Santa Barbara Chiropractor

Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “Growing old isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.” However, it’s no joke if the aging process is creating pain in your body! As a Santa Barbara chiropractor, I see a lot of people suffering from age-related problems that might not have taken place if the primary cause had been taken care of earlier in life, especially when it involves musculoskeletal breakdowns. Poor posture, improper gait, and repetitive overuse often produce undue stress in the back, neck, hip, knees, and even the feet that can result in painful problems over time. If we only aware years ago how our aging body would feel now, eh? But, as they say, “hindsight is 20-20.”

As you can see from the list of complaints above, there are quite a few musculoskeletal challenges that can, and frequently do, take place as we age, but back pain is one of the most prevalent. Back pain that is age-related is most commonly caused by a degenerative disorder known as Spondylosis (spine osteoarthritis).

Spondylosis is caused by advanced deterioration and weight-bearing force on the spine that, over the years, undermines discs, joints, and surrounding ligaments. The location and degree of the degenerative process of spondylosis is individual, varying from person to person. It may affect the cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back), or lumbar (low back) areas of the spine. Spondylosis symptoms are individual as well, depending on the severity of degeneration, and can extend from negligible pain and numbness to gross sensory loss and muscular atrophy.

Calcium is deposited in the tissues around the vertebrae as the result of repetitive stresses that negatively affect the cartilage surrounding the joints Adjacent nerves, blood vessels, and soft tissue can be constricted by these calcific deposits, also called bone spurs. This particular of compression is at the root of Spondylosis.

Whether or not you are suffering from spondylosis, regular chiropractic adjustments and overall chiropractic management can significantly slow the aging process of your spine. It may be true that “you can’t un-ring a bell” or “turn back the hands of time,” but it’s never too late to give your spine the consideration it deserves. Chiropractors are experts when it comes to treatment of the spine. See your chiropractor in Santa Barbara today, for the health of your spine.

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