Degenerative Disk Disease is not a disease, it is a condition.

Unfortunately, someone a long time ago attached the word disease after Degenerative Disk in a misguided attempt to quickly describe a set of circumstances where the disks between the vertebrae of the spine begin to degenerate, deform or bulge. Knowing that DDD is not a disease maybe comforting, but none the less, the degeneration of spinal disks can still be a painful, debilitating and difficult to manage for those who have it.

We all have seen a skeleton and noticed a series of bones running up from the pelvic area to the base of the skull called the backbone or spinal column. In a living person, between each spinal bone (vertebrae) is a relatively soft hockey puck like disk that serves as a spacer, shock absorber and gasket between each individual vertebrae.

Disk material is cartilage like, but being softer on the inside and firmer at the outside edges. In a healthy person, the spinal disks separate the individual vertebrae, stabilize the spine and allow the spine to have a wide range of flexible motion without damaging the the bones or various nerve ways that run through the spine.

All of us will eventually suffer some degree of disk degeneration as our own body weight and the aging process take their toll on our spinal disks. Some degree of lower back ache is common among up to 80% of the population above the age of 45, but if their tires (Spinal Disks) are wearing evenly, any discomfort is more a nuisance than a disability.

The easy answer is when neck or back pain and spinal dysfunction becomes debilitating. This debilitation can usually be traced to spinal disks that are degenerating unevenly causing the spinal column to become misaligned. A misaligned spine transfers body weight disproportionately which exacerbates disk degeneration and spinal instability. Uneven degeneration of one or a few disks can cause great discomfort and set off an array of cascading events of leading to debilitation. Unfortunately, until one experiences the discomfort of DDD, it is relatively impossible to predict who, and if, DDD will become a problem for any one individual.

When standing, a healthy spine will look straight as an arrow looking at it from the front or back. From a side view, a healthy spine looks like a very slight S shape. The spine was designed to mechanically distribute your body weight evenly from the top of your head to the balls of your feet with your center of gravity about mid torso.

Now imagine a few of your hockey pucks degenerating unevenly so instead of looking like this { }, they look like this { > and/or this < }. Although this is a simplistic example, you can see that your spine will no longer be straight, your center of gravity will shift slightly and undo stress will be applied to nerve ways and joints at, and below, the uneven disk degeneration.

If the displacement of the spine becomes substantial, the victim can experience localized and extremity nerve pain, as well as localized muscle and tissue inflammation and functional interference. In addition, over the long term, an arthritic reaction can develop in the local area and in the lower joints that are now carrying disproportionate weight loads due to the shift in the center of gravity.

First one needs to get a good medical diagnosis including X-rays or an MRI, so you, and your doctor, can see the extent and severity of your problem. Have your doctor explain, in his/her opinion, why you are experiencing your symptoms and his/her recommendations for your case. Become actively involved with your provider and become part of the solution. There are no easy answers or treatments.

Understand that despite all our medical advances, there has yet to be any amazing medication that can stop disk degeneration and/or repair the existing damage. Therefore the name of the game is controlling the symptoms though rest, spinal realignment through chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, specific exercises to strengthen the muscles around the affected area to provide more support and to reduce stress on damaged disks and, if necessary, supplements and/or medications to control pain, inflammation and muscle spasms.

On the bright side, those with DDD who take a proactive course of weight management, regular spinal alignment and undertake a personalized exercise program pertinent to the effected area(s) and in some cases, adding CMO II's nutrients to their diet, generally do amazingly well in alleviating the discomfort of DDD and maintaining an active and productive lifestyle.