After a Degenerative Disc Disease Diagnosis
If you’ve just received a degenerative disc disease diagnosis, you’ll want to speak with your primary care physician or spine specialist about what steps you should take to help treat the condition. Degenerative disc disease is characterized by the deterioration of intervertebral discs and the resulting effects it can have on other spinal components. Regardless of the amount of degeneration present in the spine, the condition can remain completely asymptomatic in one patient and cause varying degrees of pain in another. The combination of treatments that your doctor suggests will hinge on your overall health, lifestyle, and the severity and frequency of your symptoms.
Exploring Treatment Options with Your Doctor
Your doctor will likely suggest that you first begin a regimen of conservative treatments. These are nonsurgical methods – such as pain medication, physical therapy, low-impact exercise, and electrical nerve stimulation – and are typically successful at alleviating degenerative disc disease symptoms. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that some treatment methods may work better than others. You should be prepared to discuss which methods improve or worsen your symptoms with your doctor, who can recommend new or different combinations of treatments to help you find the most pain relief. With the guidance of your doctor and a natural health practitioner, you may also choose to explore alternative, all-natural treatments, such as:
- Massage
- Acupuncture
- Chiropractic adjustments
- Relaxation techniques
- Herbal supplements
These treatments take a holistic approach to pain relief and, as such, the true efficacy of alternative methods is debated within the mainstream medical community.
Will You Need Surgery?
The majority of patients who receive a degenerative disc disease diagnosis will not require surgery. As long as you maintain an open dialogue with your doctor, monitor your symptoms, and follow your doctor-prescribed treatments, you will likely experience significant relief after several weeks or months. Surgery may only become an option if symptoms persist or worsen.
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