退行性椎间盘疾病是什么?
Sometimes, age can cause bones and joints to wear down. This can happen to the rubbery discs in your spine. This is called退化的迪sc disease. Experts don’t fully understand why these wear down, but there are things you can do to manage your condition and symptoms.
Between the vertebrae of your spine are rubbery discs. These discs act asshockabsorbers to keep your spine flexible. With age, and sometimes with injury, these discs wear down and the bones begin to rub on each other and causepain.
The discs have two parts:
- A tough, outer layer that contains nerves
- A soft, inner layer that contains proteins
Discs are made of about 80% water but, compared to other tissues in the body, the discs have very low blood supply. If they are injured, they may not be able to repair themselves, which can lead to permanent damage.
Symptoms of degenerative disc disease
Degenerative disc diseasesymptoms include:
- Painin the lower back, buttocks, neck, or thighs
- Pain when sitting that gets worse with time
- Pain that comes and goes
- Numbness or tingling in extremities
- Pain when lifting, twisting, or bending
- Pain relief during movement
- Weaknessin the legs
- Foot drop, or difficulty raising the front of your foot
- Pinched or damaged nerves
Causes of degenerative disc disease
Degenerative disc disease is not considered a disease. It is typicallyback paincaused by deteriorating spinal discs. While it is not a disease, though, it may lead toarthritis. This deterioration has several causes, including:
- Discs drying out with age
- Injuries that cause damage, swelling, and instability
- Daily activities and sports
Who can get degenerative disc disease
Most people have some amount of disc degeneration by the age of 60, but not everyone has pain. Wear and tear on bones and joints is a normal part of theagingprocess. Anyone who engages in sports or has an injury to their back may develop degenerative disc disease.
Diagnosis for degenerative disc disease
Your doctor will take your medical history, a list of your symptoms, and perform a physical exam to check your muscles, nerves, pain, and mobility.
You may need some imaging tests likex-rays,magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), or computed tomography (CT) scan to see your spine and discs. They will check the structure of your spine and look at if your discs are collapsing or if you have bony projections on the joints calledbone spurs.
Treatments for degenerative disc disease
Degenerative disc disease treatment focuses on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and relieving symptoms. You can do this with a variety of self-care practices andover-the-counterremedies.
Medications
You may be able to manage pain that lasts for a long time with over-the-counter medications or prescriptions from your doctor. These may include:
- Pain relievers likeacetaminophen
- Non-steroid anti-inflammatorydrugslikeibuprofen
- Corticosteroidinjection into the disc space
- Prescription pain medication
Other alternative therapies like over-the-counter herbal pain creams that contain cayenne, peppermint, wintergreen, or eucalyptus may be useful for relieving pain.
Home care and remedies
The best way to manage degenerative disc disease is through healthy lifestyle changes. To manage pain and improve the health of your joints, you can:
- Lose weight
- 停止smoking
- Exercise
- Modifyexercisethat aggravates your back
- Do physical therapy exercises
- Use heat andcoldtherapy
- Wear a back brace
Alternative therapies
Somesupplementsmay help relieve pain and symptoms and combat degenerative disease at an early stage. However, researchers are still studying the effects of thesesupplements. These include:
- Glucosamine
- Chondroitin sulfate
Other complementary or alternative therapies to manage symptoms may include:
- Acupuncture
- Massage
- Spinal manipulation
- Low-level laser therapy
- Yoga
- Tai chi
- Meditation and mindfulness
- Stem cell therapy
- Gene therapy
Surgery
如果您开发osteoarthritisor nothing helps, your doctor might recommend surgery. Degenerative disc disease surgery might includespinal fusion, or replacing the discs with artificial discs.
SLIDESHOW
See SlideshowPossible side effects and complications
Long-term use and overuse of pain relievers and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs may cause damage to theintestinesand kidneys. If you are experiencing chronic and significant pain, it is important to speak to your doctor about finding new ways to manage your condition.
Supplements and herbal preparations can interact with other medications you might be on and change how they work. You should speak to your doctor before using those to make sure they are appropriate for your health.
There is always a risk to spine surgery. These may include:
- Damage to the spinal cold
- Damage to the nerves
- Infection
- Artificial disc dislocation
- Blood clots
- Spinestiffnessor rigidity
Health News
- Young Kids Eating Too Few Greens, Drinking Too Much Soda
- Complication Risks Rise in Pregnancies Among the Very Young
- Moderna Will Offer Free COVID Shots to Uninsured After Emergency Ends
- Two Vaccines May Soon Shield Seniors Against RSV
- Bruce Willis Diagnosed With Frontotemporal Dementia
- More Health News »
Health SolutionsFrom Our Sponsors
Annals of Longterm Care: "Recognizing the Risks of Chronic Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Use in Older Adults."
Arthritis Foundation: "Degenerative Disc Disease."
BMC Complementary Alternative Medicine: "Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplementation to treat symptomatic disc degeneration: Biochemical rationale and case report."
Cedars-Sinai: "Degenerative Disc Disease."
Johns Hopkins Medicine: "Lumbar Disk Replacement."
National Institute of Health National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: "Low-Back Pain and Complementary Health Approaches: What You Need to Know."
Top Best Treatment for Degenerative Disc Disease Related Articles
Back Pain: Common Spine Problems
That stack of little bones along the center of your back has a key role to support and control your body. What happens when something's not right with your spine?16 Back Pain Truths and Myths
Which mattress is best for back pain? Back pain conditions are very common. Learn the causes of upper and lower back pain. Find the truth and get the facts behind back pain myths, remedies, causes and treatment.Back Pain Quiz
慢性腰背部pa的有很多原因in and only one ailment gets more complaints. What is it? Quiz your knowledge of symptoms, treatments, problems, and reasons for common back pain.Degenerative Disc Disease and Sciatica
Degenerative disc disease makes the disc more susceptible to herniation (rupture) which can lead to localized or radiating pain. The pain from degenerative disc or joint disease of the spine is usually treated conservatively with intermittent heat, rest, rehabilitative exercises and medications to relieve pain, muscle spasm and inflammation.Does Walking Help Degenerative Disc Disease?
Degenerative disc disease is a term used to describe conditions in which there is progressive damage to the intervertebral discs. Walking can help treat degenerative disc disease since it's a mild form of physical therapy, which is good for your spine and joints.Low Back Pain: 11 Stretches & Exercises for Relief
One of the best low back pain treatments is exercise. Whether your pain is in the lower left or lower right back, learn more about low back pain exercises--what works, and what doesn't. Discover severe low back pain relief through various gentle workouts designed to protect and strengthen the lumbar, core, and other related back muscle groups.Low Back Pain (Lumbar Spine Pain)
There are many causes of back pain. Pain in the low back can relate to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, and the skin covering the lumbar area.Low Back Pain Relief
Do you suffer from low back pain? Learn more about common triggers of lower back pain like posture, exercise, and spondylosis. Find out about pain relief treatments like massage, yoga, stretching, exercises for back pain, and chiropractic medicine. See when surgery for back pain makes sense.What Are the Best Exercises for Back Pain?
When you are experiencing back pain, you may want to rest, but being active is good for the back. Exercising can strengthen the muscles of the back and those that support posture, as well as improve overall body health. Strengthening the muscles provides support to the spine and slowly reduces back pain.What Are the Best Stretches for Lower Back Pain?
Lower back pain is one of the common types of complaints by the general population. It may happen due to poor posture, injury, stress, or poor sleeping facilities.What Can I Do to Relieve My Back Pain?
Back pain or backache is a common type of pain that may affect any age group depending on the cause.What Could Be the Cause of Upper Back Pain?
There are many potential upper back pain causes. Learn about upper back pain, why upper back pain happens, and how upper back pain is treated.What Is the Best Exercise for Back Pain?
We are often a bit negligent toward our back while doing chores or physical exercise. While the causes for back pain may vary, regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight are crucial for keeping the back healthy.