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Understanding Degenerative Disc and Joint Disease

by | Feb 7, 2017 | Back Pain, Degenerative Disc Disease | 0 comments

This post is part of our complete guide to Back Pain Treatment in Medical Lake & Spokane. Browse the guide for more in-depth information on treatments, exercises, and recovery strategies.

Understanding Degenerative Disc and Joint Disease

 
There often is much confusion that arises around the terms Degenerative Disk Disease (DDD) and Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD). Many people are diagnosed with both conditions so they may think that the two are just terms for the same disease. Both can affect the cervical spine and the lumbar spine which would cause neck and low back pain, respectively. However, DDD can only occur in the disks of the spine while DJD can happen in any joint of the body INCLUDING the facet joints in adjacent vertebrae. When DJD occurs in that area along with DDD, you have one undermined spine that can be in a lot of pain!
 
The term “degenerative” means it’s a gradual deterioration of the organ, or in this case, the spinal disc and facet joints because of aging, injury, or both. Osteoarthritis of the facet joints is a form of DJD.
 
You may experience debilitating pain and cannot do things that you previously do. Even such a small task as waking up every morning can be problematic! If you have ever felt any of the symptoms like neck and low back pain mentioned above or have started as stiffness and soreness of the muscles that can often transition to numbness, weakness, tingling and disabling pain, you may want to consult a doctor.
 
We at RMI could not emphasize enough the need to have a thorough individual medical examination to determine which type of treatment is best for you. Understanding the cause of your symptoms will ultimately lower the money you spend on medication and will lead you to a better road to recovery, or at the very least, life-changing improvement of your condition.

Ready to feel better?

The team at Essential Health Group can help. Same-week appointments available in Medical Lake & Spokane.

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Can Regenerative Medicine Help?

Research suggests that low back pain associated with DDD can be traced to problems of the spinal ligaments. This is because these very ligaments are the one that holds the spine firmly. Any defect of the spine is essentially a defect of the ligaments. In this case, a form of treatment called Prolozone might be utilized. Prolozone encourages the reconstruction of ligaments by using collagen-forming substances and ozone gas.
Here at RMI, our group of experts are trained in the field of regenerative medicine and the majority of patients we have treated have had their lives drastically transformed using this cutting-edge technology. Why don’t you  experience it for yourself?
 

Ready to feel better?

Our team at Essential Health Group in Medical Lake & Spokane is here to help. Same-week appointments available.

Schedule Your Appointment →

Further Reading: Back Pain

→ Complete Guide: Back Pain Treatment in Medical Lake & Spokane