Causes of Degenerative Disc Disease and Understanding Cervical Nerve Anatomy
The vertebral disc in the spine is an interesting and unique structure. The discs throughout the spine have three primary functions:
- They act as a shock absorbers in the spine, positioned between each bony vertebra.
- They act as tough ligaments that hold the vertebrae of the spine together.
- They are cartilaginous joints that allow for slight mobility in the spine.
There are a total of 23 vertebral discs in the spinal column. Specific problems with any of these discs may prompt unique symptoms, including pain that originates in the disc itself and/or pain that is related to the disc pressing on a nearby nerve.
There are 8 pairs of spinal nerves in the cervical spine, labeled C1 to C8. Each one is named after the vertebra beneath it, except the C8 nerves, which are above the T1 vertebra. These nerves play important roles in sending messages to and from the spinal cord, enabling the brain to communicate with parts of the upper body. The spinal cord starts at the base of the brain, runs throughout the cervical and thoracic spine, and typically ends at the lower part of the thoracic spine.
The spinal cord does not run through the lumbar spine (lower back). After the spinal cord stops in the lower thoracic spine, the nerve roots from the lumbar and sacral levels come off the bottom of the cord like a “horse's tail” (named the cauda equina) and exit the spine.
Causes of Disc Degeneration
Over time, spinal discs dehydrate and become stiffer, causing the disc to be less able to adjust to compression. While this is a natural aging process, as the disc degenerates in some individuals, it can become painful. Degenerative disc disease is one of the most common causes of low back and neck pain, and also one of the most misunderstood.
Simply put, degenerative disc disease refers to symptoms of back or neck pain caused by wear-and-tear on a spinal disc. In some cases, degenerative disc disease also causes weakness, numbness, and hot, shooting pains in the arms or legs (radicular pain). Degenerative disc disease typically consists of a low-level chronic pain with intermittent episodes of more severe pain.
The most likely reason for this is that the degeneration can produce micromotion instability and the inflammatory proteins (the soft inner core of the disc) probably leak out of the disc space and inflame the various nerve and nerve fibers in and around the disc. Sometimes a twisting injury damages the disc and starts a cascade of events that leads to degeneration.
The goals of degenerative disc disease treatment are primarily to reduce baseline pain and prevent pain flare-ups as much as possible. Most cases of degenerative disc pain are manageable through a combination of pain management methods, exercise/physical therapy, and lifestyle modifications.
A key method to manage the pain and treat degenerative disc disease is: Manual manipulation. A chiropractor or spine specialist can manually adjust the spinal structures to relieve muscle tension, remove pressure from a nerve root, and relieve tension in the joints. Manual manipulation can provide temporary pain relief and improved mobility, and for some patients has been shown to be as effective as pain medications.
Posted In:
Spinal Manipulation
pain relief
Range of Motion
Degenerative Disc Disease
Spinal Anatomy