Degenerative disc disease can be a very painful and life-altering condition, but there are methods for preventing degenerative disc disease or at least alleviating it. While age-related degeneration or genetic factors cannot be changed or reversed, there is plenty that is within your control to change.
Risk Factors for Degenerative Disc Disease
In order to understand what we can do to prevent our likelihood of developing degenerative disc disease, we need to know what risk factors are associated with it. Although there are many factors that can cause degenerative disc disease, and not all of them are preventable, there are some risk factors that may be helpful to be aware of.
Being overweight can put extra stress on your back, adding to the potential for spinal disc damage. Your occupation may also be placing added stress on your spinal discs and increase your risk of developing degenerative discs. Occupations that require repetitive lifting, pulling, pushing, bending sideways, bending forward, twisting, or sitting for long periods of time increase your risk. Some examples of these high-risk occupations include long-haul truck drivers, construction workers, warehouse workers, bus drivers, nurses, and office personnel. Smoking also increases your risk by decreasing the amount of oxygen supplied to spinal discs, which causes them to break down.2
Preventing and Living With Degenerative Disc Disease
There are several lifestyle changes you can make to decrease your risk or potentially even prevent degenerative disc disease from developing. If you are already living with this condition, these lifestyle changes can still help you in alleviating your pain or stopping it from becoming worse.
- Weight. Being overweight places increased stress on your spinal discs, so making an effort to maintain a healthy weight will be helpful in the prevention of degenerative disc disease.
- Smoking. If you currently smoke, you should seriously consider quitting, especially if you have a family history of degenerative disc disease, which makes your risk even higher.
- Exercise. Exercise is also an important part of anyone’s lifestyle, regardless of your risk of degenerative disc disease. If your goal in exercise is the prevention of this condition, focus on exercises that strengthen the trunk muscles in order to stabilize and support your spine, such as walking, swimming, yoga, pilates, and cycling.1
- Good posture and form. You should also take precautions to maintain good posture, in order to lessen the pressure placed on your spinal discs. This is especially important if you find yourself sitting for long periods of time, as sitting places three times as much stress on your spine as standing. Also, remember to lift with your legs whenever you pick up heavy objects in order to protect your spine.
- Occupation. Although it’s not realistic to simply change your job if it puts you at risk for degenerative disc disease, being mindful and careful of your posture, or using safety equipment for added support such as lumbar support belts or back support attachments for chairs, will be helpful.
Remember, moderation is the most important thing to keep in mind. Although living a mostly sedentary lifestyle will increase your chances of developing degenerative disc disease, being too active and working too hard can cause wear and tear that will lead to discs becoming degenerated as well, so finding a healthy balance is key.
- Felman, A. (2018, January 17). All About Degenerative Disc Disease. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266630#exercises
- Herniated disk. (2019, September 26). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/herniated-disk/symptoms-causes/syc-20354095
