Aging Management

To assist the aging population, attention must be placed on every component and probable degenerative disorder of aging. One area that requires more critical notice is how to care for the spine and manage pain linked with spinal conditions in aging adults to preserve the quality of life.

Experts state that spine degeneration starts in the third decade of life and eventually leads to progressive disc height loss. With the progression of degeneration, soft and bony tissue failure may develop and lead to several spinal conditions. For instance, osteoporosis is a massive issue for the growing older adult population as it results in reduced bone strength and, thereby, bone fractures, which include spinal fractures. One report shows around 25% of postmenopausal women have vertebral fractures and the rates increase drastically with age.

Over half of older individuals experiencing neck and low back pain have this pain because of degenerative facet joint arthritis. This form of osteoarthritis impacts the parallel column of your joints that attach the vertebra of your spine behind your spinal canal. Other joint back/neck pain causes that are also mainly due to the process of aging with degenerative spine changes include:

• Spondylolisthesis (when one vertebra is misaligned over another)
• Spinal stenosis (the narrowing of your central tube that houses your spinal cord and nerves)
• Neural foraminal stenosis (narrowing of tunnels where the nerves of your spine exit your spine)

Any or all of these degenerative spine changes can cause pain. This pain can also radiate to your legs or arms because of compression or irritation of your spinal nerves.

There are other reasons behind back pain in aging adults. Sharp, sudden back pain can be due to a vertebral compression fracture, particularly in people with advanced osteoporosis. If diagnosed early enough, this can be treated and repaired with minor surgery.

There are several aging management solutions available. Some include:

1.    Stem Cell-Derived Regenerative Therapy

This is a procedure where the surgeon introduces new cells directly into your injured joint or area to promote healing and growth. Many cells and stem cell-derived regenerative therapy allow your body to continue healing at an accelerated rate.

Doctors have been using stem cell transplants for a long time to treat various health disorders. The ability to remove degenerated cells from the muscles to brain cells successfully and replace them with healthy, fresh cells promotes the recovery, repair, and healing of dysfunctional, diseased, and damaged tissue.

Numerous studies show how stem cells help quicken recovery time for individuals who received this treatment. Of course, results do vary from one patient to another.

2. Advanced Disk Regeneration

Your spinal discs are rubbery cushions. They act like shock absorbers, helping you move, twist, and bend comfortably. Over time, spinal discs can wear down. They start to rub against each other when they wear down, causing pain and other issues like herniated discs. You have degenerative disc disease when your spinal discs wear down and cause pain.

About everyone will develop degenerated discs as they get older. As discs start leaking, individuals often experience numbness and pain. If there aren’t any leaks, they won’t encounter any symptoms. Almost all degenerated discs begin as a single annular tear. This tear becomes progressively worse and turns into multiple disc tears. After that, it finally develops into disc degeneration.

With the advancement of regenerative medicine for spinal problems like degenerative disc disease, doctors frequently look into biologics, such as platelet-rich plasma and stem cells, to treat degenerated discs.

3. Degenerated Discs

Standard early treatment for degenerative discs includes:

• The application of ice and heat
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Exercise to support spinal structure and strengthen back muscles

Further conservative treatment typically involves the individual undergoing physical therapy. Surgery is then considered once traditional medicines have been used without success.

4. Therapy for Osteoarthritis Relief

There are a few treatment approaches for osteoarthritis that can help improve joint function and reduce pain. As osteoarthritis treatments, exercise, weight management, and mutual protection are often recommended. Medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs and pain relievers can help ease the pain.

There are also several alternative treatment approaches for osteoarthritis that can help individuals with this condition experience pain relief and improve their quality of life. These can include massage, acupuncture, and dietary supplements. But generally, after exhausting these and other conservative methods, individuals will require surgery to treat their osteoarthritis and the associated pain.