Degenerative disc disease isn't a disease in the traditional sense, it's the gradual breakdown of spinal discs over time. The result is thinner, drier discs that compress more easily and cause more pain. Spinal Decompression Therapy addresses both the compression and the conditions that accelerate the degeneration.
Spinal discs are largely avascular, they don't have a direct blood supply. They rely on a process called imbibition: the exchange of nutrients and waste products through movement and pressure changes in the spine. As we age, this process becomes less efficient. Discs lose water content, shrink in height, and become less able to absorb mechanical load.
The result is discs that are more prone to herniation, more likely to allow the vertebrae above and below to compress against each other, and more vulnerable to the kind of chronic low-level inflammation that causes persistent pain. DDD is one of the most common findings on lumbar MRIs in adults over 40, and one of the most under-treated, because patients are often told to manage the pain rather than address the mechanical problem.
Spinal Decompression Therapy creates the negative intradiscal pressure that drives fluid and nutrients back into dehydrated discs. It's not a cure for the aging process, but it may slow the progression of degeneration and reduce pain by improving the disc environment. Class IV Laser Therapy addresses the inflammatory component that makes degenerative discs more painful than they need to be.
DDD often coexists with herniated discs, bulging discs, or facet joint arthritis. Your evaluation will identify which components are driving your pain.
For DDD patients, decompression therapy works cumulatively. Each session creates a brief window of negative pressure that encourages fluid exchange in the disc. Over a course of 20 to 30 sessions, this may improve disc hydration, reduce the compression-related pain, and slow the rate at which the disc continues to degenerate.
Learn MoreClass IV laser therapy targets the chronic low-level inflammation that makes degenerative discs painful out of proportion to what the imaging might suggest. Photobiomodulation has been studied for chronic inflammatory pain conditions and may be particularly useful for DDD patients who have persistent pain despite other conservative measures.
Learn MoreA free consultation lets us review your imaging and explain what decompression therapy and laser therapy may be able to offer for your specific level and degree of degeneration.
Individual results vary. Treatment is recommended only after clinical evaluation.