South Pasadena chiropractor, chiropractor in South Pasadena, CA

Spinal Degeneration
One or several of these phases could be occurring simultaneously in the body depending on age and past personal history.

Degeneration occurs in predictable stages or Phases:

Phase 1 Degeneration

Your spine loses its normal balance. Normal curvature of your spine and its integrity may be lost. This will affect the nerves and the vital life energy (nutrients in, waste products out) that flows through them. With the loss of your normal curvature the joints, discs, nerves become abnormally stressed and this leads to further degeneration. Your body stiffens and ages more quickly. Surprisingly, there may be no pain other than an occasional minor discomfort. You may feel a slight malaise as your body's energy flows abnormally. Response to spinal care in phase 1 is generally good with great outcomes to care.

Phase 2 Degeneration

During phase 2 there is a much greater degree of decay, disc narrowing and bone spur formations (deformations); postural changes are much worse. This phase is very common by age 40, 80% of males and 76% of females exhibit moderate disc degeneration. Spinal canal narrowing or stenosis may occur from the degeneration and dehydration of the disc, as well as, the bony spur formations. During this phase there are more common aches and pains, fatigue and a diminished ability to cope with stress. Height of the spine continues to decrease from the loss of disc height and excessive spinal curves. Chiropractic care can significantly improve patients within this phase.

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 begins. Also found in this phase are permanent loss of height and loss of energy. With conservative physical care some reversal is possible. Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression has led to an increase in our ability to reverse damages of phase 3.

Degeneration Phase 4

This is the most advanced stage of subluxation degeneration. The postural imbalance is severe and motion is limited. There is severe nerve damage as seen from nerve testing (deep tendon reflexes and dermatome testing), 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 spine height. Before this condition was considered irreversible, although Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression has advanced our ability to reverse some of this phase's effects and decrease or even eliminate the pain. Acupuncture and chiropractic both may give some symptomatic relief.