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DISEASE AWARENESS PAGE FOR R3 STEM CELL – DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE
Degenerative disc disease is a term we use to describe the normal changes in your spinal disk as you age. Discs absorb shocks and protect the bone of the spine from getting damaged.
They allow the back to stay strong and flexible. However, with time and age, the discs may degenerate causing this condition to develop.
Some people suffer from severe disc degenerative disease, due to less cartilage, poor muscles, bad posture, and even obesity. The condition aggravates as the pressure in the spine tends to increase.
This condition is much more common than you might think and it tends to increase as the age progresses. It is usually categorized as a natural process that occurs due to wear and tear.
However, in certain cases, it can be triggered due to trauma and injury. This problem is not specific to one gender. Men and women both can experience degenerative disc disease. However, the intensity can vary and depend upon different factors including the reasons behind it.
To put it in the most layman terms, degenerative disc disease can occur from something as simple as poor posture, repetition of the same action and even being careless while picking up heavy objects. The most common factors include:
Age: This is the biggest risk factor. As mentioned earlier, with comes muscular and tissue wear and tear. The muscles and vertebrae start losing strength. This puts pressure on the spine causing degenerative disc disease. Though this condition is not limited to a particular age group, it is most commonly found in people above 50 years.
Pregnancy: Hormonal changes while pregnant can cause muscles and joints to swell and can thus cause degenerative disc disease.
Obesity: Being obese causes a lot of strain on the bone and joints. And consequently damages the spine because of excessive pressure. Repetitive injury to the spine due to being overweight cause extreme fracture and damage.
Diabetes: Often time’s diabetes can also cause degenerative disc disease.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: This is another condition that increases the chances of the patient to develop problems like degenerative disc disease. Again, the already weak joints put pressure on the spine causing it to wear off.
Mental Health Issues: Stress can cause strain on the body and that strain can affect the bones and joints.
Injury: Accidents, playing sports or falling can all cause muscles and nerves to get injured. Sometimes, a severe injury can press the backbone which may lead to its discs getting damaged.
Strains: Often time’s people overstretch, or pick heavy items without realizing how much of a strain they are putting on their backs. Improper posture when performing such tasks can cause the muscles and tendons to sprain causing degenerative disc disease.
Physical Activity: Those who are physically inactive and fail to focus on their fitness also suffer from this condition. Making exercise a daily habit, even if it is very minimal, helps cater to such problems and keeps your body in shape. As opposed to this, if you decide to follow a stringent routine all of a sudden, your body suffers from excessive strain and it can speed up the process of disc degeneration.
The most common symptoms of degenerative disc disease may include the following:
The doctor is likely to perform a complete physical exam and go through the patient’s medical history. They will also ask about the most prevalent symptoms to rule out other similar conditions. Bear in mind that the best diagnosis can be obtained via your doctor because it may vary as per the severity of the condition.
Muscle strength: The doctor will check for atrophy and any abnormal movement.
Patient’s response to touch: The patient will be asked to move around and touched in specific areas of the back, particularly lower back, to check if they feel any pain.
Ultrasound: This helps present a clear picture of the bone and the muscles surrounding it.
X-rays: X-rays help determine if there are any fractures or ligament injuries that might be compressing the discs.
Discogram: This involves injecting Dye in the center of the disc to check if the disc is painful.
MRI and CT Scans: MRIs and CT scans can help doctors get a clear picture of the soft tissue, nerves, and discs near the area of concern. It helps them pinpoint the main cause of the condition.
Although it takes time, degenerative disc disease is likely to worsen as time goes by so it would require some form of treatment as soon as diagnosed. The main aim of any doctor is to limit any further damage and ease the pain as much as possible.
There are a number of nonsurgical approaches that can be adopted in order to cater for this problem. The first and foremost is medication. Doctors may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and aspirin to help reduce inflammation. These drugs also help reduce pain and swelling.
Medication is also available to relieve muscles spasms that might be caused as a result of this disease. The doctor is also likely to prescribe proper bed rest for a few weeks and rest in general as well. Any task that might put a strain on the spine should be avoided. During work, especially if it requires a lot of physical activities, short breaks should be taken to allow the back to recover. Repetitive tasks only aggravate the condition.
Physical therapy is another commonly suggested approach. Particular movements can be used to help make the neck and spine stronger. For more severe cases, steroid injections might be prescribed. They can help relieve extreme pain and swelling.
If, however, the condition has worsened and symptoms have some severe, the doctor might recommend surgery. Discectomy is a surgery in which the damaged disc is removed to relieve pressure from the nerves. In certain cases, only the injured part of the disc is removed. However, in more severe cases, the doctor might remove the entire disc and replace it with an artificial one. In general, it is important to remember that early diagnosis may even lead to recovery.
Here are answers to many of the frequently asked questions we receive.
Arthritis can be classified into several types. Osteoarthritis is caused by the normal aging process of the body, or could be a result of injury.
Rheumatoid arthritis, the most common type of arthritis, happens due to autoimmune problems, wherein the body’s own immune system attacks healthy cells of the body. Infectious arthritis is caused by an infection to the joint. Patients with psoriasis may be affected by Psoriatic arthritis. Finally, excessive uric acid in the body can cause Gout, an arthritis that often starts at the toe.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory form of arthritis. This disease causes chronic inflammation of the joints and can lead to deterioration of a variety of systems in the body. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the immune system attacks the lining of the membrane around the joints known as the synovium, which causes inflammation that thickens the synovium and ultimately deforms the cartilage and bone of the joints.
How common is it and who is at risk?
An estimated one percent of the entire world population suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. As the case with osteoarthritis, women are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. Other groups at risk are people middle-aged or older as well as those suffering from obesity. Rheumatoid arthritis risk is inheritable, which may be accelerated by smoking or unknown environmental exposures.
Signs of the disease include swollen, tender joints that may feel stiff, particularly in the mornings. Fever, fatigue, and loss of activity are also common symptoms. Rheumatoid arthritis tends to manifest initially in the smaller joints like those in the fingers and toes. Symptoms are exhibited in joints of other body parts as the disease spreads.
Diagnosis begins with a physical test checking for redness, warmth, and swelling as well as the state of reflexes in the affected joints. Multiple blood tests are conducted as people with rheumatoid arthritis usually have elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates and C-reactive protein levels. Additionally, X-rays, MRIs, and ultrasounds are conducted to track the spread of the disease.
While no cure exists as of now, research has revealed that the symptoms may be controlled by early application of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Steroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed depending on the case. Exercises to retain joint flexibility also provide some relief. If medications fail to slow down the disease, doctors may recommend surgery to repair or replace joints or swollen tendons.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory form of arthritis. This disease causes chronic inflammation of the joints and can lead to deterioration of a variety of systems in the body. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the immune system attacks the lining of the membrane around the joints known as the synovium, which causes inflammation that thickens the synovium and ultimately deforms the cartilage and bone of the joints.
How common is it and who is at risk?
An estimated one percent of the entire world population suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. As the case with osteoarthritis, women are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. Other groups at risk are people middle-aged or older as well as those suffering from obesity. Rheumatoid arthritis risk is inheritable, which may be accelerated by smoking or unknown environmental exposures.
Signs of the disease include swollen, tender joints that may feel stiff, particularly in the mornings. Fever, fatigue, and loss of activity are also common symptoms. Rheumatoid arthritis tends to manifest initially in the smaller joints like those in the fingers and toes. Symptoms are exhibited in joints of other body parts as the disease spreads.
Diagnosis begins with a physical test checking for redness, warmth, and swelling as well as the state of reflexes in the affected joints. Multiple blood tests are conducted as people with rheumatoid arthritis usually have elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates and C-reactive protein levels. Additionally, X-rays, MRIs, and ultrasounds are conducted to track the spread of the disease.
While no cure exists as of now, research has revealed that the symptoms may be controlled by early application of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Steroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed depending on the case. Exercises to retain joint flexibility also provide some relief. If medications fail to slow down the disease, doctors may recommend surgery to repair or replace joints or swollen tendons.
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is the most prevalent form of arthritis within kids. It is characterized by persistent pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints. The disease occurs when the body’s own tissues are attacked by its cells. In some cases, it can create more serious complications such as growth problems and eye inflammation.
It is the most common form of arthritis diagnosed in children under the age of sixteen. Certain gene mutations can make the body more vulnerable to the external environment, which can result in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis occurring. Although reasons are unknown, girls are more susceptible to Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis than boys.
Commonplace symptoms include joint pain or a limp caused by the pain, swelling of joints and stiffness of the joints that results in clumsiness by the child. In some cases, the disease can manifest as high fever and rashes.
Diagnosis for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis is difficult as the pain and swelling in the joints could be attributed to a number of diseases. Quite a few blood tests are conducted to determine the status of markers like erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein levels, and quantity of anti-nuclear bodies, among others. However, many children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis show no abnormalities in these tests.
The treatment for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis is geared towards making sure the child can maintain a regular level of physical activity. This can include different types of medication like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and swelling or disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in more severe cases. Biologic agents may be recommended to help prevent joint damage. Physical therapy can also help the child maintain a full range of motion with or without joint supports or splints based on the situation. Surgery is the most extreme option used to improve the position of the affected joint.
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