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At the Church Road Family Chiropractic Clinic we do not guess about your health. Spinal x-rays
may identify important findings such as spinal arthritis or other disorders of the spine. Many people
may not even be aware that spinal disc disease or bone arthritis is developing in their spine.
X-rays act as a blueprint of your spine and will reveal any abnormal spinal alignment. X-rays allow
us to see how an individual spine deviates from normal alignment, so that we may decide on an
appropriate treatment. Without an x-ray, we would only be guessing.
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Spinal Decay
This process in the spine has similarities to tooth decay in that it shows up usually because of neglect. Also, just like tooth decay, it can happen to anyone, regardless of age.
Because it is often seen in older people, many believe it's merely the normal aging process. It is not. This progressively worsening, degenerative condition is the result of uncorrected spinal misalignment. Spinal decay is how your body deals with the stress of gravity.
It just so happens that most people have spinal problems that they have ignored for years.
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NORMAL
While this process can occur anywhere in the spine, it's easiest to see in the neck.
This is what the side view of the neck should look like. From the side, the neck should have a
graceful forward curve. The edges of each bone are well defined. There should be equal disc spacing
between each bone and the openings for nerve roots should be clear and unobstructed.
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PHASE ONE
In Phase One there is a loss of curve and a reduced ability to turn and bend. In some cases the disc space
between adjacent vertebrae may be reduced, or discs may become wedge-shaped, risking more serious soft tissue
damage. Depending upon your body's ability to adapt to such change, pain or other obvious symptoms may not be
present. Even the resulting reduced range of motion may be too subtle for some to notice.
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PHASE TWO
If further neglected, in Phase Two, joint surfaces lose their clearly defined edges and the early signs of
bone spurs become visible on x-rays. These bone spurs cause inflammation and some believe this is a sign of
a broken bone. This is not the case. The body is just beginning its process of depositing calcium salts and
as the neck isn't in a cast, movement is not prevented and so bone fusion doesn't occur (at this stage).
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PHASE THREE
If still left uncorrected, the problem gets worse in Phase Three. Amazingly, pain or other obvious symptoms
still may not yet appear but eventually the body successfully mends the so-called "broken bone." This process
can take years and calls into question the claim that many patients make that they were "fine until I bent
over to tie my shoelaces last week." That's not what the x-rays tell us!
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