Many of us have heard the words “disc degeneration”. Many of us do not know that this is NOT a diagnosis as a cause of pain!
Disc degeneration
Most people as they age get varying degrees of disc degeneration, depending on several factors including;
- The collagen / elastin fibre make up of the soft tissue of the individual
- The patient’s personal history i.e. whether or not they have done repetitive lifting, bending or reaching
- Past injuries of the lower back and pelvis
- Sports played – repetitive impact of a front row forward will cause discal degeneration
One can live quite happily with no pain in the back when discs are degenerated, however, as discs degenerate the function they serve also does. Their function is to cushion the vertebral bodies and aid in smooth movements of the spine. Accelerated arthritis or spondylosis can then occur and smooth movements are harder to achieve. Nerve root compression can occur as vertebral bodies slip forward, nerve spaces close over and discs bulge or protrude.
If you suffer from back pain and you’ve been told you have disc degeneration from an x-ray or other scan, this is inconclusive as an answer to your problem.
If you are somebody with back pain from degeneration come and see us as it may be stretching, strengthening or mobilisation of the spine that can greatly assist you, despite not being able to ‘re-generate’ the degeneration.
