WHAT IS DJD? DOES IT CAUSE NECK OR BACK PAIN?

DJD is short for degenerative joint disease and it doesn't always result in noticeable pain. DJD is also known as arthritis, more specifically, osteoarthritis.

DJD can occur anywhere in the body such as the spine, knees, or hips.

In a nutshell, DJD is the result of wear and tear or injury to any joint. Wear and tear refers to repetitive motion which creates inflammation and eventural structural joint damage.

Most DJD is age related and almost everyone will have DJD somewhere in the body.

DJD is common in the spine. It can affect the neck, midback, or low back. Generally speaking, it involves the facet joints. DJD also can thin out spinal discs and cause the bones to become misshapened. It looks like this:

If you look closely you can see how some of the vertebra have 'boney' hooks coming out in front and the discs are not equal in their height. Also, this spine has lost it's normal "C" curve because the vertebrae are not stacked up correctly.

DJD results in loss of joint motion. Often, people with DJD have pain in the joint, sometimes swelling. One tell-tale clue you have DJD is you experience stiffness in the morning.

If you have been told you have DJD or suspect you do, the absolute BEST THING you can do is spend time stretching and become as flexible as you are capable.