Texas Spine And Sports Therapy Center PLLC
1500 West 38th Street, Austin, Texas 78731
Austin Chiropractor- Bart Atencio
D
512-219-8999
Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
In order to understand the condition of Degenerative Disc Disease one must know
two main facts about discs:
•Spinal discs do NOT have a direct blood supply. There are no arteries that feed the
disc with oxygen and nutrients. Therefore, discs of the spine must receive their
oxygen and nutrients from a different source. Normal, healthy discs are “fed” and
oxygenated by the constant recycling of the disc fluid that occurs with spinal joint
movement. This joint motion “sucks” in fluid filled with oxygen and nutrients and
“pumps out” waste fluid. This process of fluid diffusion is greatly affected by internal
disc pressure (intradiscal pressure).
•The discs of the spine are under constant pressure. The spinal discs are designed
to absorb shock and maintain spinal flexibility by acting as cushions during body
movement. The discs act similar to shock absorbers in a car. Car shock absorbers
maintain a constant pressure to “push back” against the weight and movement of the
car. Spinal discs act in a similar fashion. The pressure within the discs pushes the
bones of the spine apart preventing them from crashing into one another during
activities like running and jumping. Unfortunately, this constant internal disc pressure
also pushes the fluid out of the disc consistently every day. This makes it difficult for
the body to “suck” in new, healthy disc fluid with its much-needed oxygen and
nutrients.
These two factors make it difficult for the body to maintain thick, plump, healthy discs
making Degenerative Disc Disease one of the more common spinal ailments.
Degenerative Disc Disease
As the disc degenerates it loses height (Disc Height Reduction) allowing the bones
above and below to “sandwich” the nerve between them.
Degenerative Disc Disease, as the name implies, is caused by the progressive
degeneration of the intervertebral disc. Nearly every physical activity (no matter how
simple) places strain upon these discs. Over time, repeated daily stress and minor
traumas begin to weaken the discs of the spine. This process of accumulated wear
and tear will eventually lead to disc degeneration commonly referred to as
Degenerative Disc Disease.
The process of disc degeneration often begins with a chronic lack of oxygen and
nutrients. This can occur because of 1) greater than normal compression of the disc
or 2) as a result of decreased hydration. Greater compression comes from repetitive
harmful activities such as bending, lifting or twisting – even prolonged sitting can
create abnormally high levels of disc compression. Decreased hydration occurs when
less fluid is pulled into the disc than is “pressed” out of the disc. This slowly creates a
deflated or dehydrated disc. The medical term for this lack of disc fluid is Disc
Desiccation and is the MRI finding most commonly used to identify Degenerative Disc
Disease.
Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease
The symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease can vary widely depending on the
location and severity of the condition. In general the degenerated disc itself causes
little to no pain. If it does cause symptoms it often creates a stiffness around the
affected joints or a deep ache that is often increased with movement of the joint.
However, as the joint “warms up” the pain often decreases with this same body
movement.
Although the degenerated disc often causes only mild symptoms, Degenerative Disc
Disease can still cause severe pain and disability in other ways. The most serious
problem related to Degenerative Disc Disease is direct nerve compression. This
occurs when the spinal disc becomes thinner as part of the degenerative process.
This thinning, also called Disc Height Reduction, causes the space between the
bones to narrow. This narrowing also makes the hole between the nerves, the
foramen, smaller, as well. Neural Foraminal Narrowing causes direct bone-on-nerve
compression which can create such severe and debilitating symptoms as sharp pain,
burning, numbness, tingling and muscle weakness. Over time this degenerative
process can compromise the integrity of the nerve to the point that the organs
controlled by these nerves can become diseased.
Therefore, the most disconcerting problems associated Degenerative Disc Disease
are not due to the disc itself, but how the disc degeneration causes the nerves to
become injured as a result.
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