Degenerative Disc Disease: Supporting and Preserving Disc Health

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is not actually a disease, but a term used to describe the natural wear and tear of the intervertebral discs. As we age, the discs lose their water content, thin out, and lose their ability to act as shock absorbers for the spine.

Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease

• Constant, low-grade ache localized to the lower back or neck.
• Pain that worsens with sitting, bending, or twisting, and improves with walking or standing.
• "Giving way" sensation, where the back feels unstable or weak.
• Radiating pain, numbness, or tingling down the arms or legs if bone spurs impinge nearby nerve roots.

Physiotherapy Management of DDD

1. Lumbar Stabilization (Core Training): Strengthening the deep abdominal and back muscles to create muscular support for the thinned discs.
2. Spinal Decompression: Gentle manual traction or positional stretching (like inversion-type stretches) to reduce pressure inside the disc.
3. Hip and Thoracic Mobility: Improving the mobility of adjacent joints to reduce the rotation and bending demands on the degenerating lumbar discs.
4. Aerobic Conditioning: Encouraging walking or low-impact activities to increase blood flow, which brings vital nutrients to the surrounding spinal structures.

At Sparq Physiotherapy Clinic, we focus on manual decompression and progressive core stability to help offload the degenerative segments and preserve spinal function.