Lateral (or side) View of a textbook Normal Cervical Spine
Normal curve with equal disc spacing. No visible signs of degeneration.

Lateral (or side) View of Cervical Spine in Late Stage Degeneration
Loss of normal curve and loss of disc space. Calcium deposit (sclerosis) and bone spurs (osteophytes).

Lateral (or side) View of a textbook Normal Lumbar Spine
Normal curve with equal disc spacing. No visible signs of degeneration.

Lateral (or side) View of Lumbar Spine in Late Stage Degeneration
Observe the thick base of each vertebral body (bone), a loss of normal curve, and associated loss of disc height.

What Is Spinal Degeneration?

Degeneration is a process by which something breaks down. Spinal degeneration occurs within the joints and soft tissues of the spine. This is also called Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) or Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD), depending upon the tissues involved. You will most commonly hear these terms when your medical doctor or your chiropractor is explaining your X-rays.

Several features can be noted on X-ray in a spine with DJD or DDD, including narrowing of the joint spaces, the formation of bony spurs, and thinning of the vertebral disc space. In patients with this condition, altered (increased or decreased) spinal curves are usually evident as well.

What Causes Spinal Degeneration?

One of the major causes of degeneration occurs from long-standing spinal misalignments or subluxations. Misalignment of the vertebral bones causes altered biomechanics (how the joints and muscles of the spine move.) Misalignments lead to altered posture, decreased joint function and weakness, and muscle imbalances. They can also lead to nerve interference due to the anatomical relationship between the spine and the nervous system.

A misalignment in a joint may or may not cause pain or other symptoms. Individuals can go for months and years without realizing that there is a problem. The degenerative process is typically not overly painful. By the time pain is experienced, the degeneration may be significantly progressed.

Other causes of degeneration include systemic disease and arthritic conditions.

Chiropractic Care of the Phases of Vertebral Subluxation Degeneration

There are four phases of malfunction or subluxation degeneration by which your chiropractor evaluates its progression. Your ability to return to optimal health is based on how soon the spinal misalignments are detected. The longer the phases of degeneration are allowed to progress, the more difficult it is for the body to heal.

Phase I is the misalignment and malfunction of the spine. No recognizable tissue degeneration has occurred, and the misalignment is usually completely reversible and preventable through regular chiropractic care.

Phase II is misalignment and malfunction with some tissue (disc) degeneration. Some bony deposition may begin to occur. Complete return to normal cannot always be expected under chiropractic care, but this phase usually becomes remarkably better.

Phase III occurs when VSC (Vertebral Subluxation Complex) is left uncorrected and can be described by significant calcium deposition (spurring). The discs are decreased in height, causing a myriad of potential problems. A return to optimal function and complete correction is rare, yet the degenerative process may often slow or halt all together with appropriate chiropractic care.

Phase IV is the fusion of the spine, with disc and nerve degeneration. This immobilization is associated with many health consequences. Again, return to full function and correction is very rare, if not impossible. The chiropractor can, however, adjust other areas of the spine, protecting less affected areas of the spine and nervous system.