Your Report of Findings

During your report of findings we covered many things. Below is an overview of some of the things we discussed to help refresh your memory.

 

What's causing the pain?

Very simply put you have a pinched nerve. The cause of the pain can be from one or many sources such as the nerve root, disc, and supporting ligaments of the spine.

What does the adjustment do and how does it work?

The adjustment takes the pressure off of the nerve, helps restore the normal motion to the spine and changes the way your brain interprets the signals coming from the spinal joint.

How did I get a pinched nerve?

Most chiropractic conditions are a result of trauma or the cumulative effect of trauma on the spine. Car wrecks, sports injuries, and falls can damage the spine to the degree that the joint never fully heals and is left in an abnormal position that causes abnormal motion. The abnormal motion irritates the nerves which cause muscle spams to form and this complex will affect the nerve impulses going from the joint to the brain. We call this a subluxation, or simply put a pinched nerve. One of the first signs of a pinched nerve is muscle spasms or tightness.

How did I develop Arthritis or Degenerative Joint Disease?

Degenerative Joint Disease is typically due to an injury such as car wrecks or repeated microtrauma to the joint.  This can damage the disc and cause muscle spasms and fixations within the spine. The fixations decrease the fluid flowing within the disc and causes premature degeneration or loss of disc height. This will increase the stress on the supporting soft tissues of the spine and lead to bony spurs.

What grade is my condition?

Our conditions come in four grades. Grade I is early, Grade II is intermediate, Grade III is late, and Grade IV is irreversible. Examples are below.

Cervical Spine

Grade I
The spine and disc appear to be normal and the cervical curve is maintained.


Grade II
The alignment of the spine is altered but the disc spaces remain normal. This misalignment irritates the nerves and disc and can start premature degeneration.

 

Grade III
The alignment continues to deteriorate and the disc begins to narrow putting additional pressure on the supporting soft tissues and nerves. Bony spurs are starting to form as well.

 

Grade IV
The disc spaces are almost gone and the body attempts to fuse the area with bony spurs.