Can You Run With Degenerative Disc Disease?

Exercising with degenerative disc disease can be uncomfortable, as the spinal discs acting as shock absorbers get weak and begin to lose elasticity. Usually, this occurs among older individuals or those who stress the spine excessively and can discourage them from doing some aerobic exercises like running. But as an individual, you must always keep fit to avoid certain illnesses. So, what will be the best option for you in this condition? Can You Run with Degenerative Disc Disease?

An individual can run with degenerative disc disease. But, individuals with this condition must note the footwear they’re wearing for the exercise, ensuring to get the best quality, well-cushioned sports shoes. This pair of footwear allows the heel to be balanced while running.

This article will discuss all you need to know about DDD and what to do about exercising with it. Also, we’d highlight some essential tips for running with degenerative disc disease. Read on to know more.

What Is Degenerative Disc Disease, and What Causes IT?

Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is used to describe the progressive decrease in the effectiveness of the human spine. It occurs mainly as a result of aging in both men and women.

Note that DDD occurs naturally in some older individuals. It can impede motility and mobility and is usually caused by the wear and tear of the discs. Also, DDD can happen to individuals, regardless of size, shape, or fitness.

Spinal discs comprise tough exteriors and malleable, really soft interiors. Howbeit, with constant use and misuse, the discs go through wear and tear with time. Typically, DDD starts with only just one spinal disc before spreading to other surrounding discs, slowly but eventually. With time, the disc cushioning flattens, causing the vertebrae to rub against each other, and this is often a painful experience.

Notably, spinal discs act as shock absorbers, cushioning the impact between the spinal joints. But, as aging comes to play, some individuals might observe mild discomfort, whereas others might experience a severe decline in their life quality.

Causes of Degenerative Disc Disease

• Aging: As we’ve already established, it’s natural for older people to experience DDD, as the elasticity and efficiency of the body slowly degrade with time.
• Obesity: Another cause of DDD is obesity. Notably, a large amount of fat within the body places much weight on the spinal cords. With the spine carrying such weight for a prolonged time, the spinal discs will easily erode quickly.
• Smoking: Smoking also causes degenerative disc disease. Not only does smoking cause lung cancer and other several diseases, but it also attacks the spinal discs directly, causing them to erode and flatten out.
• Critical Injuries: Some critical injuries can cause DDD. If an individual falls from a high place and lands with his/her spine, that can directly affect the person’s spinal discs. Also, this injury is heightened in obese and older people.
• Sex: Having sex doesn’t directly cause DDD. But individuals should take note when they feel back pains while having sex. This can be caused by incessant twists and turns and having sex in uncomfortable positions over time. Women are more prone to having DDD caused by sex.
• Heavy Duty Physical Work: This is one of the most notable cases of degenerative disc disease. Individuals, especially men, who indulge in heavy-duty weight-lifting and other laborious work are prone to having DDD. Carrying heavy objects is not bad. However, if it’s done consistently, it can affect the person’s posture and spinal discs.

Can You Run With Degenerative Disc Disease?

It’s possible to run with degenerative disc disease. However, you must note that, since running generally puts pressure on your spine, it’s important that you don’t run too fast and stress your spine.

Here’s Why Running Causes Back Pain:

In this subsection, we’d consider some notable reasons why running causes back pain. There are:

• The back muscles are under pressure to ensure the body maintains a good posture and is upright while running.
• When running, both discs and joints are compressed and jerked by the pressure of your body, leaping and landing with every step when jogging.
• Also, some other muscles connecting the joints and muscles can cause back pain while running.

What Research Shows Us About Running With Degenerative Disc Disease?

Science shows us that running is helpful for degenerative disc disease. In a research study of 79 adults comprising men and women, over 2/3^rd of the people were runners of a minimum of five (5) years. The remaining 1/3^rd didn’t exercise often. The participants were requested to wear accelerometers to track their activity levels in the study.

Researchers used some high-end MRI scans to analyze the liquidity and size of each participant’s spinal discs. From their findings, the researchers realized that individuals who were runners had larger discs and had more fluids than individuals who didn’t. On the other hand, some individuals complain about having back pains due to running.

So can you run with degenerative disc disease? Individuals who usually run many hours before DDD should continue in a moderate space. Those who are not into much running should consider other exercises that are not strenuous.

Tips For Running With Degenerative Disc Disease

Here are some useful tips to note while running with a degenerative disc disease:

• Rather than using a form that emphasizes ‘up-down’ movement, use a form that utilizes forward motion. Thus, let your chest be protruded, your head tall, and ensure that you’re balanced.
• For your footwear, ensure to wear high-quality cushioned footwear, such as sports sneakers or one of the best running shoes for degenerative disc disease.
• A majority of doctors recommend running with top-quality, well-cushioned shoes. Plus, running with this kind of shoe will provide support to the spine and joints, protecting them from jerking while running.
• Here is a debatable yet effective tip, running barefoot. Some researchers believe that running barefoot minimizes the possibility of encountering injuries. From their studies, running barefoot is therapeutic. If you want to do this, first start by slowly walking barefoot on a plain surface like sand or grass. After that, you can proceed to walk on a tougher surface.
• Then, we advocate running on a smoother, softer surface. These surfaces include a padded track, grass, treadmill, or sand instead of running on rough surfaces like asphalt or concrete.

Aside from the above tips, let’s consider some other useful tips to have a healthy spine:

Get Enough Rest and Sleep

One major reason for a degenerative disc disorder is excessive stress on the spinal cord. Thus, ensure to sleep for 7 to 8 hours daily.

Allow Your Joints and Muscles to Rest Sufficiently and Recover After Running.

After running, do get some rest. It’s worthy to note that you need to relax the muscles around your spine so that they can be more efficient. Standing for a prolonged time wearies the spinal discs, so resting your back, especially on a bed, will enable you to recover.

Drink Enough Water

Last on these few tips is drinking water. Ensure to drink sufficient water daily, especially after running. This time, your body will most likely be dehydrated and require sufficient water to stay hydrated and proactive.

Prioritize Healthy Food Choices

Another thing to consider here is the kind of food you eat. Ensure to eat good nutrient-rich foods, fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other helpful food. Avoid eating poor-diet foods as they will contain little to no nutrients. However, nutrient-rich foods can help build your body and fight germs.

What Exercise Should You Avoid With Degenerative Disc Disease?

1. Weight-lifting

A good morning weight lifting exercise is an amazing experience. But it can lead to some severe back pains and, ultimately, DDD. This is because weight-lifting, especially heavyweights, weighs down on the spine by putting so much pressure on it.

2. Spinning with a Rounded Back

When cycling, either on the plain ground or off-track, the rider is riding upright. This helps the lumbar region of the spine because it aligns with the right lumbar curve. However, when biking with a spinning sports bike or covering a great distance of cycling, this easily adds unnecessary weight to the spine. So, riding with a bent-forward rounded-back posture isn’t helpful in the long run.

3. Hamstring Stretch

Hamstrings are not good for individuals with degenerative disc disease. When you attempt to reach for your toes while standing, it increases the pressure on the spinal discs.

4. Deadlifts

A known movement challenge most individuals face is rounding out your lower back while lifting an item or bending forward. Deadlifting is a dangerous exercise for people with degenerative disc disease for one major reason. Deadlifting has a high demand for perfect mechanics, and when doing so, it still compresses the spinal discs greatly.

5. Sit-ups

Sit-ups also called ‘crunches,’ is a fantastic workout exercise, as it helps develop the abdominal muscles. On the flip side, it strains the back greatly and, in a way, harms the upper back. Thus, making the lower back vulnerable and also strained while the hip flexors drag the spine to lift the upper body above the ground.

Final Words

Can You Run With Degenerative Disc Disease? While it’s possible to run with DDD, individuals have to be careful. Running can be beneficial to the body, as it helps keep the spinal discs liquidized and in good shape. But it can also strain the spinal discs if not done properly.

Furthermore, if you have DDD, there are some exercises you do want to avoid. These exercises include weight-lifting, deadlifting, sit-ups, hamstring stretches, and cycling with a rounded back.