Stage II - Spinal Degeneration

It is confirmed. The x-ray taken of my neck showed that I'm in Stage II of the degeneration of the spine. It is quite upsetting to know. I know my neck has been bothering me all the time, especially my shoulders and upper back. They are always achy and stiff. The reason why I had to go for massages all the time. I know everyone thought that I waste my money on massages or that I only know how to indulge in such luxury. What they did not know was the pain I am constantly in. The pain started in 2001 but I only took the plunge and went for a massage in mid 2002. The chopstick massage I had was great - my shoulders lost the ache for 3 days. A record. That was my road into signing up for all the spa packages which made the massages affordable.

Just because I am always smiling does not mean my body is ok, that I am well.

So how did I find out the state of my spine? I attended the Women's Expo on Sunday, and there was a chiropractic booth offering a free scan of the neck to see how stress the body is. JH did a check as her lower back was hurting. I decided to do it too, just for fun. It showed I was in the med-high risk. The doctor (Dr. Trevor Kilian) recommended I go to his clinic for x-rays and then the consultation for the results. Usual cost is $150 but for that day it was $20 which will be donated to the charity - Chiropractic with Compassion. That was not too bad, so we signed up and made appointment. I thought it would be interesting to know about how my spine and neck look via the x-ray.

Monday was the appointment and he saw that my left shoulder is lower than my right. It could be due to a crooked spine or also because I carry my bag on left shoulder. Pressing on my neck, he was a bit concerned about the lower part of the neck. Took the x-rays.

Today was a presentation of what chiropractic is and how it can help the body. Basically the spine is to protect the spinal cord, and the neck is the most important part as it is closest to the brain. A healthy normal spine in the neck is a "reverse C". But as the body gets out of alignment, there are more stress and pressure on spine/disc (or whatever you call it). There are 4 stages of the disc/spine degeneration.

So I am in Stage II. A shocker. But I have seen the signs. I just never realize it is this bad. The headaches/migraines, tension, stiff neck, shoulders, achy upper back, allergies, sinus problem, earache, ear infection, ENT - these are all the symptoms.

So what exactly is Stage II?
Disc narrowing and abnormal calcium salt deposition (spurring) along the join surfaces between adjacent vertebrae. This creates a rough, jagged appearance on X-rays. In Phase II, Initial Intensive Care usually takes slightly longer than in Phase I and Rehabilitative Care can last up to 30 months. While some spines in this phase may return to near normal, most heal appreciably, returning to proper function, while still exhibiting the signs of previous neglect, typically disc degeneration and spurring. Lack of specific pain may disguise the worsening condition. If left uncorrected, and normal day to day spinal trauma conditions persist, Phase II leads to Phase III.

My C4 and C5 are pressing against each other, stressing the bones? So my spine is leaning towards the left side, it is not straight. And my neck is slanted too. The likely cause of it is me spending too much time on the computer, sitting down. We are not meant to be sitting down all the time.

In 2003, when I could not lift my left arm, I went to see Dr. Lee and he said I had injured my C4 on my neck. That was probably an indicator but no one mentioned how serious it could be. He massaged or re-aligned the neck and I could move my arm. Now I totally can understand how the spine/neck relate to the body and the organs.

I signed up for the treatment as I cannot just leave it like that, for it to get worse everyday. So it is actually a 1-year program. 3x a week for 13 weeks, then 2x a week for 13 weeks and then 1x a week for next 6 months. But in my case, I will get treatment till I leave for Singapore. Maybe I will need to continue treatment in Singapore too.

So everyone, do take note of your body and what it is trying to tell you. Do not wait till it is too late. So less time on the pc for me now. I need to take pro-active positive action to reduce my stress on the body.