Degenerative changes are seen in patients WITH and WITHOUT Back Pain.

This is exactly why I tell patients that “pain is the WORST indicator of health.”  A normal spine is able to protect the nerve system. A degenerative spine is NOT able to protect the nerve system.

I am reading an x-ray report from the Henry Ford Health System today and on a part of the report it states the following;

            Degenerative changes are seen within the thoracolmbar spine.

            The following findings are so common in normal, pain-free volunteers that while we report their presence, they must be interpreted with caution and in the context of the clinical situation. Among people over the age of 60 who do not have back pain, a plain film x-ray will find that about;

9 in 10 have disc degeneration

8 in 10 have disc height loss

4 in 10 have facet degeneration

3 in 10 have spondylolisthesis

Let’s first define a few things. Although a condition may be labeled as “COMMON” or may actually be seen commonly does not make it “NORMAL”. If we use these parameters and apply them in other areas of health care, we would have to surmise that cavities are “Normal” for children. Foolish.

Osteoarthritis, or more commonly known as DJD (degenerative joint disease). Although it may be common, its risks are not normal or expected. Why is it, that it is more common to have 1 knee or 1 hip replacement surgery? Do we find that we hop on one leg for a majority of our lives, therefore wearing this single joint down? No, the reason we more commonly see DJD later on in life is because many of us go through injuries or stress to our frame and structure many times in our early lives and then leave it. We let the problem fester. The body then builds up toxins around the joints due to a loss of movement and proper circulation. What happens then is the joint begins to move irregularly, creating irregular wear patterns to the joint. In most cases, the body won’t allow this process to be unchecked. So what the body does next is the Visual component, what we see, Lippincott and spring of the bone. This is the single most common indicator to diagnose “Arthritis”. By this time the process has been in play for years.

This is why it is imperative to identify the biomechanical imperfection early. Your chiropractor is uniquely qualified better than any other doctor to correct this problem. Yes, early enough detection means that DJD may be reversed or prevented.

So I will leave you with this thought. Why are we leaving our kids home to potentially live with this problem later on in life?

Dr. Douglas McLeod