Why are we seeing Spinal Wear/Degeneration in Young Adults?

Spondylosis means degeneration/wear and tear of the spine. As chiropractors we are seeing younger and younger people coming into our office with this condition. So in this blog we are addressing the issue of why are we seeing this condition in young adults.



What is SADD?
Spinal arthritis is mostly associated with disc disease. SADD stands for spinal arthritis and degenerative disc disease. As the joints wears, so do the discs and this is seen in all ages.
One of the biggest causes we see in our office of SADD is changes in the spinal curves.

What causes spinal degeneration/arthritis/spondylosis:
Most of the cases of spinal degeneration are due to cumulative effects of :
- poor posture
- poor spinal alignment
- trauma. Trauma can be due to repetitive movements, such as bending and lifting
- car/bike accidents
- Sporting accident
- Falls
- Uncorrected short leg
- Scoliosis that is untreated

Spondlyosis - it’s synonyms
All these terms indicate a wearing away of the spine”
- Osteoarthritis
- Degeneration
- Spinal decay
- Wear and tear

How can spondylosis present?The symptoms of this condition can present as:
- Pain in the spine and neck
- Referred nerve pain in the arms or legs
- Stiffness and lack of mobility
- Disabilities


Changes to neck and low back curves and degeneration:

There are many research articles indicating that the increased loads on the spinal joints and bones are a primary cause of wear and tear. Here are a few research articles that state this.

- Neck curve loss (lordosis) and degeneration;
In this 2018 study, concluded that,
“These results revealed that loss of the natural cervical lordosis is correlated substantially with cervical disc degeneration, rather than the FHP.” FHP stands for forward head position. So it shows that we cannot blame age on degeneration of the spine. We see this in our office daily and the research is linking the loss of normal curves with increase stress that leads to degenerative changes."

- Nerve Health and your Curves
In a Chiropractic BioPhysics article, they found that
‘the majority of the studies (100/128 or 78%) have found a positive association between sagittal plane curves/posture and health disorders.’ (2)
What this means is that altering the spinal alignment, where it is no longer ideal, places tension on the nerves. We need to remember that the spines job is to provide movement as well as protect the nerves that control our health. Abnormal curves stress the nerves and will have a negative effect on our structure as well as our overall health.

- Loss of Low back curve and Spondylosis
A study in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery Research showed a correlation between loss of low back curve  and spinal degeneration.
‘Studies have shown that lumbar disc herniation, degenerative lumbar instability, and other degenerative lumbar spinal diseases are often secondary to disc degeneration. By    studying the intervertebral disc, researchers have clarified the pathological changes involved in intervertebral disc degeneration but have ignored the roles of bio-mechanical factors in the development of disc degeneration. ‘ (3)

-Meta Analysis, Low back pain and Spondylosis.        
This research paper demonstrated the strong link between low back pain and a reduced low back curve, called a lordosis. The authors commented on how disc herniation or degeneration was shown to be substantially associated with the loss of normal low back curve. (4)




What is Spondylitis?

Spondylitis is inflammation of the spinal joints. Arthritis of the spine can cause inflammatory episodes, where it can be termed as spondylitis. There are many causes of inflammation in the spine, here are a few:
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Juvenile arthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Infections

The Solution:

The sooner altered spinal curves and poor postures are addressed the less stress is placed on the spine and nervous system. Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) is the most researched curve corrective technique that is available. It provides a system of care, that includes:
- mirror image® adjustments
- Neuromuscular rehabilitation exercises
- Home traction with a Denneroll
- In office traction with Denneroll table or other CBP traction systems

To find your local CBP certified doctor, go to the ideal spine website.
www.idealspine.com

REFERENCES:
1.Correlation between kinematic sagittal parameters of the cervical lordosis or head posture and disc degeneration in patients with posterior neck pain - PubMed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33585...
2.Deed et al, Sagittal spinal curves and health www.idealspine.com
3.Wei et al, J Ortho Surg Res Correlations between the sagittal plane parameters of the spine and pelvis and lumbar disc degeneration 2018 Jun 4;13(1):137. doi: 10.1186/s13018-018-0838-6.
4. Chun S W et al The Spine Journal Vol 17, issue 8, P1180-1191, Aug,2-17 The relationships between low back pain and lumbar lordosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis