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Did you know the average human (man & woman) shrinks up to three inches over the course of their life? It’s true. Chiropractors in San Diego are revealing this phenomenon. You can begin losing height slowly some time in your late twenties, and then, the process accelerates as you age. So, if you are in your thirties you are shrinking right now! And the worst part is that some shrink more and quicker than others. The results can be a devastating “hunchback” appearance, limited mobility and constant pain. The good news is that there are simple and easy things you can do right now to minimize the aging and shrinking process to make sure you stay strong and tall and don’t end up looking like the hunchback of Notre Dame!

Although there are several factors that lead to shrinking, the one that has by far the biggest impact on shrinkage is your spine. This is because the discs have several important functions. First, they help to keep the vertebrae together. The discs also act like a shock absorber, allowing the spine to compress and rebound when stress is applied to the spinal column. It acts as a sort of spring. The discs also maintain proper spacing between the bones. Proper spacing is needed so each bone can move completely without restriction. This space allows nerves to pass through their opening without getting pinched and altered. What does all this have to do with you shrinkage? The disc is like a week old jelly donut that can easily be ruined. It has a tough outer layer and a soft, jelly-like center. That center is normally over 85% water. Your disc makes up 33% of the height of your entire spine. So, if your disc somehow loses water, dries out so-to-speak, you lose height! And in some cases it can be a few inches.

How does that happen? Simple once again: You see, your discs only have ONE WAY to keep their water content… MOTION! And, not just motion…but…proper motion! Proper motion serves as a natural pump that brings water and other nutrition in and out of the disc. As soon as that motion is stopped or altered, the disc literally begins to shrink up and die. If your spinal bones misalign or malfunction (what Chiropractors call a subluxation) the discs cannot move through their normal range of motion causing its water content to be lost and the disc height to decrease.

And here’s an amazing fact that you need to understand. An estimated two inches of vertical height of the spine may be lost if the water content of the discs are lowered by only sixteen percent or more! What’s worse is that his sets off a vicious cycle of spinal and body degeneration. As your disc shrinks, it compresses joints and causes inflammation or swelling due to friction in the area. Swelling and more friction reduce mobility even more in the long run. As more motion is lost, the disc loses more fluid, shrinking even more, causing compression and the cycle keeps going and going until your spinal discs look like a slice of pepperoni on a pizza! What’s more, your spine can even become deformed, making it more difficult to maintain balance and upright posture. That’s one reason you see people with terrible looking hunchbacks or using a walker to stay somewhat upright. During this process, nerves can get pinched and compressed. This can cause severe pain and other chronic health problems.

That was a lot of dreadful news. But there is good quality news: Chiropractic adjustments combined with rehabilitation procedures and proper nutritional can restore proper motion to malfunctioning spinal segments. This will decrease friction and swelling, and allow fluid back into the disc. This in turn will stop the vicious cycle of pain, degeneration and reduce in height! Even though you can’t completely end the aging process in your spine, you can seriously slow it down. This reduces the amount of height you lose and all the chronic pain and health problems that go along with the problem. How do you guard your spine? This can be done by simply going to your doctor of chiropractic and having your spine routinely checked for misalignments. Misalignments are known as subluxations. Through quick and easy chiropractic methods, it can determined if you have a problem that can cause spinal degeneration and all the problems that come along with it if a subluxation is found. Proper steps can be taken to correct it before serious and permanent damage is done.

You need to ask yourself a question. Does it make more sense to routinely see your dentist for check-ups for your teeth even though your teeth don’t hurt or, should you wait until your teeth are in pain and falling out? I don’t know how you answered that question, but I think it makes more sense to see my Dentist prior to waking up in agonizing pain and needing a root canal. It does make sense to come see a chiropractor prior to being in agonizing pain. By that time, it may be too late and your only option may be surgery. The worst thing is that waiting until you are in pain means damage has already been done. Some damage can be corrected, but some cannot. Over time, this damage adds up. This leads to problems and pain that may not be able to be corrected.

I’m sure you heard the phrase an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Seeing a chiropractor that specializes in these conditions can mean the difference of suffering in agony or living a pain free life. The chiropractors in San Diego’s New Century Spine Centers are at the top of their profession. To learn more about the chiropractors in San Diego at New Century Spine Centers, call them at their San Diego office at 619-630-9153.

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