Degenerative Disc Disease (also known as DDD), while potentially common, can be quite painful based on the body’s overall alignment and whether the spinal canal becomes compressed. Depending on your situation, DDD can range from a slight inconvenience every so often to immensely debilitating, requiring regular forms of treatment to fix. For many, it can result in needing degenerative disc disease surgery, also known as motion-preserving spine treatments.
Still, while surgery will always be an option, it may not be the sole option depending on your situation. In some instances, you may be able to alleviate the symptoms through various non-surgical means. Below we will go over some of these different methods available that you can and should consider before deciding on a surgical procedure.
#1. Medication
The first method one should take a look at is anti-inflammatory medications. You can look at the different medications offered either over the counter or by a licensed pharmaceutical doctor. If the pain is fairly mild, you may only need a non-steroidal form of medication to handle the annoying moments as they occur. If, however, you’re dealing with some especially painful moments, you may want to consider stronger stuff, such as oral steroids, muscle relaxants, or steroid site injections.
#2. Exercise
After – often alongside – medication, you’ll also want to take part in some specific physician-approved physical exercise and activity. This can range from the smaller actions like walking and light movements to potentially visiting a physical therapist for more intensive stretching therapy.
#3. Spinal Manipulation
Another great method of DDD relief is through spinal-muscle manipulation. This is done through a skilled and licensed massage or chiropractic adjustor. These individuals know to focus either on the inflammatory muscle groups or the misaligned spinal column itself. Either way, you can get some serious relief from pressure after a session, especially if using a warm compress throughout the experience to reduce the swelling.
#4. TENS Manipulation
Lastly, before deciding to perform degenerative disc disease surgery, you should consider the use of a TENS mechanical device. Short for “transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator”, the TENS device works by releasing a continuous electrical pulse throughout the targeted area, providing relief. Generally, the device’s levels can be adjusted to provide just enough relief to function.
If, after considering these different options, and not seeing success with any of them, it may be worth your time to consider going through the surgery, especially as it is commonly used to bring in an artificial disc replacement to relieve compression and reduce swelling in the body.
