DGG

Degenerative disc disease refers to any condition where the spinal discs are degenerating or degrading, often causing back pain. This interactive video provides information on spinal anatomy and how degenerative disc disease affects the vertebrae and spinal discs. It also gives an in-depth overview of symptoms associated with degenerative disc disease.

http://www.spine-health.com/video/degenerative-disc-disease-interactive-video

Rhode Island Spine Problem Help

 There are many different terms used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain, such as "herniated disc", "pinched nerve", and "bulging disc", and all are used differently by doctors. Learn the difference:

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/whats-a-herniated-disc-pinched-nerve-bulging-disc

What is Degenerative Disc Disease?

Degenerative disc disease is one of the most common causes of low back pain, and also one of the most misunderstood. Many patients diagnosed with low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease are left wondering exactly what this diagnosis means for them. Learn what you can expect to experience moving forward after your initial diagnosis.

Featured Article:
What is Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative Disc Disease Treatment for Low Back Pain
Although degenerative disc disease can cause lower back pain symptoms over a long period of time, the good news is that the pain is usually manageable with various nonsurgical treatment options, including exercise, massage, and chiropractic. Learn More…

Living with Degenerative Disc Disease
Learn the key components of a self-care program you can undertake to manage the pain of degenerative disc disease, including components such as pain reduction, exercise and rehabilitation, behavior modifications, and nutrition. Learn More…

Deciding on Surgery for Degenerative Disc Disease
If ongoing severe, disabling pain from degenerative disc disease and associated symptoms (e.g., numbness, tingling, difficulty sitting), it is sometimes not possible to wait for non-surgical therapy to work, and surgery may be your next course of action. Learn More…

There are many different terms used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain, such as "herniated disc", "pinched nerve", and "bulging disc", and all are used differently by doctors. Learn the difference:

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/whats-a-herniated-disc-pinched-nerve-bulging-disc

M6-C Artificial Disk Trial

Featured Clincial Trial Neck or arm pain? Do you suffer from arm numbness, tingling and/or weakness? Are you considering an artificial cervical disc? Right now spine specialists around the United States are accepting patient's diagnosed with or who may have spinal stenosis for the M6-C Artificial Disc Trial. You may be eligible to participate in a clinical research study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Spinal Kinetics M6-C artificial cervical disc* compared to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). This study is for patients diagnosed with symptomatic degenerative cervical radiculopathy, with or without spinal cord compression, at one vertebral level. The sponsor of this new clinical study is Spinal Kinetics, Inc. Learn more about the M6-C Artificial Cervical Disc, the Clinical Study and find Study locations. * Note: the M6-C is limited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigational use at selected clinical trial sites only.

Is a Herniated Disc Causing Your Pain?

There are many different terms used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain, including "herniated disc," "pinched nerve," and "bulging disc." Rather than try to reconcile the terminology, it's more useful to gain an understanding of the actual cause of the pain. Learn the differences between a herniated disc and a pinched nerve and how each is most effectively treated.

Featured Article:
What's a Herniated Disc, Pinched Nerve, Bulging Disc…?

Chiropractic manages pain naturally

“Almost everyone can benefit from chiropractic,” says Dr. Nancy J. Trimboli, owner of Trimboli Chiropractic with offices in Munster and Cedar Lake, about managing pain. “Every person on the planet has had a fall, has done sports, and has been involved in a vehicle crash of some type, however minor. These bumps and bruises of life cause spinal misalignments which irritate or interrupt normal joint function and nerve function. If left uncorrected, this will definitely lead to problems. Chiropractors correct those misalignments, allowing the body to heal and function normally. It’s a simple concept yet the ramifications are huge.”

According to Trimboli, chiropractic care has shown through individual patient cases and published research to be not only highly effective for long term back—and other--pain resolution, but to be highly cost effective.

“We have helped countless numbers of people over the years avoid surgery,” she says. “Back surgery obviously should be a last resort. You should do every treatment possible prior to surgery. That should include Chiropractic, massage therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, even yoga and other exercise. There are specific reasons to have back surgery and pain is not on that list. This is because you most certainly will have pain after back surgery from the surgery itself.”

But that doesn’t mean surgery isn’t totally off the table in certain cases.

“If someone has a progressive muscle weakness or loss of sensation that does not improve with conservative care, they may need a surgical intervention,” says Trimboli. “Also, you need to remember that most people have multiple issues creating their discomfort. Sciatic type pain can be caused from the nerve as it exits the spine, or from disc issue, from a pelvic misalignment, from a muscle spasm, or adhesions on the nerve itself. Chiropractic can address all of these issues, where surgery may only address one of them.”

This approach to pain management has long been a goal for Trimboli who knew from a young age she wanted to work the in medical field. Despite achieving high grades, after completing her undergraduate studies in pre-med, Trimboli decided attending med school was not for her. When a friend’s mother suggested she talk to a chiropractor, it didn’t take long for Trimboli to realize that was the field for her.

“Even when I was 18 I knew there had to be a different way,” she says. “I wanted to study a style of healing that was different than drugs and surgery.”

Choosing chiropractic school, Trimboli spent the first three years taking the same courses and using the same books as medical students. It was then that chiropractic and medical studies began to differ. That divergence formed the foundation for her work. Her mission, she says, is giving to people, young and old, the power and knowledge of chiropractic, so that they may get their greatest enjoyment out of life.

“We offer low force chiropractic adjustments for infants, children and adults,” says Trimboli noting that means there is ‘no popping’ when adjustments are made. “To help us in our work, we have 15 massage therapists on staff that do therapeutic massage, myofascial release, lymphatic drainage, and cranial sacral therapy. Our trainers teach our patients effective at-home exercises to stretch and strengthen spinal muscles. Modalities, such as cold laser therapy, help patients to feel better more quickly and heal more completely.”

It’s also important for people to work at keeping their spines remain flexible and functional including doing specific stretches at home on a routine basis to alleviate or prevent pain.

“Exercise by doing something you enjoy,” says Trimboli. “Challenge your balance and strengthen your core with a yoga, tai chi or Pilates class. Ask for help when lifting things or doing heavy work that you don’t often do. Watch your diet and avoid foods that inflame the spinal joints, which for everyone is sugar.”

Persistent leg pain, chiropractic terms, and spinal stenosis

While the term “stenosis” comes from Greek and means a “choking”, spinal stenosis, however, has little in common with choking. So what is spinal stenosis?

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/spinal-stenosis/what-spinal-stenosis

Persistent leg pain that is aggravated by walking could be a sign of lumbar stenosis. Read more about how to diagnose this painful condition.

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/spinal-stenosis/lumbar-spinal-stenosis-a-definitive-guide

There are many different terms used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain, such as "herniated disc", "pinched nerve", and "bulging disc", and all are used differently by doctors. Learn the difference:

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/whats-a-herniated-disc-pinched-nerve-bulging-disc