Degenerative disc disease treatment in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

"Degenerative disc disease" is a frightening phrase on an MRI report, and it is a poor name for what it describes. It is not a disease that spreads, and it is not the disc falling apart. It is the wear that spinal discs and joints pick up with age and use. Most adults over 40 show some of it on imaging, and many of them have no pain at all.

Tradewinds Chiropractic & Wellness in Charlotte Amalie treats the back and neck pain that goes with disc and joint degeneration, and we are plain about what care can and cannot do. We aim at how you move and how often you flare, not at changing the x-ray.

What this feels like

• A low back or neck that is stiff in the morning and loosens up after you have moved for twenty minutes.
• Pain after sitting. A long drive, a flight, a day at a desk, and standing up is the hard part.
• A dull ache that flares for days or a couple of weeks, settles, and then flares again months later, often with no clear trigger.
• Pain that is worse bending backward or twisting, which points at the small facet joints behind the disc.
• Pain that travels into the buttock, leg, or arm. That means a nerve is involved and moves the problem toward our herniated disc page or our spinal stenosis page.

What is usually going on

Each disc is a fibrous ring around a gel center, sitting between two vertebrae. With years of loading the disc loses water and height, the ring develops small cracks, and the facet joints behind it take more load and develop arthritis. Bone spurs can form at the edges. This is the ordinary aging of a spine, and it shows up on MRI in a large share of adults who have never had back pain, which is why an imaging report by itself does not tell us much about why you hurt.

What does hurt, when it hurts, is usually a flare: a disc that is irritated, a facet joint that has locked up, and the muscles around them guarding hard. Stiffness after rest and relief with movement is the fingerprint of this pattern. It runs in families, and heavy physical work, smoking, and years of sitting all speed it along.

How we treat it at Tradewinds

The exam covers where the pain is coming from in this flare, how far you can move, nerve function in the arms or legs, and your history of episodes. If you have an MRI or x-rays, bring them. Our free spinal MRI review is still offered: bring the disc in and Dr. Keys goes over it with you. Medicare patients are not eligible for it. Dr. Keys is the Chair of the Virgin Islands Board of Chiropractic Examiners, a member of the Virgin Islands Chiropractic Society, and the International Chiropractors Association representative for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Care for degenerative disc disease usually includes:

• Flexion-distraction. A slow, gentle stretching and pumping of the spine on a table that moves, which opens the disc space and the facet joints without a thrust. It is a mainstay for degenerated discs and is well tolerated by older spines.
• Gentle adjustment. Low-force and drop-table methods where a joint is stuck, scaled to the age and condition of the spine. We do not force an arthritic segment.
• Spinal rehabilitation and movement. Core and hip strengthening, walking, and a daily mobility routine. Movement is the treatment that keeps working between visits. The goal is a spine that tolerates more, not a spine that is protected from everything.

These services are on our services page. Realistic goals: fewer flares, shorter flares, and getting back to the things you have been avoiding. Degeneration on imaging does not reverse, and we will not tell you otherwise. For the acute episode pattern, see our lower back pain page.

When you should see someone else

Go to the emergency room if you have:

• Loss of bowel or bladder control, or numbness in the saddle area.
• Back pain with fever, or after a serious fall or crash.

See a physician or a spine specialist if you have:

• Leg weakness that is getting worse, a foot that drags or slaps, or new trouble climbing stairs.
• Night pain that does not change with position, along with unexplained weight loss or a history of cancer.
• Leg or arm pain and numbness that has not improved after several weeks of care. That is the point for an MRI and a specialist opinion, and we make the referral.

Visitors, crew and cruise passengers

A degenerative back that flares on vacation is common. The long flight and the soft hotel bed do it. Visitors from Havensight or staying out toward Red Hook can get an exam, a gentle first treatment, and a plan to carry home. See our page for visitors who hurt their back on vacation.

Getting seen

Tradewinds Chiropractic & Wellness is in the VI Medical Foundation Building, Suite 202, 9150 Estate Thomas, St. Thomas, USVI 00802, just east of Charlotte Amalie. Call (340) 690-4994 or email info@tradewindschiropractic.com. We take walk-ins and same-day appointments.

Hours: Mon, Wed, Thu: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Tue, Fri: 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. Closed Sat and Sun.

Tradewinds has more than 180 five-star Google reviews. Meet Dr. Keys.

Questions patients ask

Is there degenerative disc disease treatment in St. Thomas?

Tradewinds Chiropractic in Charlotte Amalie treats the pain and stiffness of degenerative disc disease with flexion-distraction, gentle adjustment, and a movement and strengthening program. The goals are fewer and shorter flares and better function, not changing what the imaging shows.

I have arthritis in my spine. Can a chiropractor help, in the USVI?

Often, yes. Spinal arthritis (facet joint degeneration) responds to gentle mobilization, flexion-distraction, and exercise that keeps the joints moving. We scale the force to the age and condition of your spine and refer you if the exam shows nerve involvement or a red flag.

My MRI says disc degeneration. What now?

First, know that disc degeneration shows up on MRI in many adults over 40 who have no pain, so the report alone is not a sentence. Bring the images to an exam. We match what the MRI shows to what actually hurts and build a plan around movement, gentle care, and flare control.

Can degenerative disc disease be reversed?

No. The disc and joint changes on imaging do not reverse. What changes is how often you flare, how long a flare lasts, and what you can do between flares. That is where care and a consistent movement routine make the difference.

Is flexion-distraction safe for an older spine?

Flexion-distraction is a slow, low-force technique with no thrust, and it is one of the methods we reach for first in older or arthritic spines. We still screen for osteoporosis, fracture, and nerve involvement before starting.