Santa Clarita – Did you know that the average person shrinks up to three inches over the course of their life? It’s true. You can begin losing height slowly some time in your late 20s, then, the process accelerates as you age. So, if you are in your 30s, you are shrinking right now! First let’s talk about why you shrink: Although there are several factors that lead to shrinking, the one that has by far the biggest impact is your spine. As you many of you know, the spine is made up of 24 moveable vertebrae that stack on top of each other like blocks. In between each vertebrae is a disc. The disc has several functions:
1. It helps to “glue” the vertebrae together, keeping it in place.
2. It acts like a shock absorber, allowing the spine to compress and decompress when stress or force is applied.
3. It maintains proper spacing between the vertebrae. Proper spacing is essential so each bone can move freely and completely. This space also allows nerves to pass through their openings (canals) without getting pinched.
What does all of this have to do with you shrinking? Simple. The disc is like a jelly donut: it has a tough outer layer and a soft, gel like center. The gel is normally about 88 percent water.
So, your disc makes up about 33 percent of the height of your spine. And if your disc is over compressed, loses water or dries out so to speak, you lose height.
How does this happen? Often the disc is damaged by trauma or consistent “wear and tear” as with athletics or even years seated behind a desk. There are many causes of disc problems and they don’t get better on their own.
As your disc shrinks or is overly compressed, it will also cause the joints of the spine to compress as well; this causes inflammation (swelling). If one disc is overly compressed and begins to lose height, the other discs in the spine will have to absorb more force to provide the same cushion. So in turn, if we find one disc problem, we normally find more.
During this whole process, the disc can herniate or rupture and cause severe pain. Often, the bad disc can pinch or put pressure on nearby spinal nerves causing pain into the leg (sciatica). This can and will get worse, so don’t let it. How do you do that? Well, it depends on the severity of the condition. Hopefully we can catch it early. If we do, then there are simple things to do keep from getting worse.
1. Get a spinal check-up regularly to evaluate your current condition.
2. Learn a fitness routine that focuses on lumbar core stabilization and commit to it.
3. Stay hydrated. Drink about one-half once of water per pound of body weight per day and more if you are active.
If you have already been diagnosed with a disc degeneration, disc herniation or sciatica, chances are your disc problems may have become more severe. These conditions, however, can range in complexity and should be evaluated in order to implement an appropriate treatment plan. What are my treatment options? Again, it depends on the complexity of your condition. It may be a matter of routine chiropractic treatments and physical therapy, or it may be as intense as surgery. But we now have a new non-surgical option available. This new treatment for compressed discs is The DRX9000™True Spinal Decompression machine. This is a non-surgical, non-invasive procedure that was developed for the treatment of lower back pain caused by disc herniations and degenerative disc disease. The process is effective in relieving low back pain by enlarging intradiscal space, reducing herniation, and removing the disc compression. The DRX9000™ was designed by a specialized team of engineers to meet the needs of today’s patient, offering patients the latest cutting-edge technology to improve the quality of life for those suffering from herniated discs, degenerative disc disease and other back ailments. If you have been suffering from the ailments above, you may be a candidate.
Don’t wait until your condition gets worse. Some damage may have already been done. Some damage can be corrected, some cannot. Over time, this damage adds up, leading to more problems and pain. The real key to living a happy, healthy, pain free life can be found in the wise old saying: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help and we enjoy participating in your life-long good health!
For more information, please contact Dr. Jeff Bowne, D.C at 661-288-2321 or visit his website www.bownechiropractic.com . You may also come by the office at 24510 Town Center Dr., Suite 200, in Valencia.