In a recent research study published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology, researchers took MRI images and CT scans of the spines of groups of people from ages 20 to 80 years old without pain. What they found was that about 37% of the 20-year-olds had disc degeneration, and approximately 96% of 80-year-olds had disc degeneration. Researchers also found that among the 20-year-olds, about 30% had evidence of disc bulging or disc herniation, while 85% of the 80-year-olds had it. While the imaging revealed something abnormal about the participants’ spines, they did not report any pain.
However, there are also people who have one or both of these diagnoses and who do have pain. So if 2 people have the same diagnosis but one is experiencing pain and the other is not, what is the difference? If you did not hurt yourself in a traumatic event like a car accident, odds are you most likely had that structural change long before you started to have pain. You could have irritated the area with a certain movement that you did not find to be a big deal, but it was enough to cause an exacerbation of symptoms. When this irritation calms down you may feel better, though the same disc bulge or degeneration is still present. Even though 2 people may have the same diagnoses, their presentation is never identical; no 2 people have the same past medical histories, comorbidities, work conditions, and personal activities and habits. As a result of all these factors, different muscles are being used more often than others, which leads to asymmetries of the body. If muscles are weak or inflexible, the other muscles of the body have to compensate for those imbalances, which results in improper movement patterns and pain.
Contac Wendy Webb Schoenewald Physical Therapy and Vestibular Rehabilitation for more information.
