strengthening your core and back muscles with physiotherapy can provide more support for your spine. This treatment involves performing targeted strengthening exercises and stretches both in our office and at home. As your core and back muscles get stronger, you may notice less back and neck pain and that performing everyday tasks are easier.

Pilates

Pilates is a type of exercise program that promoted total body strength and flexibility. It’s great for improving posture, increasing activity levels, and promoting relaxation through structured breathing patterns.

Custom Treatment Programs for Degenerative Disc Disease

Our chiropractors will perform an examination and take digital images in order to diagnose the severity of your degenerative disc disease and to develop a custom treatment program to reduce your pain and improve your total body strength and overall mobility. Your custom treatment program may involve one or more of our therapies and treatments in order to give you the best possible outcome.

To schedule an appointment for your back pain with one of our chiropractors, call us today. We have three locations in California to serve you. For more answers about how we can help you relieve pain without drugs or surgery, make an appointment with Zaker Chiropractic. Our chiropractors provide a wide variety of services to diagnose and treat pinched nerves. Zaker Chiropractic has several locations to serve you. Call (949) 734-4454 for an appointment with Newport Pain & Wellness, (424) 235-1562 for South Bay Pain & Wellness, or (310) 831-0003 for an appointment with San Pedro Pain & Wellness. Each clinic offers a multidisciplinary list of services.