Spine Degeneration
Spine & Disc Degeneration
Spinal degeneration is often caused by long standing stress and vertebral subluxations in your spine. When your spine degenerates, your spinal bones begin to deform, your discs swell, then shrink, your ligaments, tendons and muscles begin to harden and weaken, and your entire spinal column loses its balance, flexibility, stability and strength. Your nerves, body chemistry and internal organs can also be affected. Spinal degeneration can make it harder to adapt to the pressures of every day life.
Loss of Height
Most people believe they automatically lose height when they reach old age. However, the loss of height is silent, slow and gradual, and may begin in your 20s and 30s as one of the symptoms of spinal degeneration.
The Phases of Degeneration
Degeneration Phase 1
First your spine loses its normal balance. There may be a loss of normal spinal curves. Your nerves may be affected and the vital life energy that flows over them is interfered with. Also your joints, discs, nerves and posture and stressed and age more quickly. Surprisingly, there may be no pain other than occasional minor discomfort. Also present may be a slight lessening of energy and slight height loss. Response to spinal care is generally good.
Degeneration Phase 2
Here there is a much greater degree of decay, disc narrowing and bone spurs (deformations); postural changes are much worse. This condition is very common (by age 40, 80% of males and 76% of females exhibit moderate disc degeneration). Spinal canal narrowing or stenosis may occur. This phase is characterized by more common aches and pains, fatigue and a diminished ability to cope with stress. Height continues to decrease. With chiropractic care significant improvement is possible.
Degeneration Phase 3
Here there are more postural imbalances, increased nerve damage, permanent scar tissue and advanced bone deformation. Physical and/or mental weakness or disability begin. Also found in this phase are permanent loss of height and loss of energy. With care some reversal is possible.
DegenerationPhase4
This is the most advanced stage of subluxation degeneration. The postural imbalance is severe and motion is limited. There is severe nerve damage, permanent scar tissue is formed and the bones may begin to fuse. In this phase we find pain, various degrees of physical or mental disability, and continued loss of energy and height. By now the condition is considered irreversible, although chiropractic may give some symptomatic relief.
