Before you can choose a back specialist, you need to understand where spinal decay comes from.

Spinal Decay is a slow degenerative process that occurs due to uncorrected spinal stress. The spinal stress may come from a birth trauma, car accident, slip or fall, or improper alignment of your spine. Just like tooth decay early detection and treatment are critical in the treatment of spinal decay. The first phase of degeneration is a loss of the spinal curves. When there is a hypolordosis, or a lesser curve, there is added stress on the anterior (front) structures, normally the discs and the bodies of the vertebrae. This added stress will create compressive forces on the disc and the vertebra which will cause reactive bone changes creating osteophytes or bone spurs. When one area of the spine loses motion other areas of the spine have to compensate for injured area which causes increase stress and pressure on that area which may lead to more damage. Many times you end up with a domino effect of health problems!

The second phase of decay is when the body tries to stabilize and immobilize the affected spinal joint. The body does this by putting calcium on the affected joints, ligaments, and connective tissue. What will happen is a systemic neuro-musculo-skeletal reaction that will render you susceptible to not only chronic recurrent strain but the development of trigger points, joint irritation/inflammation, disc degeneration, abnormal neuro-muscular function, compression fractures of the vertebrae, headaches, etc. As with cancer or high blood pressure, pain or other obvious symptoms many times are absent at this point.

During the third phase of decay the integrity of the spine is severely compromised. More calcium and bone is deposited around the spinal joints and the disc may decay also. The movement of this area is often limited and many times people begin to see more neurological symptoms.

Isn't this just part of the normal aging process?

Because spinal decay is often (but not always) seen in the elderly, some people are misled into believing that it is merely part of the aging process. Not true. It seems clear that it is the result of long-standing, uncorrected spinal stress.

So when choosing a "Back Specialist" you need to be sure the specialist understands the cause of your particular condition. There are different types of specialist who handle your condition in different ways, but have the same objective, to get you better. You have so many choices today, from non-surgical to surgical. So first have consults with a few different doctors and decide what route you want to pursue.

At Natural Spine Solutions we understand the consequence of spinal stress and the cause of spinal decay. We are well trained and have the experience in treating disc bulges, herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, and sciatica. We use a state of the art spinal decompression table that creates a negative pressure within a certain disc to help pull nutrients and fluids into the disc. Thus, increasing the disc height while taking pressure off the spinal nerve.

Dr. Wayne Fichter is the lead doctor at Natural Spine Solutions, which specializes in the treatment of serious, chronic back problems, acute injuries and postural/scoliosis problems. Call (208) 966-4425 for all of your spinal and wellness needs.