How to Manage Degenerative Disk and Joint Disease

As you age, there are a lot of diseases that you can encounter. There are some that are unavoidable since these come with aging but there are others that you can prevent while you are still young. Two common disorders that you should know about are degenerative disk disease and degenerative joint disease.

Degenerative disk disease (DDD) or also called spondylosis is a condition that happens when the cartilages in the intervertebral discs of the vertebrae become weak and fragile. This gradual deterioration will lead to wear and tear of the vertebrae which is partially composed of cartilage. This condition is common in older people because of the years that these body parts have been strained, overused or even misused. This happens because the flexibility and elasticity of the discs are lost as a person ages. These will also become thinner when they are dehydrated which make them lose their shock absorbing characteristics.

The most common symptom of degenerative disk disease is chronic pain that starts at the lower part of the back then radiating to the hips. During walking, you will also feel pain on your buttocks and thighs. In some, there may be weakness or tingling sensations at the knees. The pain can also be felt when you are doing other activities such as bending, lifting or even sitting. As the condition worsens, the pain can radiate to the upper back, the shoulders, the hands and arms. When neck pain causes an interruption in the blood supply to the brain, other symptoms will include vertigo, headache and disturbances with cognitive abilities. The treatment of degenerative disc disease includes physical therapy, traction, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and chiropractic treatments such as chiropractic manipulative therapy. If the condition is severe and the treatments are not effective after three months, surgery can be recommended.

Degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis is another condition that commonly occurs with aging. It is one of the forms of arthritis occurring when cartilage in the joints are worn down due to inflammation, overuse and straining. The most common affected areas are the hands, the knees, hips, neck and the lower back. Just like with spondylosis, the most common symptom of degenerative joint disease is pain that will lead to inability to use the affected area as well as stiffness. This is usually described as a burning sensation or a sharp pain which is often accompanied by a crackling sound when you move the affected area. There can also be muscle spasms and contractions on the affected areas.

For degenerative joint disease, the treatment is focused on reducing the severity of joint pain such that you are still able to do your activities of daily living and for the increase in muscular support. Analgesics are usually given such as Aspirin and Rimadyl as well as corticosteroids to decrease the inflammation. It is important to maintain your activities such that the affected areas are moved to avoid contractures. Swimming is one of the recommended activities since this does not require too much weight-bearing. Surgery is only recommended if all other treatment methods have been exhausted but are not yet effective.

Although these disorders are unavoidable since they come with old age, there are ways on how you can lessen your chances of having them. You should maintain a healthy lifestyle by having a healthy diet as well as a healthy weight while having regular exercises. This way, you are avoiding joint contractures and other significant risk factors for degenerative disk disease and degenerative joint disease.