Spinal Disc Degeneration Rises in Adolescents
Here's what you need to know to prevent and correct it!
Article contributed by Dr. Eric Plasker, Marietta, GA

Most everyone has observed their grandparents’ bent over spines and poor posture with a shudder. They may have worked for many decades to achieve a comfortable lifestyle but now are unable to enjoy it due to poor health. These setbacks are more than irritating; they can be literally debilitating.

Fortunately, most of these health challenges are preventable, especially as they relate to the spine and nervous system. Poor posture, spinal degeneration and the health problems that come from these conditions don’t happen overnight or even over a few years. They gradually take place over a lifetime. Poor health habits and years of neglect cause our entire bodies to suffer a wide range of effects that lead to deteriorating health down the road.

Researchers have discovered new data through MRI technology that indicates nearly 10 percent of children show signs of disc degeneration before reaching puberty. Disc degeneration is a condition in which a damaged spinal disc wears down unevenly causing pressure on nerves. This pressure may not cause immediate pain or health problems however; it may limit your life as you age.

How does this happen to children so early in life? Think about how many times a day a child who is learning to walk falls on their bottom. Have you ever cringed watching your child get hit while playing a contact sport? How many of these physical traumas do you think your child experiences by the time they are 18? They are too numerous to count, aren’t they?

Waiting until the degeneration sets in to take corrective and preventive action is like waiting for your teeth to rot before visiting a dentist. Millions of educated parents bring their children for regular chiropractic checkups to ensure that their spines are growing healthy, without pressure on the nerves.

Not only is the care good for them, but young athletes and children enjoy their chiropractic experience because it…

·  Feels good to get adjusted; it is gentle and safe
·  Can improve their posture and athletic performance
·  Maximizes their bodies’ ability to heal itself and be healthy naturally, which results in less sick days from school and extracurricular activities
·  Reduces their need for drugs or surgical procedures
·  Improves posture and ensures that the bones grow with proper alignment and balance during their growth spurt
·  Improves reaction time for young athletes

Early detection, corrective and wellness care during childhood is the key to a healthy spine throughout life. Researchers are realizing that the need for this care is more important than they originally thought.

By now you’ve probably had your children’s teeth checked and taken them to read the eye chart one hundred times. Take them to your chiropractor for a spinal and nerve system examination. It is the lifeline of their body.