Cervical & Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
Cervical & Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
What are they?
Cervical Disc Disease & Lumbar Disc Disease: What is it
Disc disease in the neck and lower back affects a very large percentage of patients and requires evaluation by a specialist spine surgeon. It is an extremely common condition and occurs in both men and women.
With the normal aging of people, the discs also age and wear out. An important cause for this phenomenon is dehydration, which leads to a decrease in the height of the discs and increased movement, which accelerates wear. . When the gel between the discs decreases, the discs in the lower back and neck are at risk of forming cracks and ruptures or even herniations. The result is that the nerves in the area are irritated, resulting in the patient experiencing pain both locally and in the extremities that innervate the specific nerves that are being pressed.
Due to the decline in the functional adequacy of the discs, the spine loses its stability and in order for the body to correct this problem and stabilize the spine, it creates osteophytes, which are small bone spurs that try to bridge the vertebrae. Ultimately, however, this effort ends up with these osteophytes pressing on the roots of the spinal nerves, causing pain.
Cervical & Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
Causes
Disc disease has various causes. Heredity is certainly one of these factors. Also an important cause of disc disease is a sedentary lifestyle and poor posture – especially when our work is in front of the computer. Certainly, some groups of workers are more likely to develop disc disease and these are drivers, pilots, those who perform weight lifting at work, warehouse workers, etc.
Also, a weak muscular system, increased body weight as well as lack of physical exercise can have a negative impact, facilitating the creation and worsening of the problem.
Summarizing the main factors of discopathy, they are:
1.
Poor posture and increased body weight
2.
Heredity
3.
Muscular system that has not been exercised enough
4.
Minor injuries
5.
Accidents
6.
Chronic weight lifting or very intense training
Cervical & Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
Symptoms
If we were to list the most important symptoms of disc disease, we would definitely put pain in the back or neck first. Then comes stiffness and reduced ease of movement.
1.
The next symptoms of more serious disc disease are numbness-tingling, pain and weakness in the arms or legs.
2.
The pain may worsen during specific activities and movements. Coughing, sneezing, bending over can also worsen the condition.
Cervical Disc Disease & Lumbar Disc Disease
Diagnosis
For the diagnosis of disc disease, the spine surgeon is the most appropriate doctor who can rule out serious causes that require surgical treatment. If the pain persists for several days, a good clinical assessment should be made in order to make the diagnosis. If the doctor suspects neurological damage from the examination, then he will proceed with further investigation, which will certainly include an MRI of the back or neck. Additional tests that may be needed are an electromyogram.
Cervical Disc Disease & Lumbar Disc Disease
Treatment
From the beginning, the orthopedist will recommend rest and avoidance of dangerous daily habits that have been documented to aggravate the condition. It is possible that some anti-inflammatory medications and treatment with hot packs, special creams and a series of physiotherapy treatments may be needed. Finally, some forms of exercise help a lot in correct posture.
In general, you should know that the case of disc disease requires patience and care. The percentage of patients who get well after conservative treatment and especially rest is very encouraging. Chronic disc disease exists if the symptoms reappear after a short period of time and from there on there are frequent relapses.
Surgery is recommended in the case where the pain not only radiates to the lower extremities or the upper extremities (in the case of the neck) but also presents weakness in movement. In this case, the patient must undergo surgery to possibly remove the hernia that is pressing on the nerve, otherwise there is a chance of permanent paralysis. Microdiscectomy is the usual choice. For the treatment of cervical discopathy and lumbar discopathy, which is most suitable for you, the doctor will inform you after a careful assessment.
1.
Microdiscectomy
The operation is recommended when the intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine presses on the nerve root. It is performed through a microscope that greatly limits the size of the incision.
2.
Intradisc gel
The intradisc gel is inserted with local anesthesia and fluoroscopy guidance into the intervertebral disc, specifically in the damaged area.
3.
MIS TLIF
When disc disease results from multiple failed discectomy surgeries, then the best solution is interbody posterior spinal fusion (which can now be done with minimally invasive methods)
Neck - Lumbar Disc Disease
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a way to prevent disc disease?
Disc disease can be prevented and wear and tear can be limited and slowed down if the patient follows some simple tips. These are very simple and can easily be made a routine in their daily lives.
To begin with, they should bend their knees, keeping their back straight, when lifting something heavy from the floor. If there is back pain from using heels, avoid them. An aligned back should also be maintained when sitting for a long time in an office chair or anywhere else. Using a footrest at the office is also a very helpful solution. Weight control helps significantly in reducing mechanical stress on the discs. Finally, specific forms of exercise such as Pilates and swimming offer strengthening to the muscles of the back and neck.
What are the benefits of physical therapy in the treatment of disc disease?
The primary goal of physical therapy is to relieve pain and immediately rehabilitate the patient, so that he can return to his activities. It is important to design an individualized program in order to relieve all symptoms. The exercise program includes stretches for muscle mobility, strengthening exercises, massages, activation and mobilization techniques for stiff joints and general retraining of correct posture.
