Services

Degenerative Disc Disease Care

Non-surgical treatment aimed at slowing degeneration and relieving chronic pain caused by degenerative disc disease.

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Spine models showing progressive stages of disc degeneration

Does this sound familiar?

Your back used to bounce back. Now it does not.

There was a time when a long day or a tough workout just meant being a little sore. Now the stiffness is there every morning, sitting through a workday wears you down, and bending or lifting comes with a dull ache that never fully leaves. You may have been told it is just aging, or that your discs are drying out, and that there is not much to do about it. Degenerative disc disease is common, but living with daily pain is not something you have to accept without exploring your options.

What it is

When discs lose hydration and height over time

Degenerative disc disease occurs as spinal discs lose water content and height with age or repeated stress, reducing their ability to cushion the spine. This can lead to chronic back or neck pain, morning stiffness, pain with prolonged sitting, and occasional radiating pain when a worn disc puts pressure on a nearby nerve. As discs flatten, they can also narrow the openings that nerves pass through, which is why some patients develop numbness or radiating pain on top of the aching and stiffness.

How we treat it

Taking pressure off worn discs with non-surgical spinal decompression

Our DRX9000 table gently stretches the spine in a precise, computer-controlled cycle. That cycling creates negative pressure inside the disc, which may take pressure off the affected disc and nearby nerves and may help the disc recover some height and hydration. Sessions are non-surgical and drug-free, and most patients describe them as painless and relaxing. Decompression is not right for everyone, which is why every patient gets an evaluation with imaging review first. Individual results vary.

Find out what is behind your chronic back pain for $21

Our disc evaluation includes a consultation, x-rays, and a trial treatment, so you leave knowing whether non-surgical spinal decompression fits your case.

Book Your $21 EvaluationCall or Text 518-875-2010

Patient stories

Real Google reviews from degenerative disc patients

Google review · 5 stars

kd moore

I would highly recommend the Disc Doctors in Latham. I regularly go to a Chiropractor for lower back pain, and for some time that was not doing me any good. It was always tight and painful. I could not stretch it out and they could not adjust it - I never felt relief. I also go for assisted stretching at the Stretch Zone which did not specifically help the issue either. A lot of times at the gym, a machine meant to work my abs, chest, back or arms I would feel it in my lower back instead and not the target area. I went to the Disc Doctors and got their $21 evaluation with x-rays and first treatment, and you could see in my Xray that I had the start of degenerative disc disease in my lower back. There was no space between the vertebrae, and decompression apparently was the answer. I felt noticeably better after the first visit. A lot better. They make you very comfortable, they start at a low setting and eventually you work up to a higher level at your own pace, if you have anxiety, you can stop the machine at any time, and the front desk person who runs the place is wonderful. The whole treatment is actually kinda peaceful. I signed up for a package and I basically have no pain anymore even though I did not use all the sessions. Now I just go for maintenance. I am so happy that I found them before my issue became irreversible. I don't want to take pills, get shots or have spinal surgery to feel better. A+++

Google review · 5 stars

Miss Rocky

I have some serious spine issues, especially degenerative disc disease & this appointment made me feel more hopeful, than anything has in years. Being at the end of ideas for comfort, I made my appointment. I learned that good explanations, caring professionals & an excellent technique for comfort, is truly possible. Thank you Disc Doctors! No more lasers burrowing into my SI joints!😁

Individual results vary. These are real, unedited Google reviews from our patients.

Questions patients ask about degenerative disc disease

I was told my discs are degenerating. Does that mean surgery is inevitable?

No. Disc degeneration is extremely common with age and most people with it never need surgery. It becomes a problem worth treating when the worn disc keeps generating pain. Non-surgical spinal decompression was designed for exactly that situation.

Can anything be done for degenerative disc disease without surgery?

Yes. Because the pain comes from a worn, thinning disc, the goal is to take pressure off that disc and may help it recover some height and hydration. Spinal decompression does this by cycling the spine under controlled negative pressure. Strengthening and mobility work support the result, but they cannot rehydrate a disc on their own.

What does a desiccated disc mean?

Desiccated just means dried out. A healthy disc is about 80 percent water, and as discs degenerate they lose fluid and flatten, which narrows the space for nearby nerves. Decompression creates negative pressure inside the disc so it may draw fluid back in; some patients have shown improved disc height on follow-up imaging.

Does spinal decompression help degenerative discs?

It is one of the main conditions decompression was built for. The DRX9000 is the computerized decompression table we use when low back pain may be coming from degenerative discs, among other disc conditions. A 2025 study in the Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic found measurable disc height gains on MRI after decompression care. Individual results vary.

I tried injections for degenerative disc pain and they wore off. What now?

Injections calm inflammation around the disc, but they are not designed to restore a dried-out, flattened disc, so the relief is usually temporary. When injections keep wearing off, the next logical step is treatment that addresses the disc itself. That is when patients typically come to us.

Is degenerative disc disease the same as arthritis of the spine?

They are related but not the same. Degenerative disc disease is wear of the discs between the vertebrae; spinal arthritis is wear of the facet joints behind them. They often show up together and feel similar, which is why imaging and a hands-on exam matter for telling them apart.

Why do my discs hurt more on some days than others?

Disc pain fluctuates with load. Sitting, bending, and lifting all raise pressure inside the disc, so long days at a desk or heavy activity flare it up, while lying down unloads it. If your pain follows that load pattern day after day and month after month, that is a sign the disc itself may need treatment, not just rest.

Living with chronic back or neck pain?

Start with our $21 disc evaluation, or book your appointment directly.

Book Your AppointmentCall or Text 518-875-2010