What do you know about of Spinal Degeneration?

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You may have already saw these x-ray images at some point within you spinal health journey as they show the step-by-step phases of degeneration which occur in the neck. These can happen throughout the whole spine, and although these can be described as ‘normal wear and tear’, a ‘well-aged spine’ does not need to mean a ‘degenerated spine’.

Spinal changes occur as a result of Traumas (mechanical), Toxins (chemical) and/or Thoughts (emotional). Better known as the 3 Ts. Simply put, changes will occur due to accidents or bad postures, bad diets or exposure to chemicals or going through emotional strains or shocks. We can experience any of these factors from any age (even pre-birth!) so these degenerative changes have the potential to start at any point in life.

But let’s get a bit ‘sciencey’ before we get to the solution. Or you can just skip to the solution if you like – I’m sure you know it already…

What are the Phases of Degeneration? 

If we start with the normal textbook model of the Vertebra and Discs of the spine you will see that the bones look solid and square, the discs are like cushions inbetween these and are plump and round. The joints between each of the bones are happiest when they are in line with enough space to move. And that is the key… they have movement. When these joints are in alignment, the spine can move in all of its directions of motion comfortably and pain free.

Then something happens and the next phase occurs (Dramatic western music here)

Phase 1 – Spinal Dysfunction

Due to any of the 3T factors, the spine can become stiff and mildly uncomfortable. There will be some stress on the joints, bones and discs at this stage which can result in moments of mild pain which is often ignored as they seem to come and go away by themselves. These are the warning signs something is changing under the surface.

On x-ray images we will start to see some vertebral misalignment and spinal curvature changes.

I find that if you can manage the causes or get checked and adjusted at this point, moving on to the next phases can be prevented.

Phase 2 – Spinal Instability and Disc Dehydration

If an area of your spine has entered Phase 2 of degeneration, by this point you will likely be more aware of pain, postural changes and a feeling of stress on this area. Any previous spinal pain will be taking longer to settle, if at all, and without intervention certain movements will be painful or you may be restricted in how you move.

When seen on x-ray, there will be signs of disc ‘narrowing’ and you may see some changes to the shape of the vertebra. It is likely that the joints don’t line up quite like they used too either. The bones and joints will start to look a bit rough on the edges and might be getting on your nerves (both figuratively and literally!)

Thankfully, with proper care, this stage can be improved.

Phase 3 – Stabilisation

This is the phase that has the most symptoms involved, both physically and mentally. There may be a significant loss of mobility, pain which can refer to other parts of the body and some patients actually lose a few centimetres in their height. Mentally you might feel drained due to pain making you less active, which then worsens the stiffness.

On x-rays you can see loss of joint spaces and very narrow disc spaces with misshaping of the bones. In this Phase you can often see little bony spurs growing from the vertebra as your body grows extra bone to try and support the spine in a new way. This can result in stenosis (less space for the nerve) and subsequent nerve irritation.

Treatment at this stage may start to look a little different, but will still be effective in managing your symptoms and maintaining your spine to avoid the final stage.

Phase 4 – Advanced Degeneration

At this stage, your ability to move and function is severely affected and not much can be done to reverse the changes.  Management of pain and discomfort is the best option here whereby we can help the surrounding muscles and nerves to work more effectively to help the areas of your spine which can still move to take load from those experiencing Phase 4 degenerative changes.

Now the Solution: (triumphant western music)

Movement is what matters!

You may be tired of hearing it, but it is the truth. The more the body moves, the better it feels and works. The better your spinal movement is, the less spinal degenerative changes are likely to happen.  Anatomical studies have shown that the disc is more likely to degenerate towards the side of least movement.

Looking after your neck and back with appropriately applied spinal adjustments, following a healthy diet, stop smoking (that is a big one for spinal health) and managing your mental and physical stresses all help with slowing down spinal degeneration.

Here are some tips for being mindful of your body mechanics which is essential for your overall joint health:

  Engage your buttock and leg muscles when bending over to clean, garden or lift things. Avoid using your back for these movements.  

Join some exercise classes like pilates or yoga as they help to engage the muscles tasked with maintaining your ‘core stability’ which protects your joints and improves movement.

Sit correctly to avoid straining your muscles with poor postural patterns.

We are going to live through more of the 3Ts over time and as such are more likely to have these degenerative changes as we age. You could almost think of Spinal Degenerative changes as the ‘grey hairs’ we are likely to develop as we age. With our grey hairs, we invest in visits to a salon to have colour treatments until the day we decide to embrace the grey and just be a rock star with it. We don’t stop going to the salon just because we are now totally rocking a ‘silver fox do’, we still visit to keep our hair in check.

In a similar way, we can manage our spinal health changes by investing in visits to a Chiropractor. A good Chiropractor will modify their treatment approaches based on the changes your spine has gone through, however one of the best things you can do for your Spinal Health (apart from visiting a good Chiropractor) is to keep movement going to stay functional and active.

Chiropractic care offers a safe and effective treatment approach no matter what phase your spine may be in. We are here at CoreHealth Chiropractic to keep you moving!

P.S. The REWARD you may be wondering about? Getting to know your chiropractor, of course!

(Walking with correct posture, into the sunset, exit stage left…)

THE END