Degeneration, osteoarthritis, spondylosis, whatever you want to call it is an inevitable condition that is wear and tear of the spine and its discs. It typically occurs in the later stages of life as we have put ourselves through tremendous amounts of forces and stresses over the many years. However in this day and age, many individuals have degeneration much earlier in life due to previous injuries, motor vehicle accidents and/or poor posture!
Poor posture is a major factor that I’ve seen in practice relating to early degeneration, due to the fact that we spend most of days on a computer slouching and then move to our phones looking straight down. This can consist of 8-10 hours a day just being in a very poor position, times that by 5-6 times a week, and your looking at roughly 40+ hours being in that same position. What typically occurs after a period of time, individuals develop the “text neck”, where the stay in a hunched posture with their heads sticking forward, which is called forward head carriage. This essentially puts much more pressure on the spine and its discs. Keep that up for a few years and your looking at change in curvature of your spine and early degeneration, particularly within the neck.
Disc degeneration typically consists of low levels of chronic pain and often can have occasional occurrences of mid to severe pain. Some people don’t even have any symptoms at all! However the symptoms can include stiffness of spine, aching and poor movement. In some cases, individuals can cause weakness, numbness and hot, shooting pains or tingling in the arms or legs.
Unfortunately once degeneration occurs, in cannot be reversed or undone. It is simply about managing the symptoms and preventing the condition from getting any worse! So its best to get this checked up before getting any worse, permanently!
Thomas is a Chiropractor at Health Space Sydney CBD and Potts Point. He individualizes treatments to all patients and has a passion to helping individuals achieve pain free lives and long-term health. From sports injuries to back pain, Thomas is dedicated to help individuals achieve a healthier future.
