Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lower Back
This is one of a handful of medical terms that frustrates me immensely. It sounds so serious, especially with the use of the word disease. Well firstly let me reassure you that it is by no means as serious as it sounds.
The two keywords here are degenerative and disc, not disease. The disc, due to the natural effects of aging and use, is beginning to degenerate or wear.
The discs act as ‘shock absorbers’ for the spine and are situated in-between the vertebra (with regards to the lower back, the Lumbar Vertebra). The effects of body weight, along with any particular activities you have been performing over the years, has a compressive force upon the discs. This results in the discs themselves becoming thinner.
At the back of the lumbar vertebra are the joints of the lower back, which glide harmoniously against one another as we go about our day to day activities. If the discs are becoming thinner with wear however, the vertebra will not have as much cushioning between them and consequently more stress will be placed across these joints. This can be a potential source of pain. This pain may be felt in the low back itself, or also down the leg if the nerve roots of the Sciatic nerve are implicated.
With regards to increasing the space between the vertebra again, unfortunately this cannot be done (not without the aid of surgery anyway, and even that is a risky, last resort procedure).
However, if this is a source of your pain, it does not mean there is nothing which can alleviate it. This is because, in addition to the increased stress being placed across the joints due to disc narrowing, there is very often increased tightness about the soft tissues of the lower back as well.
This in turn will place yet further stress across the joints, once again increasing the likelihood of pain being perceived. More often than not, it is the tight soft tissues about the lower back which are causing the pain and not the ‘Degenerative Disc Disease’ itself. Consequently, an appropriate stretching and strengthening exercise programme is more often than not enough to resolve the problem.
A typical exercise which may help is one where you gently try to ‘flex’ the lower back…
This can be done by lying on your back and gently hugging one knee to your chest. Ideally you should be looking for an ease in your pain and / or a stretching sensation about your lower back. Hold for 5 – 10 seconds, relax and repeat with the other leg. I would suggest repeating this 5 – 6 times in one go, about 2 – 3 times per day.
Be careful though, if it is not Degenerative Disc Disease you are suffering with, but something else, these exercises may aggravate your pain. If they do it is nothing to worry about, nevertheless stop performing them immediately. No exercises should aggravate your pain.
The term “Trust Me. I’m a Doctor” should not always be seen as true!
The reason I am saying this, is because if you have been told you have Degenerative Disc Disease, it does not necessarily mean it is the cause of your pain. Depending upon which research you read, the majority of us will be showing signs of Degenerative Disc Disease from the age of mid 30′s upwards! So why are we not all suffering with pain as a result?
The reason is that we are all different, and just because your lower back is showing some signs of wear & tear, it does not mean that is the cause of your pain, it may well be a red herring. Therefore, be careful when trying out the exercise I have described above. If it aggravates your pain, it may mean that Degenerative Disc Disease is not the cause.
Consequently, you need to discover the true diagnosis of your pain and then progress with the appropriate advice and exercise program for that given diagnosis. It is imperative you are familiar with what is wrong with your back before embarking on a regular exercise program.