Degenerative Disc Disease and Scoliosis Explained

The most common type of adult scoliosis is idiopathic scoliosis that’s pre-existing from adolescence. When scoliosis develops in adulthood with no prior history, degenerative de novo scoliosis is diagnosed, and degenerative disc disease is a common contributing factor.

Scoliosis that develops later in life and is caused by degenerative instability is known as degenerative de novo scoliosis. Most spinal degeneration starts with changes to intervertebral disc health caused by degenerative disc disease.

Most cases of degenerative scoliosis are progressive and painful, and fall prevention is a focus of treatment.

Intervertebral Disc Health

The spine’s overall health is shaped by a number of factors: its alignment, healthy curves, muscular support, body posture, lifestyle factors, and the health of its intervertebral discs.

The spine has three main sections that work together to maintain its balance and stability, and the spine’s vertebral bodies are separated by an intervertebral disc.

The spinal discs shape the spine’s overall health because of their multifunctional nature. The discs consist of two structures: a soft gel-like interior nucleus and a tough outer annulus.

The discs don’t have their own vascular supply, so if degenerative changes are initiated and take place over time, the effects can be difficult to reverse; early intervention is key.

The discs work together to increase the spine’s flexibility, and because adjacent vertebrae attach to the disc in between, the discs also give the spine structure and strength; they also provide cushioning between vertebrae to prevent potentially-damaging friction during movement and act as the spine’s shock absorbers.

The discs respond to pressure changes to stay hydrated and healthy, so regular movement is important, but asymmetrical movement and/or uneven forces that occur over time can cause the discs to wear unevenly, and this can disrupt disc health.

If disc health is disrupted, the spine’s flexibility, structural integrity, shock absorption, and strength can be adversely affected, and a healthy spine is needed for proper posture and mobility.

Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease can involve the discs experiencing excessive fluid loss and becoming dehydrated; when this happens, they can lose height, and the change in shape and position can affect adjacent vertebrae attached by disrupting their alignment with the rest of the spine.

When a disc’s structure is failing, its function can be impaired, and the constant wear and mechanical stress the discs are exposed to, particularly in the cervical and lumbar spinal sections, can cause small cracks that further weaken the discs and spine.

When asymmetrical wear and loading are happening to the discs, the facet joints that connect vertebrae are also affected, and an asymmetrical spinal curve can develop as a result.

The discs and vertebrae of the lumbar spine are the most vulnerable to strain, injury, and degeneration due to their load-bearing nature; the lumbar spine has to support the weight of the thoracic and cervical spinal sections above, the torso, and work with the pelvis to distribute body weight evenly over lower body.

Uneven degeneration can also cause inflammation, capable of irritating joints and nerves.

In addition to spinal conditions and/or injury causing disc degeneration and strain, certain lifestyle factors can also play a role in a person’s level and rate of age-related changes to spinal health.

Carrying excess weight strains the spine, its joints, and discs, and as obesity further contributes to low activity levels and poor posture, the triadic relationship between poor posture, uneven forces, and degeneration can be initiated.

Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease

As mentioned, when it comes to preserving the spine’s health and function, diagnosing degenerative disc disease early is highly beneficial.

Once the cycle of disc disease and spinal degeneration is initiated, it can occur slowly over time, but once a certain level of instability is reached, back pain and progression can increase quickly.

Because the discs of the lumbar spine are the most vulnerable, lower back pain and stiffness is a common symptom of lumbar degenerative disk disease, and when spinal nerves are being compressed, leg pain is also common.

Changes to mobility can occur as increasing spinal rigidity can reduce range of motion and contribute to unhealthy movement patterns and nerve compression.

Because the discs have so many functions, they feel the effects of constant mechanical stress; degenerative disc disease can change disc shape and function, while contributing to the onset of a number of spinal conditions/issues, degenerative scoliosis included.

Degenerative Disc Disease and Degenerative Scoliosis

If the discs in a spinal section are degenerating, scoliosis can develop as a result of the structural instability, and as one of the primary effects of scoliosis is poor posture, scoliosis can also contribute to disc degeneration, creating a cycle of poor posture, asymmetrical loading and pressure, and degenerative instability.

Degenerative scoliosis develops in adults over the age of 45, and as it’s caused by increasing instability, and degenerative disc disease causes spinal instability, disc disease can cause the onset/progression of adult degenerative scoliosis, and scoliosis can also cause/increase disc degeneration.

The main symptoms of degenerative scoliosis include nerve pain, lower back pain, muscle weakness, and leg pain, and most cases are progressive; early detection can help.

Regardless of patient age, all types and severity levels of scoliosis require treatment, and it’s never too late to work towards improvement. Even incremental improvements to spinal health and function can improve quality of life.

Degenerative Scoliosis Treatments

Here at the Scoliosis Center of Utah, our adult patients are comprehensively assessed to determine the degree of instability for fall prevention.

The design of the spine is movement-based, but if there is too much movement within the spine, the resulting instability is problematic and can lead to injury through a fall and chronic lower back and nerve pain.

Pain management is also a focus of treatment for improving quality of life, but for sustainable pain relief, changes to spinal health are necessary.

Treatment for degenerative scoliosis focuses on increasing core strength for more stability and spinal support, improving posture so the spine’s optimal alignment is further supported, restoring healthy movement patterns through postural awareness/restoration, and improving the spine’s alignment and disc health.

Scoliosis-specific physical therapy can help increase core strength and address any related muscular imbalance, while Mirror Image exercise teaches postural awareness and correction.

Scoliosis-specific chiropractic adjustments can work towards improving the spine’s structural alignment for uniform pressure on the discs. Reducing uneven pressure on the discs and facet joints can reduce inflammation, pain, and improve the spine’s overall function.

Corrective bracing can also help with short-term pain relief, improving the spine’s stability, and slowing curve progression.

Conclusion

Idiopathic scoliosis is the main type of scoliosis and can’t be prevented, but degenerative scoliosis can develop later in life due to lifestyle factors, such as weight and activity level, contributing to the onset of degenerative changes in the discs of the spine.

And if degenerative disc disease has been developing slowly over time, the spine’s increasing instability can cause degenerative scoliosis by causing asymmetrical wear and structural changes.

When it comes to scoliosis that affects older adults, prevention means leading a spine-friendly lifestyle that involves maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, and proper posture.

If a person is always leaning too far forward or too far backward, this can contribute to weak core muscles, poor posture, uneven pressure, and pain.

Lower back pain is a leading cause of disability in the aging population; healthy posture is about prevention. It’s about controlling the types of forces the body and spine are exposed to that, over time, can have a cumulative effect on spinal health and function.

Degenerative disc disease can cause degenerative scoliosis, and scoliosis exposes the discs and facet joints to further asymmetrical force and degeneration.

A proactive nonsurgical treatment plan for degenerative scoliosis focuses on improving the spine’s overall health for sustainable results, and this involves reducing uneven forces affecting the discs and joints of the spine.

Improving the spine’s surrounding muscle balance and strength means more support and stability for the spine, and more uniform pressure on the discs.

Scoliosis-specific targeted exercise can also increase the spine’s flexibility for treatment responsiveness and pain relief.

Mirror Image® exercise can teach patients how to recognize poor posture and its effects for long-term correction, and when combined with the potential of corrective bracing and scoliosis specific chiropractic adjustments, the spine’s balance and stability can be improved.