Health Articles:
Degenerative Disc Disease
by Dr. Ross Kerievsky DC, ND
Your spine, or backbone, consists of 33 vertebrae. In between each of these vertebrae are 24 intervertebral disks. These disks are made of cartilage and act as shock absorbers in order to protect the vertebrae.
Intervertebral disks have a limited blood supply. Thus, after frequent wear and tear or injury, the discs are no longer able to heal themselves, and as a result, the ability to effectively cushion the vertebrae is lost. This can cause chronic lower back pain, also known as degenerative disc disease.
Signs and Symptoms:
•Tenderness, pain, and stiffness in the lower back
•Pain that radiates into the buttocks or legs
•Difficulty standing erect or standing in one position for a long time
•Discomfort while sitting
•Weakness and leg fatigue while walking
•Pain when twisting or lifting
•Tightened muscles
•Pinched nerves
What Causes It?
•Natural aging process
•Trauma, infection, or direct injury to the disk
•Genetics
•Rheumatoid arthritis
•Osteoarthritis
•Poor overall fitness
•Smoking
•Extended lifting, twisting, or bending
Conventionally accepted medical approaches of assessment for this condition may include asking you to stand, sit, and move. Your healthcare provider may check your reflexes and perhaps your response to touch, slight heat, or a pinprick. He or she may also recommend strength testing on a treadmill. In addition to X rays, there are a variety of tests that your healthcare provider may want to conduct, including a magnetic resonance imaging scan ( MRI ), a computed assisted tomography ( CAT ) scan, an electromyogram (EMG), a bone scan, and/or a blood test.
Dr Kerievsky's assessment is oriented toward determining what is impeding your body's ability to function normally. While some of the conventional medical approaches may help in this determination, they may not necessarily apply to a functional approach. Dr Ross will determine which assessment tools are most helpful in establishing a treatment strategy specific to your health needs.
Treatment Plan
In general, degenerative disk disease can be relieved and prevented with lifestyle changes. Exercising to strengthen your muscles, maintaining a healthy weight, and practicing good posture may lower your risk of developing degenerative disk disease. Learning to bend and lift properly, sleeping on a firm mattress, sitting in supportive chairs, and wearing supportive shoes are also important factors.
Naturopathic Therapies
A comprehensive treatment plan for degenerative disk disease may include a range of complementary and alternative therapies.
Nutrition
The following may help ease the pain and stress associated with degenerative disk disease:
•B-complex: vitamins B1 (50 to 100 mg per day), B2 (50 mg per day), B3 (25 mg per day), B5 (100 mg per day), B6 (50 to 100 mg per day), B12 (100 to 1,000 mcg per day), and folate (400 mcg per day)
•Vitamins E (400 IU per day) and C (250 to 500 mg twice daily)
•Calcium (1,500 to 2,000 mg per day) and magnesium (700 to 1,000 mg per day)
•Bromelain (250 to 500 mg three times per day on an empty stomach)
Herbs
•Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is antispasmodic and may help with sleeplessness resulting from chronic pain
•Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) is antispasmodic and may help with joint pain and stress
•Tumeric (Curcuma longa), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and boswellia (Boswellia serrata) have anti-inflammatory properties and may promote the alleviation of pain
•Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) supports healthy circulation.
Homeopathy
Some of the most common remedies for this condition are as follows:
•Aesculus for dull pain associated with muscle weakness
•Arnica montana for pain as a result of trauma
•Colocynthis for weakness and cramping in the lower back
•Gnaphalium for sciatica (pain, burning, tingling, or electric shock-like feelings in the path of the sciatic nerve) and numbness
•Lycopodium for burning pain
•Rhus toxicodendron for stiffness and pain in the lower back.
Acupuncture:
Reviews of scientific studies have found some support for the use of acupuncture for degenerative disk disease. In addition, acupuncturists frequently report success in treating symptoms of degenerative disk disease as well as overall low back pain. An acupuncturist's management of degenerative disk disease often involves a comprehensive approach including specialized massage, application of warming herbal oils, and patient education.
Treating degenerative disk disease with acupuncture can be complex because many meridians (including the kidney, bladder, liver and gallbladder) affect this area of the body. Local treatment to the painful areas and related sore points is often performed with needles and/or moxibustion (a technique in which the herb mugwort is burned over specific acupuncture points).
Physical Medicine:
•Chiropractic manipulation can help relieve pain.
•Contrast hydrotherapy may support the alleviation of pain. Alternate hot (3 minutes) and cold (1 minute) applications. Repeat three times to complete one set. Do two to three sets per day.
Chiropractic:
Spinal manipulation is among the most extensively studied and accepted forms of treatment for degenerative disk disease. According to a comprehensive review conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, spinal manipulation is the most effective treatment for relieving pain and restoring function to the lower back.
