PHASES OF
SPINAL DEGENERATION
When most people hear about a spinal subluxation or spinal misalignment, they think that it only happens with accidents or injury. The truth is, almost everyone suffers from a misaligned spine at some point in their life. It doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete or a couch potato, everyday activities from walking to sitting at a computer or watching TV can cause it to happen.
These repetitive traumas can, over time, have the same result as an injury and can even be as bad as a serious car accident. When your spine is out of alignment for a long time, it can cause you to live in poor health, which can lead to spinal degeneration.
Spinal degeneration can result in very serious neurological problems and other health issues, and the longer it goes on, the harder it is to address. Chiropractic care is essential to improving this spinal misalignment, and the sooner you start, the better off you’ll be. Let’s take a look at the various stages of spinal degeneration, the health issues they cause, and how chiropractic can help keep you healthy and avoid degeneration.
SPINAL DEGENERATION
PHASE I
Phase I spinal degeneration is where there are noted changes in the spacing between your spinal discs. At this stage, you usually won’t note any obvious symptoms like pain or reduced mobility. This stage can be corrected with proper chiropractic care, but if not corrected, it will progress and lead to more serious issues.
SPINAL DEGENERATION
PHASE II
Those in Phase II of degeneration will begin to experience aches, pains, and stiffness in the spine as the space between your discs compresses. Unfortunately, at this stage most people don’t realize the problem is degeneration of the spine, but they might experience a lack of motion and discomfort that sends them to the doctor. At this stage, the degeneration may or may not be completely correctable, but chiropractic can prevent further degradation.
SPINAL DEGENERATION
PHASE III
At stage III, your spine will have abnormal curvature. Some vertebrae will likely fuse, and there will be potentially permanent damage. An experienced chiropractor like Dr. Shane and Dr. Brittany Semegon can still slow down the degeneration and correct some of the problems, restoring some level of health and mobility to the patient.
SPINAL DEGENERATION
PHASE IV
At Phase IV, you’re in the final stage of degeneration. Your quality of life will significantly decrease, and you may experience a wide range of health problems. These can include serious discomfort and pain, numbness in the limbs, decreased resistance to illness and limited mobility. Even at this level, though much of the damage will be permanent, a chiropractor can help you to restore some of your well-being and mobility, as well as improve your overall health.
