Degenerative Disc Disease Help In San Diego, CA  3 WORST Things You Can Do for Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)

If you’ve been diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease — here are 3 of the WORST things you can do that can actually make your discs worse:

1. Smoking or Vaping   Smoking and vaping are extremely acidic to your body. Your system has to work overtime to buffer that acidity — and guess where it pulls resources from?  Your spinal discs. This leads to faster disc dehydration, loss of height, and breakdown. So if you’re serious about healing your spine — cutting these out is a must.

2. Being Dehydrated   Your discs are like sponges — they need water to stay full, hydrated, and functional. When you're chronically dehydrated, your discs shrink down and can’t cushion your spine the way they should. Drink half your body weight in ounces every day — minimum.

3. Eating an Acidic Diet   Highly processed foods, refined sugars, caffeine, and alcohol all lead to an inflammatory, acidic environment in the body. This increases breakdown of tissues — especially your discs — and slows healing. An alkaline-supporting, whole-food-based diet helps protect and repair your spine from the inside out.

 If you’re struggling with Degenerative Disc Disease and want real help WITHOUT surgery or injections — reach out to us.

We specialize in Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and custom rehab plans to help you relieve pain and restore your spine.

 Call us at 619-298-0800  www.SanDiegoBackCare.com

Located in Kearny Mesa, San Diego, CA

 

If you're dealing with Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) and suffering from constant or recurring back pain, stiffness, or nerve pain, you're not alone — and you don't have to live that way.

At The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego, located near Mira Mesa, we help patients get fast, long-lasting relief from degenerative disc issues — without surgery, injections, or medications. Many of our patients find us after months (or even years) of failed treatments — and finally start to feel real progress, often within just a few sessions.

✅ What Is Degenerative Disc Disease?

Degenerative Disc Disease is a condition where the soft discs between your vertebrae begin to wear down, flatten, or dry out. These discs act as your spine’s shock absorbers — and when they begin to break down, the bones in your spine come closer together, nerves get irritated, and pain can set in.

This can lead to:

Chronic or sharp lower back pain

Pain that worsens with sitting, standing, or activity

Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs

Radiating pain into the hips, glutes, or thighs

Spinal stiffness, especially in the morning or after rest

🧠 Why Does DDD Happen?

Degenerative disc disease is typically caused by:

Aging – Disc dehydration and shrinkage over time

Repetitive stress – Sitting too long, lifting improperly, bad posture

Injury – Auto accidents, sports injuries, falls

Poor circulation and inflammation – From smoking, dehydration, or an acidic diet

Genetic predisposition – Some people are more prone to early disc degeneration

Once the disc starts to deteriorate, it often continues to worsen unless the pressure is relieved and the disc is rehydrated.

🏠 What You Can Do at Home

To support your spine and reduce DDD-related back pain at home:

💧 Stay Hydrated – Your spinal discs need water to stay plump and absorb shock

🧘 Gentle Movement – Walking, light stretching, and mobility work are essential

🪑 Improve Posture – Avoid prolonged sitting or slouching

❄️ Use Ice or Heat – Ice for inflammation, heat for stiffness

🥬 Eat an Alkaline-Friendly Diet – Reduce acidic foods that inflame your discs (processed foods, sugar, soda, alcohol)

🚭 Avoid Smoking/Vaping – These are highly acidic and dehydrate the discs further

These steps help, but they don’t reverse the disc compression. That’s where advanced care comes in.

💡 How Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression (NSSD) Helps

At our clinic, we use the FDA-cleared DRX 9000 spinal decompression system — the most advanced and researched-backed decompression machine available.

This therapy gently stretches your spine and creates negative pressure inside the disc, allowing:

Herniated or bulging disc material to retract off nerves

Increased blood flow, hydration, and oxygen to the disc

Restoration of disc height and space

Relief of nerve compression and inflammation

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression is safe, comfortable, and effective. There’s no downtime, no recovery, and no risk of surgery.

Our clinic is the largest known provider of NSSD in California, with 7 DRX 9000 machines and over 50,000 decompression sessions performed.

👨‍⚕️ Why Choose Dr. Cassidy Boelk DC?

Dr. Boelk is a Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor and Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist, with nearly 20 years of experience helping patients with DDD, herniated discs, and chronic back conditions avoid surgery and return to doing what they love.

He personally suffered a major spinal injury and disc herniation — which led him to develop his comprehensive, proven approach to healing the spine without surgery.

Over 50,000 NSSD sessions performed

Patients fly in from across the U.S. and internationally (Mexico, Canada, UK, Spain)

Founder of the Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy, training doctors nationwide

Combines advanced decompression with customized rehab and spinal stabilization

💬 Real Patient Success Stories

“This place is amazing. I recently discharged from the military and had extreme back pain. After dozens of doctors and no answers, I found Dr. Boelk. He genuinely cares and knows what he's doing. I’m finally healing.” — Donnie M., San Diego, CA

“Dr. Boelk is honest, kind, and truly cares about helping people avoid surgery. I have hardware in my back so I wasn’t a candidate, but I 100% recommend him for anyone still trying to avoid surgery.” — Toni W., Lake Elsinore, CA

“I never thought I’d be pain-free again. Dr. Boelk built a game plan that worked for me. No more pain meds, no more setbacks. Even after I moved across the country, he checks in. That says everything.” — Modesto Z., Oceanside, CA

🔻 Get Fast, Lasting Relief from DDD — Without Surgery

If you’re in Mira Mesa or greater San Diego and are dealing with chronic disc pain or Degenerative Disc Disease, call us today to schedule a complimentary consultation. We’ll evaluate your spine and let you know if you’re a candidate for care.

📍 Contact Information

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego 📍 5095 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300 📍 San Diego, CA 92123 (near Mira Mesa & Kearny Mesa)

📞 Office: 619-298-0800 📱 Text/Cell: 619-884-8298 🌐 www.SanDiegoBackCare.com

👨‍⚕️ About Dr. Cassidy Boelk DC

Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist

Nearly 20 years of experience helping patients avoid back surgery

Over 50,000 decompression treatments performed

Largest known provider of DRX 9000 therapy in California

Founder of the Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

Patients fly in from across the U.S., Mexico, Canada, UK, and Spain for care

✅ Experience expert care and advanced technology that works. Call today and take your first step toward pain-free living.