Numerous complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, modalities are available to help treat degenerative disc disease. According to the SpineUniverse website, the conventional Western approach to degenerative disc disease treatment involves medication, physical therapy and surgery. CAM approaches to degenerative disc disease are safe, noninvasive and effective at reducing symptomatic complaints and improving a person's quality of life, and they have relatively few negative side effects.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic is an alternative medicine treatment for degenerative disc disease. According to SpineUniverse, chiropractors are trained to diagnose and treat degenerative disc disease, and chiropractic is a conservative, nonsurgical treatment modality that helps improve spinal mobility, reduces accompanying inflammation, and addresses the cause of the pain or discomfort associated with degenerative disc disease. SpineUniverse states that a chiropractor will perform a comprehensive examination, render a diagnosis, establish a treatment plan for patients with degenerative disc disease and perform regular evaluations to track a person's response to care.
According to SpineUniverse, gentle, non-forceful chiropractic techniques---such as Cox flexion-distraction therapy and Sacro-Occipital technique, or SOT---typically are the most effective approaches for the chiropractic management of degenerative disc disease. Spinal manipulation, along with manual therapies, therapeutic exercises and lifestyle modifications are also important aspects of the chiropractic management of degenerative disc disease.
Herbal Remedies
Herbal remedies are an alternative medicine treatment for degenerative disc disease. The Mayfield Clinic, one of the world's largest neurosurgical practices, states that nutritional supplements, including herbal remedies, are a type of holistic therapy that can help a person with degenerative disc disease manage his pain and improve his overall health and well-being. SpineUniverse touts the following herbal remedies for degenerative disc disease: devil's claw; S-adenosylmethionine, or SAMe; and white willow bark. Devil's claw, which comes from southern Africa, is an anti-inflammatory herbal remedy that has been used for centuries to treat fever, arthritis and gut problems. Many practitioners prescribe devil's claw for conditions that cause pain and inflammation, such as degenerative disc disease. SAMe may be helpful for conditions involving wear and tear, such as osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease, and white willow bark helps reduce pain and inflammation, and may be especially helpful for relieving back pain.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an alternative medicine treatment for degenerative disc disease. According to SpineUniverse, approximately 80 percent of people with degenerative disc disease will experience some degree of back pain, but only 1 to 2 percent require lumbar spine surgery. SpineUniverse states that acupuncture can help control degenerative disc disease-related pain or discomfort by stimulating the production of endorphins, acetylcholine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that contribute to feelings of well-being. To help augment the pain-reducing effects of acupuncture, patients with degenerative disc disease should concurrently engage in a carefully crafted exercise program to improve flexibility and develop optimal posture. According to the National Institute of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health, acupuncture for back pain is generally considered safe when performed by an experienced practitioner, and few complications from acupuncture have been reported.
References
- SpineUniverse: Alternative Treatments for Degenerative Disc Disease
- SpineUniverse: How a Chiropractor Treats Degenerative Disc Disease
- Mayfield Clinic: Degenerative Disc Disease
- SpineUniverse: Degenerative Disc Disease and Low Back Pain
- National Institute of Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Acupuncture for Pain
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