Written by Dr. James Mayne, DC ~ Vernon Chiropractor

One of the most common diagnoses that come out of a back or neck x-ray is degenerating discs, or degenerative disc disease (DDD).  What surprises me is that few people have ever been told that this is a consequence of spinal arthritis, and no one has seen their own x-rays so they know what that means. Let me explain.

When all the joints in your spine are working properly there is very little stress. All 24 vertebrae move together like links in a chain and work together as you bend and twist your body throughout the day. Slips, falls, bumps, strains, and sprains can all contribute to some of the vertebrae in your spine not working properly. Even sitting too long will put a strain on your back and tighten the muscles up enough so that the bones no longer work in harmony together. Now instead of 24 links in the chain working together, only some are moving. The moving vertebrae have to stretch and bend over time to make up for the “stuck” ones, which leads to irritation and inflammation in these overworked vertebral joints.

This leads to arthritis. Simply put, the definition of arthritis is “inflammation in a joint.” The result of this inflammation is discs degenerating and bony growths forming. But this process takes time. By the time our discs have degenerated, or our knuckles are big and gnarly, joint inflammation has been occurring for years and years, worsening over time. I often hear, “My back used to hurt once or twice a year, and now the problem won’t go away.” This is usually a sign of progression.

Helping with disc degeneration and spinal arthritis is our specialty as chiropractors in Vernon. We are trained to take and read x-rays of the spine, evaluate the progression of disc degeneration, and formulate a treatment plan to help with it. If we can get the stuck joints moving, we can take the pressure off the degenerating joints, which brings down inflammation and pain. Most importantly, we can slow and hopefully halt the progression of disc degeneration, allowing for more mobility and a longer, more active life.

If you have been told you have disc degeneration or are concerned that your back is acting up more than it used to, please call. I would love to help. We can take new x-rays or review previous ones. The sooner the problem is dealt with, the better the chance of positive results.