Degenerated (damaged) disc and degenerated (damaged) joint disease are not a result of age or heredity. Many of our patients are in their twenty and thirties with moderate to severe Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD for short) and there are older patients that have mild DDD in some parts of their spine. If DDD was age related then all of the spinal bones would degenerate at the same rate. We never see this in practice, what is most common , especially in the cervical (neck) spine is two or three joints with moderate DDD and the remaining joints are normal or have mild DDD.
Many patients ask, "How did I get this way and what can you do to help"?
Your cervical spine (neck) has a normal range, just like you have a normal range for eyesight, a normal range for blood pressure, and a normal range for body temperature. We all realize that if you are outside normal range, lets say for example for body temperature then you have a fever. When your spine is outside normal range this creates the process of degeneration of spinal bones and discs.
How does spinal bones and discs degenerate when the spine is outside normal range?
Your vertebrae (spinal bones) are easily influenced by abnormal pressure, think of your spinal bones as coral. The coral is alive and will change shape due to pressure, same as your spinal bones. Your disc is as tough as a NHL hockey puck. And, because it is filled with fluid, we all remember that fluids cannot be compressed (think hydrolic hoses for back hoes)this means the bones will adapt to the pressure and change shape (degenerate).
Now, this abnormal pressure also causes the joints not to move properly (you notice this by your reduced turning ability, by having to turn your whole body to back out of a parking space). Also your muscles become tense, tight and spasm to protect your spine from further going outside normal range. As well as the discs start to desiccate (dry up). You see your cervical (neck) discs need proper motion for proper health height.
Lose proper structure you lose proper motion. Bones degenerate, discs dry up, ligaments change shape and muscles tighten. This cause Secondary Conditions of : neck pain, upper back pain, numbness and tingling, weakness, etc.
What can you do?
Traditionally, the goal is to get you out of pain and get you moving better, this is done by...
- Physical therapy
- Massage
- Pain medication
- Traditional Chiropractic
- Surgery
- Pain management
I have no doubt that the above methods have helped. What those methods do not address is a primary structural condition called A. H. S. or Anterior Head Syndrome.
AHS, has five objective indicators that no one that really understands anatomy could disagree, be it a Neurosurgeon or a Structural Corrective Chiropractor.
The indicators are:
- Head anterior/forward more than 30mm or 1 inch from the shoulders
- Degenerative Disc Disease (damaged Disc)
- Nerve Impingement Syndrome (NIS)
- Muscular spasm/tension
- Degenerative Joint Disease (damaged spinal bones)
As a Structural Corrective Chiropractor which is different than Traditional Chiropractic, our goal is to enhance the structure of your spine back into the normal range. Once the structure of your spine has improved more towards normal this decreases the harsh pressures on your spinal bones and discs, which then helps relieve or improve your Secondary conditions of pain, headaches, numbness and tingling.
We do this with gentle specific spinal corrections which is not manipulation, structural rehabilitation and complementary recommendations to enhance what we do in the office and so that you do not become dependent on our services. We teach you how to protect what we've corrected.
What we don't do....
We do not have you under care forever.
We do not claim to cure everything, we are only focused on correcting your spinal structure.
We do not perform aggressive spinal manipulations.
We do not accept everyone, some folks we can not help.
The best type of patient is someone who has been to everyone else and is still having issues or someone who has had problems treated yet they still pop up from time to time and are becoming more frequent affecting your day to day activities. If this is you, then our office should be sought out for at least a conversation about your condition.
We are excellent at tough cases.
For additional information call: 860.523.5465
ADVANCED CHIROPRACTIC of West Hartford
Dr.
Chris Chase - Certified Structural Correction Chiropractor, Dr. Chris
is the only Structural Chiropractor in West Hartford, and surrounding
communities. ADVANCED CHIROPRACTIC is a company that offers Structural
Correction services for women, children and men - which is different
from traditional chiropractors (not better BUT significantly different).
Neck strain is more common now that everything that we do is in front of us and makes us hold our head in sustained awkward positions.
Just because current technology is cool, and wows us we need to understand that our inner frame work of our bodies does not always agree.
This is what I hear from patients, " I get a stiff neck every once in a while but lately it is becoming more frequent and affecting my work, family time (had to be on pain killers on vacation) and now I am getting weakness in my hands". I get this same story from patients that are; Pediatricians, Restaurateurs, Hair Stylists/Salon Owners, Accountants, Office Assistants and Dentists. What is universal with all these different patients is the surprise at how much degeneration(that we find with Structural Corrective Radiographys) that is in their necks. Moderate to severe Degenerative Disc Disease and Degenerative Joint Disease. And they always say, "how the heck did it get that bad". This statement I have even heard from multiple Medical Doctors, Dentists, Pediatricians and Trauma Doctors.
The following is the explanation for the why neck strain is just the tip of the iceberg in many (not all) cases.
Patient: How did all that damage happen, I never thought it was that bad?
Structural Chiro: You have AHS, which is short for Anterior Head Syndrome. One of the indicators is that your head is more than 30mm anterior from your thorax. This adds an additional weight of 10 lbs to your spine, in addition you have lost the normal curve which supports the weight of your skull (head). These two issues have caused your spine and discs to rot (degenerate).
Patient: Why did I not feel this, i mean I just get a stiff neck every once in a while or when I sleep wrong.
Structural Chiro: Your body is marveleous at adapting to your spine outside the normal range, it happens s-l-o-w-l-y, so you will NEVER FEEL degeneration, you will FEEL the muscle stiffness (warning you) that there is more to your stiff neck.
What is commonly done, repeatedly?
Now, most people run to the more common solutions, such as massage, pain pills, muscle relaxores, acupuncture, trainers, conventional chiropractors, physical therapists... all in an effort to help with your stiff neck. And they all do a good job - I have no doubt.
Yet, not one of the above addressed the root cause - AHS (Anterior Head Syndrome) a Primary Structural Condition. They haven't addressed it because they either do not no how, or think it is not important. In my not so humbble professional opinion when I take a structural corrective radiograph of a patients neck and see moderate to severe degeneration ( even in a 21 year old patient) normal structure of your spine is not optional.
If your child had crooked teeth, aside from the ascetics of her smile they will not function properly. So, you start to have a nice relationship with a orthodontist. If your spine is abnormal, it will not function correctly and don't forget your spine houses and protects your nervous system (the system that runs everything else).
So, having a spine in normal range is more than reasonable.
When your spine is in normal range it can carry the weight of your skull and gravity properly, which lessens the forces on your discs, muscles and nerves which will help reduce or eliminate neck strain.
Have a GREAT Day
Dr. Chris
For additional information call: 860.523.5465
ADVANCED CHIROPRACTIC of West Hartford
Dr.
Chris Chase - Certified Structural Correction Chiropractor, Dr. Chris
is the only Structural Chiropractor in West Hartford, and surrounding
communities. ADVANCED CHIROPRACTIC is a company that offers Structural
Correction services for women, children and men - which is different
from traditional chiropractors (not better BUT significantly different).
Dr. Chris Chase is known for his directive focus to patient care and comprehensive approach to better health.
For additional information call: 860.523.5465
