Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is a condition that affects a significant percentage of the adult population all over the world. The condition involves the deformation of the fluid-filled sacks called discs that separate the vertebrae. According to an in demand chiropractor in Denver near me, the discs can endure a lot; therefore, the affection develops over the course of decades and usually aggravates slowly – here are the stages of the affection:
- Stage 1 – in this incipient phase, the balance of the spine becomes affected, with the nerves, discs and the overall posture suffering minor, usually invisible changes. The condition in this phase is usually not accompanied by any pain, only by minor discomfort;
- Stage 2 – the most common symptoms of this phase are discomfort, minor pain and general fatigue caused by the muscles and the ligaments in the spine trying to correct the incorrect posture;
- Stage 3 – in this phase, posture deteriorates even further as nerve compression becomes worse. This stage is also associated with severe pain that in many cases radiates into the hips and the legs. If left untreated, the condition might lead to pain that affects the neck as well as the shoulders and the arms and it might transform into even more severe affections, such as spinal stenosis or osteoarthritis in the spine.