Micromotion & Degenerative Disc Disease [DDD]
Posted , 4 users are following.
Been reading about micromotion in DDD where one gets some level of baseline chronic pain in their lower back with episodes of severe lower back pain that could be caused by the abnormal micromotion of a deteriorating or damaged disc and the surrounding spinal elements.
Weakened discs can lead to lower back pain. Overtime, a disc will dehydrate and the annulus fibrosus will weaken, when a weakened disc can no longer provide the proper support required for a vertebral segment, abnormal micromotion within the disc can occur.
In an effort to stabilize your spine and halt motion within the vertebral segment, the body may react with muscle spasms.
Additonally, the tiny nerve fibres that innervate the annulus fibrosus can be irritated as a disc degenerates, bulges or ruptures and inflammation-inducing proteins are released from the disc.
The instability, muscle spasms and inflammation caused by abnormal micromotion are typically at the root of the episodic severe lower back pain in patients with DDD.
Episodes of moderate to severe pain caused by micromotion can cause inflammation to last a few days to a few months until you return to your baseline chronic discomfort. Fortunately, any DDD symptoms may actually discrease over time because as a disc dries out, it loses its inflammation-inducing proteins and collapses into a stable position, halting abnormal movement within the vertebral segment. Nerve compression symptoms could continue to persist if disc material continues to interfere with neural components in the spine.
I found this to make some sense as to why varying levels of pain are felt and a scan has revealed disc degeneration in my spine and of course the car crash did not help when I sustained a compression L1 fracture.
Google more on micromotion in DDD.
0 likes, 6 replies
Laura3333 diana57263
Posted
Really interesting Diana, as I've got older, my daily pain is not as bad as it used to be, but still have acute episodes, this would partly explain that. I have had DDD for years.
diana57263 Laura3333
Posted
...yes Laura this info does have some bearing, it explains the mechanical process further - I'm glad I stumbled across it.
Laura3333 diana57263
Posted
Funny, when I was younger and a lot worse, had surgeries- multiple, and remember pain specialist telling me when I was older the pain will not be as bad if any consolation- it wasn't. But reading that, he was right.
Never heard of micro motion before.
Carolineq8 Laura3333
Posted
Very interesting, thank you 😊
Alley2020 diana57263
Posted
Great info - thanks
don't mind getting older if it means less pain ;-)
diana57263
Posted
MSM [methylsulfonylmethane] - has many health benefits and one being it constributes to the synovial fluid in and around our joints/discs. MSM helps with chronic pain, osteoathritis, acts against inflammation of joints, helps towards fracture healing, osteoporosis, builds collagen and much more, google for more info. I'm starting taken MSM again with the hope it will help with my degenerative spine pain.....will update if it does!