Pain relief for worn spinal disks - Austin Daily Herald
By Admin | November 29, 2022
There are 23 disks in the spinal column, running from the base of the skull to the tailbone. There are six cervical, 12 thoracic and five in the lumbar region. They allow the spine to be flexible without sacrificing a great deal of strength. Most importantly, disks are fluid-filled cushions between the bones in your spine.
“Like air bags in a car, disks prevent the vertebrae from hitting each other and are shock absorbers,” says Kendall Snyder, M.D., a neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic Health System. “For most young people, disks are healthy. The disk is flexible with fluid, and it fills the space between the vertebrae and provides necessary cushion to allow their spines to bend and flex fully without pain.”
Kendall Snyder, M.D.
Unfortunately, disks wear out with age and use. About 20% of all U.S. adults have some amount of degeneration by age 65. This increases to about 35% by age 80. This is called degenerative disk disease, which is usually a slow degradation of disks over time.
“Degenerative disk disease is a result of multiple factors, some that can be controlled and others that can’t,” Snyder explains. “Age and time increase the odds of developing degenerative disk disease. Gender plays a factor, as females are more likely than males to develop degenerative disk disease.”
Factors that can be controlled include...(More)
For more info please read, Pain relief for worn spinal disks, by Austin Daily Herald
