Degenerative Disc Disease
As you grow older, the discs that separate the vertebrae in your spine begin to wear out and compress more than normal. This is referred to as degenerative disc disease.
Degenerative disc disease is one of the most common structural abnormalities that is incorrectly blamed on causing back pain and neck pain. Degenerative disc disease is also very misunderstood.
It seems logical that if you suffer lower back pain and your MRI or CT scan shows degenerative disc disease in the same area that would be the cause of your pain and other symptoms. However, the latest science, neuroscience and treatment experience has debunked that old-style thinking.
The diagnosis of degenerative disc disease describes the signs of discomfort that can include pain, tingling, burning, numbness and/or weakness that is incorrectly blamed on a deteriorated disc in the spine. While the interpretation seems simple, many patients diagnosed with degenerative disc are left questioning exactly what this medical diagnosis means for them, and whether they can eliminate their pain rather than fight the daily battle through pain management.
Degenerative Disc Disease rarely is the cause of any discomfort
For most people the term degenerative would suggest that the signs will certainly get worse with age. However, the term does not apply to the symptoms, but rather describes the condition of the disc degeneration over time. Since the disc is rarely the cause of pain this has no impact on your life. It’s similar to gray hair. Gray hair is a sign of aging and it does progress. However, it does nothing negatively to your ability to live.
One more unnecessary source of confusion is created by the term disease, which is in fact a misnomer. Degenerative disc disease is not truly a disease. Rather, it is a degenerative condition that very rarely creates discomfort.
Traditional Treatment for Degenerative Disc Disease
Surgery is often recommended to “cure” degenerative disc disease. Studies show that surgery is generally unsuccessful and can be extremely dangerous. Since science has shown that the disc is rarely the cause of pain surgery is another form of symptom management. When only the symptom is addressed any results are generally short-term.
Physical therapy is another approach. The goals of exercise are both to aid the back in recovery, as well as avoiding or reducing further reoccurrences of pain. For individuals with symptomatic degenerative discs, exercises are usually most ideally done under the advice of a physical therapist or other suitably educated health care specialist. But once again, since this only addresses the symptoms this is old-school pain management and not a permanent solution.
MODERN BREAKTHROUGH AND MORE EFFECTIVE THERAPY
Remember this before seeking treatment for degenerated discs... 2 out of 3 people who have NEVER had pain or other symptoms have tendonitis, spinal stenosis, bulging discs, herniated discs, and other structural abnormalities like degenerated discs.
So what does this mean for you?
It means that while the MRI may show these structural abnormalities exist, they almost never have anything to do with the cause of your pain. If they did, all those millions of people wouldn’t be completely free of pain. That’s why everything you’ve tried so far has only provided some temporary relief.
Then the pain and other symptoms come rushing back again and again...
The latest neuroscience studies have shown that the cause of pain, and other symptoms based on structure and physiology, actually have a psycho-physical cause associated with stress and tension.
You already know that stress and tension exacerbate your pain. What you’ve never known before right now is that what causes your stress and tension is what actually causes your pain. The same pain that is almost always incorrectly blamed on your disc.
Over 30 years of scientific and neuroscientific research have determined this outcome. The biggest benefit for you is that the real cause of most pain has been determined. You have new options to relieve your pain that were completely unavailable before. This stops the days of ongoing pain management and adds the possibility for millions of people to use a conservative, safe and proven method to permanently eliminate their pain and other symptoms.
A purely intellectual and emotion focused approach pioneered by Dr. John Sarno in the 1970’s has proven exceptionally effective for people diagnosed with bulging disc, herniated disc, fibromyalgia, spinal stenosis, radiculopathy, whiplash, sciatica, migraine headaches and other incomplete diagnoses.
While most doctors are not aware of this concept, millions of people have been helped through the work of Dr. Sarno and many other doctors and experts since then. You too can benefit by opening up your mind to this alternate reason for your pain and the simple approach to ending your symptoms.
The downside is that not everyone can be pain free. The upside is that there is a Pain Test that has been scientifically developed to provide an objective result based on your specific situation. This will provide you exactly what you need to know about whether or not you can permanently end your pain.
