Over time, many people find that their back and spine start to develop problems. The condition referred to as degenerative disc disease (DDD) isn’t actually a disease at all. Instead, in this condition, key parts of your spinal column break down and deteriorate over time, leaving you struggling with back pain or weakness, or without your full range of motion.
At Performance Spine & Sports Medicine, our team of board-certified doctors is ready to help you explore treatment options for your DDD. We have six facilities that support patients in three states.
Our expert care team, led by Suzanne Manzi, MD, and Matthias Wiederholz, MD, can help diagnose and treat your back pain and spinal conditions.
Your spine contains many small, delicate parts that work together to support the weight of your head and torso, and control many of your motions and sensory inputs. These include multiple bones, spacing discs, and thousands of tiny nerves.
In between the many small bones of your spine, called vertebrae, you can find cushioning discs. Made of cartilage, these discs allow your spine to bend with a full range of motion, all the while protecting your spinal bones from grinding against each other.
Because your spine contains many nerves, and controls many essential functions to keep you moving, spinal problems can be a real pain in the neck.
Your discs can become herniated, bulging out of correct alignment. Your spine might be damaged by a fall or injury, but time and stress can also break down your spinal discs, leading to DDD. Your symptoms might be mild or severe, but will tend to worsen with age, and can eventually become debilitating.
When your spinal discs start to break down, the grinding and dysfunction in your spine can cause symptoms including pain, particularly felt radiating down your leg, as well as weakness or numbness.
At Performance Spine & Sports Medicine, we offer multiple treatment options to address your DDD, relieve spine pain, and restore your spinal function. Depending on your condition, we may recommend treatment options including:
You may also benefit from stem cell therapy, which shows promise as a way to regenerate the cartilage of your intervertebral spinal discs.
To find out more about your treatment options for DDD, contact the experts at Performance Spine & Sports Medicine today. Our team can diagnose the cause of your back pain problems and help you put together the best treatment plan to restore your spinal structure and function.
You can schedule a consultation by calling the office most convenient for you or requesting an appointment online today.
