Spinal decay is a degenerative process that gradually and quietly cripples; it may progress for years without obvious symptoms.

Patients with spinal decay have usually suffered a barely-noticed and uncorrected trauma to their spine. You know – a routine slip or fall, a “minor” car accident, or a sports injury.

In the first phase of decay, there is a loss of proper spinal curve and/or a reduced ability to turn or bend. If the condition is left untreated, in the second phase the body begins to compensate by depositing calcium onto affected connective tissues, ligaments, and joint surfaces. This reaction is the result of the body’s attempt to stabilize and to “splint” the injured spinal joint.

By the third phase of spinal decay, the integrity and proper functioning of the spine becomes permanently compromised as the body turns affected spinal joints into a solid block of calcium. This is an irreversible condition that often leads to permanent nerve damage.

This neurological damage becomes systemic and contributes to some of the chronic health problems experienced by seniors. Thus, while chiropractic cannot help areas of the spine already fused together, by locating malfunctioning areas of the spine and employing specific adjustments to improve its function and structure at an earlier stage, chiropractic has helped millions of patients avoid the crippling effects of spinal decay.