Cervical Degeneration

Text Book Normal

normal1This is a side x-ray view of the neck. As with all the pictures you will see on this page, the patient is looking to the right of the screen, so you are viewing the right side of their neck. We will call this picture a "Text Book normal" spine. Compare this spine with the ones you will see below on this page. Notice the normal forward curve of the neck. This curve helps absorb shock.

 

 

 

Phase One Degeneration

phase0nePhase One Degeneration is characterized with a loss or change in the normal curve in the spine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase Two Degeneration

phasetwoPhase two degeneration is normally seen in that have been present between 20 and 40 years.

 

 

 

 

 

Phase Three Degeneration

phasethreePhase Three Degeneration is caused by that have been continuing on for between 40 and 65 years. This phase has all of the attributes of the previous phases, only worse.

 

 

 

 

 

Phase Four Degeneration

phasefourPhase four degeneration is seen with that have been raging on uncorrected or altered for over sixty five years.

Phase four is a grave condition that will negatively affect the patients’ longevity and quality of life. The massive amount of neurological damage caused by years of that have lead to phase four are probably taking a serious toll on this person's health status.

 

 

 

It should be noted that the above are common guidelines and not hard rules. Every person is dynamic and different. People degenerate at different rates and heal at different rates. The further along your spine may be with subluxation degeneration the more strenuous and time consuming your road to improvement will be. For this reason we always stress early care to stop and prevent the advancement of subluxation degeneration. Of course, if you're not under chiropractic care, the best time to start is NOW!

 

Again, this is a file from the Society of Orthospinology website www.orthospinology.org and shows the change in cervical lordosis which is achieved when the skull is re-positioned, by atlas adjustment, to its rightful position. This position requires having the centre of gravity over the C7 vertebra.

 

 

This is a file from the Society of Orthospinology website www.orthospinology.org and shows the amazing reabsorption of the L4 disc which had herniated into the spinal canal. The upper cervical chiropractic technique employed was ‘Atlas Orthogonal’ described elsewhere on my website, and the period of care and adjustment for this person was 8 months. This morph of sagittal MRI taken over that period clearly serves to highlight how adjustments made to the upper cervical spine (atlas) and re-positioning of the skull so that it is placed directly over the spinal column and pelvis below it, results in complete biomechanical changes, resulting in re-alignment all the way to the base of the spine.