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Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease
What is Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease?CDDD is not a disease at all. Instead, it is simply a description of the normal processes which act upon the intervertebral discs in the neck. Disc degeneration occurs in every person on Earth and is most prevalent in the lumbar and cervical regions, since these are the spinal areas which bend and flex the most often. CDDD is not inherently painful or problematic and is extremely rarely the actual cause of serious or ongoing pain of any kind. However, CDDD is a common back pain scapegoat condition often blamed for pain when a more obvious source is not available.Cervical DDD ProcessCervical discs degenerate through a normal series of spinal processes. As they age, these discs lose their ability to retain moisture within the nucleus pulposus. This makes these already small discs shrink even more, in height, circumference and diameter. Smaller discs mean reduced protection for incidental bone on bone contact between cervical vertebrae. Increased bone interaction can produce spinal osteoarthritis, although this is also a normal process and rarely produces serious symptoms. In some cases, osteophytes (bone spurs) may form in particular areas of the vertebrae and become a problem for unfortunate patients. However, most osteophyte growth is not a concern and will not cause any painful symptoms.Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease AdviceCDDD is a normal part of the aging process which makes its mark on most individuals by the age of 30 or so. Some people are far more susceptable to developing early CDDD and some are more prone to developing problematic CDDD. This diagnosis is virtually never the actual reason for severe or chronic back pain, although it is commonly made as an exclusive problematic condition. If you have had your chronic disc pain blamed on CDDD, you owe it to yourself to learn the facts about the condition and why it is not typically responsible for pain in the vast majority of patients. Most individuals with any form of diagnosed degenerative disc disease respond very well to knowledge therapy, since this treatment is especially effective at dispelling the myths and fears associated with DDD. For the very few patients who are experiencing actual ongoing pain from an abnormal and advanced case of disc degeneration, spinal decompression demonstrates good curative results. This treatment gets my recommendation over any form of disc surgery virtually every time.10/28/08 Revised 12/3/09
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