Degenerative disc disease is an incredibly common spinal condition in which the durable spinal discs that provide stability and mobility between your vertebrae begin to wear down. This process can happen naturally with age or it can be exacerbated by other lifestyle factors, but being aware of these threats to your discs can help to keep them healthy as you age. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at common causes of spinal disc degeneration, and how you can work to prevent or treat these issues.
Preventing Common Sources Of Spinal Disc Degeneration
Some of the factors on this list are more preventable than others, but you should still be mindful of all the ways that your spinal discs can be stressed and worn so that you can help to keep them strong. Here’s a look at some of the most common causes of spinal disc degeneration.
- Aging And Natural Degeneration – The first cause on this list is also the factor that you have the least amount of control over, and that’s aging and natural degeneration. Everyone gets older and will inherently experience some natural disc degeneration throughout their life as their discs help to shoulder a normal amount of stress over the years. Thankfully, symptoms brought on by natural degeneration tend to be mild and respond well to targeted treatments like exercise, physical therapy and range of motion exercises. You can’t really prevent this type of degeneration, but you can help control symptoms with the previously mentioned treatment techniques.
- Poor Posture – Let’s jump into some of the more controllable causes of spinal disc degeneration, and we’ll start with a cause that you have a lot of control over – your posture. If you have poor posture when you’re seated or standing, more stress is going to be placed on discs in your lumbar or cervical spine. Over time, this additional stress will serve to expedite the natural degeneration in your discs. Improving your posture can go a long way in preserving the health of your spinal discs and keep any symptoms you’re currently experiencing at bay.
- Injury – Injuries to your neck and back aren’t always preventable, and discs can be damaged if your spinal column experiences acute trauma during things like athletics, a slip and fall or a car accident. While injuries can seem uncontrollable, it’s imperative that you really work to treat these injuries. If problems linger, it can change how stress is dispersed along your spine and contribute to disc degeneration. Actively strengthening your spine after an injury can help to stabilize the spinal column and ensure nearby tissues and structures are handling stress appropriately instead of forcing your spinal discs to take on more strain.
- Smoking – Tobacco use is another contributing factor in disc deterioration, as smoking can damage blood vessels that bring healthy blood to the discs. If your spinal discs can’t get regular access to oxygenated blood, they can dehydrate, thin and crack. One of the simplest things you can do to prolong the health of your spinal discs is to avoid smoking or to work to give up the habit.
- Obesity – If you are overweight, your spinal column will naturally have to handle more stress, and as we’ve learned, this pressure will slowly wear down your spinal discs over time. Heavier individuals will experience more natural disc degeneration than people with an ideal weight, because their discs will constantly be handling more strain. And while weight loss isn’t always easy, you can help to prolong the health of your spinal discs by losing weight or maintaining a healthy body weight.
If you can regularly strengthen your body with exercise, and you can avoid some of the more common causes of expedited disc degeneration like poor posture, weight gain and smoking, we’re confident that you’ll be able to slow down this natural disc degeneration. And if you need help managing symptoms or another neck or spine issue, reach out to Dr. Jackman and his team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
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