02/09/2026
Your MRI says “Degenerative Disc Disease”… so why did the pain show up all of a sudden? 🤔
First — if you’re dealing with back pain right now, I’m really sorry. Back pain can make everything harder.
But here’s something important to understand:
If your pain came on suddenly… your spine didn’t suddenly “degenerate.”
Degenerative changes usually happen slowly over many years. Many people have them and feel zero pain.
So what changed?
Often, it’s inflammation and nervous system sensitivity turning the volume up on pain. 🔊
When things get irritated, your body tries to protect you. That protection can feel like:
• Tightness or muscle guarding
• Stiffness and limited movement
• Weakness or muscles feeling “shut off”
• Movement feeling scary or risky
So sometimes the tightness isn’t the real problem — it’s your body trying to keep you safe.
Having DDD doesn’t automatically mean:
❌ Your back is fragile
❌ You’re breaking down
❌ You’ll always hurt
❌ Movement is dangerous
More often it means:
✅ You have normal wear-and-tear changes
✅ Your system is in a flare right now
✅ And flares can calm down
The goal is to calm irritation, help your nervous system feel safe again, and rebuild strength and confidence in movement. 💪
Bottom line:
DDD is often the background. The flare is the foreground.
And flares can absolutely improve when we treat the sensitivity and restore movement.
If you’ve been told “this is just how it is now,” know there are options. Your body is more adaptable than you think. ✨