How I Cured My Degenerative Disc Disease in Neck

Introduction:

Dealing with degenerative disc disease in the neck can be painful and frustrating. I faced constant discomfort, limited mobility, and the fear that it might only get worse. But through a combination of targeted exercises, posture corrections, and lifestyle changes, I found relief and regained my quality of life. In this video, I’ll share my journey, what worked for me, and how you might find relief too. Let’s get started!

What Causes It?

It’s frequently difficult to pinpoint the precise cause of disc breakage. You may hurt your neck. Even a fall or unexpected blow to the body might do it, as could a simple uncomfortable turn or twist. Sometimes it’s simply getting older. Your discs lose water as you age, making them less flexible and more prone to tearing.

Signs and Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease in the cervical region:

Neck pain that varies greatly in intensity is the main symptom of cervical DDD. This pain may travel from the neck to the hands, arms, or shoulders. Other signs and symptoms include:

• Nerve compression can cause tingling or numbness in the hands, fingers, or arms.
• Weakness in the hand, arm, or shoulder muscles.
• Decreased neck flexibility, which makes head rotation challenging.
• Usually, headaches start at the base of the skull and progress to the forehead.

These symptoms can greatly affect everyday activities and quality of life, and they are frequently made worse by movement.

How Is It Diagnosed?

In addition to testing your reflexes and muscle strength, your doctor will ask you specific questions about your symptoms. To measure how much you can feel, she may push, touch, or rub your skin. Additionally, you could require imaging tests such as an MRI, CT scan, or X-ray.

Treatment:

After receiving a cervical degenerative disc disease diagnosis, you undoubtedly want to know what your choices are for therapy. A deteriorated disc can cause persistent pain, tingling and numbness in the arms, and loss of function, among other symptoms that might interfere with day-to-day functioning.

Thankfully, a variety of therapeutic alternatives are available to help with pain management, symptom reduction, and function restoration. First, let’s talk about prevention.

Modifications to Lifestyle to Enhance Cervical Disc Health:

In the sense that it is not something you get, cervical degenerative disc disease is not a disease. As we age, our discs Automatically deteriorate because of life’s inevitable wear and tear. Damage to the disc can also result in tears that let fluid escape, decreasing the disc’s ability to cushion the vertebrae and applying pressure to nearby nerves.

There are steps you may take, though, to slow down the degenerative process and possibly undo some of the harm the disc breakdown has caused. These actions consist of:

Exercise: One of the best strategies to preserve cervical disc health or lessen degenerative symptoms is to exercise. To start, see your physician to make sure you don’t select an activity that will make your condition worse. Limiting heavy lifting and high-impact activities is often advised. Strength training, daily stretching, and light walking can all help to increase cervical joint flexibility and lessen pain and symptoms.

Hydration: Hydration helps maintain disc health because discs lose water as we age, which lessens their cushioning function. It also helps circulate nutrients and eliminate waste.

Quit smoking: Nicotine decreases bone formation and interferes with the body’s ability to repair. Furthermore, it may reduce the amount of oxygen that reaches the discs, which may hasten their decomposition.

Eat healthy: Eat healthily by limiting alcohol intake, limiting caffeine intake, and ingesting less salt. Consume a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and protein to optimize your body’s capabilities.

Improve your posture: By keeping your head up when you sit, walk, or read, you can improve your posture. By correctly aligning your vertebrae, erect posture will relieve pressure on your discs and avoid straining your muscles.

Your general health and the condition of your cervical discs can both be enhanced by making small adjustments to your daily schedule.

First, explore non-surgical treatment options:

Before considering spine surgery, you might attempt a variety of non-surgical therapy methods. Before choosing a surgical solution, you and your physician should investigate these options.

Pain management: Steroid injections, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen), and narcotics (in moderation) can all help reduce pain while your body heals itself.

Rest: The body can repair itself if the affected joint is left alone and aggravating activities are avoided.

Hot/Cold therapy: To lessen pain and inflammation, use hot or cold therapy.

Physical therapy: To increase joint flexibility and strengthen surrounding muscles.
Alternative therapies, like massage and acupuncture, can help the body repair itself by reducing pain, releasing muscle spasms, and breaking up scar tissue.

Exercises for Neck Pain:

Forward and Backward Tilt

You can perform this while standing or sitting. Make sure your movements are smooth and slow.
Start with your back straight and your head positioned directly over your shoulders.
Hold for 15 to 30 seconds after lowering your chin to your chest. Slowly raise your head back up while you relax.
Bring the base of your skull towards your back and tilt your chin towards the ceiling. After ten seconds of holding, go back to the beginning position.
Do the set multiple times. Do it each day.

Side Tilt

Keep your arms at your sides and your feet hip-width apart as you perform this exercise while standing.
Try to touch your right shoulder with your ear while gently tilting your head in that direction. When you sense the stretch, stop. Keep your shoulders down.
Return to the starting position after holding the stretch for five to ten seconds.
On your left side, repeat. You can get to 10 repetitions by performing multiple sets.
Place the hand on the same side as your tilted head on top of your head and apply light pressure with your fingertips for more stretch.

Side Rotation

This can be done standing or sitting.
Maintain a straight back and place your head directly over your shoulders.
Turn your head slowly to the right until your shoulder and neck start to stretch.
After holding the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, carefully raise your head once more.
On your left side, repeat. Perform as many as ten sets.

Shoulder Roll

It’s preferable to do this standing up.
Straighten your shoulders and continue moving them in a circle. Repeat six times.
To return to the starting point and complete six more circles, this time in reverse.

Neck Retraction

The goal of this stretch is to pull your head and neck back. You can execute this workout either sitting or standing.
Tuck your chin down a little and look straight ahead.
As though you were attempting to make a double chin, slowly pull your head and chin backward. Without straining, pull back as far as you can.
Avoid raising your head to the front or back.
Hold for three to five seconds.
Return your head to its initial position.
Ten to fifteen times, repeat.

Your head hanging forward in front of your shoulders is known as forward head posture, and this can help correct it.

Towel Pull

You will need a rolled-up towel for this stretch. Get to your feet and look directly ahead.
Using your hands to keep both ends straight, wrap the rolled-up towel around the back of your neck.
Look up as far as you can while tilting your head back.
To ensure that the towel continues to support your head and neck as you move, raise your hands as you gaze up.
Continue to gently tug on the towel.
Bring your head back down to the beginning position after raising it.
Do this ten times.

Chin Tucks

Similar to neck retraction, this exercise is performed while in a supine position.
Place yourself on your back.
As much as you can, pull your chin down and backward.
Hold it for one to five seconds, then let go.
Do this ten times.

Neck Isometrics

A set of exercises called neck isometrics will help you keep your neck stronger and more flexible. One of these is chin tucks, which involve bending your head as far back as you can. Isometric flexion involves applying pressure to your forehead with your palm, against your head, and other positions; neck flexion involves bending your neck forward and returning to its initial position.

Scalene Stretch

Keep your back straight and remain seated or standing. As you experience the stretch, tilt your head in the direction of your left shoulder. Now turn your head just a little bit further to the left so you can see over your shoulder. Then, to enhance the feeling on the left side of your neck, lift your chin a little. The process should be repeated on the other side.

Shoulder Blade Squeeze

With your elbow bent and your palm facing forward, raise your arms to shoulder height while maintaining a straight posture. Squeeze your shoulder blades together while extending your arms back. Return to the beginning position after holding this position for roughly ten seconds. Do this about five times.

This exercise not only relieves neck pain but also strengthens the muscles in the chest and helps with posture.

Levator Scapulae Stretch

Unwind your upper body while seated in a chair. To your left, tilt your head down at a 45-degree angle. Now slowly pull your head further down with your left hand. As your neck starts to lengthen, be careful not to put too much pressure on it. After about 20 seconds of holding this position, let go. Proceed to the opposite side and repeat the exercise.

Upper Trapezius Stretch

Be relaxed and sit up straight. Slowly tilt your head to the left until your ear touches your shoulder. Gently push your head towards your shoulder with your left hand. After ten to fifteen seconds of holding this position, ease into your sat position. The steps on the right side should then be repeated. This relieves neck pain by relaxing the muscles in the neck.

When is it time to have surgery?

Before choosing to have surgery, several requirements should be fulfilled. Among them are:

• Persistent pain following several months of non-surgical interventions
• Growing or incapacitating pain
• Danger of spinal cord or nerve injury
• Pain that gets in the way of day-to-day activities
• Dysfunction of neurons

It might be time for surgery if you meet these requirements even after trying non-surgical solutions.

Which Surgical Procedures Are Available to Treat My Degenerated Disc?

Cervical degenerative disc disease is typically treated with one of three surgical techniques. Below is a synopsis of each:

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF): The operation known as Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) involves making an incision in the front of the neck, removing the damaged disc, replacing it with a graft, and then using screws and a metal plate to fuse the adjacent cervical vertebrae. Although the technique decreases flexibility at the location, it provides stability to the joint.

Cervical Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR): The injured disc is extracted and replaced with an artificial disc that functions as a stress absorber for the vertebrae, simulating the natural disc. The primary benefits of ADR over ACDF are that it avoids the problems related to bone grafting and preserves the cervical joints’ flexibility rather than fusing them. In addition to reducing the chance of future wearouts of nearby neck levels, patients may heal more quickly.

Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy: When bone spurs from degenerative disc degeneration have compressed the nerves, a posterior cervical foraminotomy may be an option. This procedure can be a useful, less invasive way to relieve nerve pain because it doesn’t require any “parts” or “pieces.”

Activities to help maintain a healthy spine:

The following essential routines will help you maintain a healthy spine and lower your chance of developing issues in the future:

• Remain active: Work out frequently, preferably for 30 minutes most days of the week. Select low-impact exercises such as Pilates, yoga, cycling, walking, or swimming.
• Enhance your posture by strengthening your neck muscles, which also support your spine. Perform exercises regularly.
• Maintain proper posture by standing tall, with your shoulders relaxed, your chin tucked in, and your core active. When standing or sitting, try not to slouch or hunch over.
• Stretch regularly: Regular stretching helps keep your spine flexible and range of motion, which lessens stiffness and helps you avoid injury.

Conclusion

The progressive disorder known as cervical degenerative disc disease can cause severe pain and disability. Early intervention and efficient therapy of this disorder depends on an understanding of its signs and complications.

People with cervical DDD can control their symptoms and lead active lives with the correct combination of therapy. Nevertheless, in extreme situations, surgery can offer the required alleviation and stop additional degenerative changes in the spine.

FAQs

References

• Head turns ET. (n.d.). [Video]. Hingehealth. https://www.hingehealth.com/resources/articles/degenerative-disc-disease-in-neck/
• Back pain: common spine problems. (2019, February 14). eMedicineHealth. https://www.emedicinehealth.com/common_back_pain_spine_problems/article_em.htm
• Things to Avoid with Degenerative Disc Disease- Spine. MD. (2024, March 7). Spine Surgery. https://www.spine.md/insights/things-to-avoid-with-degenerative-disc-disease
• Cervical disc treatment: Managing neck pain at home. (n.d.). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/managing-neck-pain-home
• The Nerve & Disc Institute. (2024, May 21). Cervical degenerative disc disease. https://nervediscinstitute.com/blog/cervical-degenerative-disc-disease/