
Causes and Risk Factors
The most common cause of disc degeneration is aging. With age comes the loss of fluids/water. This means the discs get thinner and provide less protection. The shock absorbers don’t absorb weight, impact, pressure like they used to. However, disc degeneration does not always occur later in life. Genetics can be a catalyst for development when young.Individual environment vs. genetics
- Stresses
- Strains
- Wear
- Tear
- Discs dry out
- Rings crack or tear

Chiropractic Prevention and Preserving The Discs
Individuals need training on proper body posture and body mechanics. A major contributing factor that increases the risk of nerve, spine/back pain due to disc damage. The back/spine should be moved like a crane. This means not bending over at the waist, but squatting down with the hips and knees when lifting an object. Not everything can be done this way, but if an individual can eliminate too much bending at the waist, it will definitely help. Do not neglect the core muscles. Core exercises will maintain the muscles around the waist, which also strengthens the rest of the body. All the muscles front, back, around the trunk, hips, and knees to the chest are all the core muscles.
Healthy Weight Less Spinal Stress
Beyond physical stressors, another important factor in preventing degenerative disc disease is maintaining a proper weight. Society has adapted more and more to a sedentary lifestyle. And home quarantine means being more sedentary. Emotional factors like:- Boredom
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Fatigue

Lifestyle Adjustments Health Coaching
Implementing a preventive lifestyle to prevent degenerative damage is challenging. Everyone really should try to live as healthy a lifestyle they can.Education and training
Continual education on slowing disc degeneration is essential. This is what chiropractic prevention focuses on. Then an individual can begin implementing various tools for avoiding weight gain and learn proper posture and lifting.Quitting smoking
Smoking accelerates the aging process by drying out the tissue, especially the spinal discs. It is known as desiccation and is why smoking is a major risk factor for degenerative disc disease.Disc stress
Anything that stresses the discs for any amount of time can generate pain. For example, standing too long even carefully standing straight can induce discomfort and pain. Sitting can help, but caution needs to be observed. Sitting too long places more pressure on the low back than when standing. There must be a balance between sitting and standing. Experts suggest getting up and moving every 20 to 30 minutes. This is a perfect time to get up and do in-home walking exercises, physical chores, anything that gets the body up and moving around.Stretching
Regular bending and stretching need to become a natural reflex. When the body begins to feel sore, stretch out the area.