Thoracic Degenerative Disc Disease
It sounds worse than it is! Here at The Back and Body Clinic we actually spend most of our time reassuring patients that come into us worried about their diagnosis of DDD (Degenera
tive DiscDisease) and explaining it is part of the natural aging process (sadly!) but that certainly doesn’t mean a life time of pain.
Your discs are the shock absorbing structures that lie between each vertebra, allowing movement, absorbing shock and providing stability to your spine. They are the things that allow us to jump and bound, taking the shock out of the impact. As we age, the discs will become ‘degenera
tive’ however, that doesn’t mean they are not as strong. They are! Sometimes through, the degenerative process occurs as a result of ‘over doing it’ (usually in the garden!) and the discs become painf
ul. Once they are painful, movements like bending or sit to stand,slumped sitting, lifting, carrying, weightlifting, coughing, sneezing, straining and su
dden forced movements can aggravate the discs. This can also cause pain in the mid back that can radiate through to the chest.
The good news is that with the right treatment, advice, exercises and not ‘over doing it’ (in the garden!) most DDD disorders quieten down so much you won’t even know it’s there! Our therapists are so good at treating DDD, even the most worried patients see huge improvements.