Avoid Spinal Arthritis

Most people assume if they are pain-free, they are healthy but this is not true. The spine acts as the shock absorber of the body and if it's out of alignment, it breaks down relentlessly, whether we feel it or not. Doctors call this wear and tear process arthritis and it's preventable.

How we feel has little to do with how healthy we are. We could have heart disease developing for many years before developing our first heart attack. We can even have cancer and have no symptoms at all, till the very end. It should come as no surprise that the spine is the same as the rest of the body. By the time we have neck or back pain, the problem has usually been developing for years! All the pushing, pulling, slips, jerks, jolts, and heavy lifting misalign the spine, until one day we have back or neck pain. Cumulative damage is one of the most frequent causes of back and neck pain.

There are three main curves in the spine that act to absorb all the shocks we endure over a lifetime. Much like the leaf springs under a truck, these curves in our back absorb the shocks of life. Like springs, after a time the spine can wear out. Unfortunately, when this happens there are no good replacement parts for this part of the human body.

Even if we are pain-free, our spines might be crooked, but we assume if we feel fine, that everything is OK. We have car accidents once every ten years on the average and think, if we don't have pain right away, we don't have a problem. The aches and stiffness we have when we rise from bed in the morning, we pretend are normal. We go through bouts of neck and back pain and if we recover, we like to think we're healthy. We live in denial, as our spines actually rot away. Doctors call this relentless process degeneration or arthritis. It's quite common and is due to bones out of place from the various stresses and strains we endure over a lifetime.

Whether we have pain or not, it's important to get our spines checked regularly for proper alignment. Doctors of chiropractic are most qualified for this specialized examination. If necessary the bones of the spine can be gently "adjusted" back into position. This process is virtually painless and very safe. By staying in good alignment, we can maximize our health and avoid spinal decay that can occur over a lifetime. By caring for our spines, we also avoid drugs that have serious side effects and surgery that is always dangerous. Even if there is arthritis in the spine, its progression can be stopped or at least slowed down with safe, gentle chiropractic care.