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By Jason

Degeneration: How worried should you be?

Hello!

I get asked all the time by people who come in for the evaluation, “ I had these X-rays and MRI done, and they tell me that they found degeneration. How worried should I be?”

This kind of problem is found all the time when older people with neck or back pain get x -rays and scans to determine the cause of their pain.

Let us look at what the facts say.

In the 90’s there was a study done where they did an MRI scan on 100 people without back pain and 25 with back pain.

They then had 2 radiologists, specialist doctors, look at the scans to see what problems they could find.

52% of the 125 MRIs has a disc bulge at least 1 level in the lumbar spine (lower back).

27% had a protrusion of the disc (a more severe kind of disc bulge).

38% had an abnormality of more than 1 Disc.

14% of the MRIs had degeneration of the facet joints of the lumbar spine (the joints between the vertebrae of the spine).

All of these types of findings are degeneration. Just different types.

The researchers concluded that” Given the high prevalence of these findings and that of back pain, the discovery by MRI of bulges or protrusions in people with back pain may frequently be coincidental”.

So, what this should tell you is that degeneration is a common finding of an MRI, the older you get the more common they become.

Secondly, that degeneration of the spine found on an MRI does not mean that degeneration is the cause of the pain you feel.

That means to me that the problems seen on MRI may have been there all along. Are not causing you any pain and may have nothing to do with what is causing your back or neck pain.

Lastly, how worried should you be?

Not very. Degeneration is a natural part of ageing and isn’t, by itself not the cause of pain for most people.

What should you do? You have pain, it is not going away and now degeneration in your spine could have nothing to do with the cause of your pain. What’s the next step?

What you really need to do is go to a professional that can look at the entire problem, find out what is going on and even if degeneration of the spine is playing any role in the problem at all.

Professionals like us perhaps?

book your appointment today

Jason

I had back pain for almost 2 years, I relied heavily on strong pain killers and I was about to do an operation, but the day I met Jason everything changed, I have healed no more pain no more taking pain killers.

Mmabatho

Jason has been the best physiotherapist. He had literally changed my life. I’ve gone to several physiotherapists before who have not been able to solve my back problem. However, with Jason he made me feel as if I can recover and in a quick time I actually did. I’d highly recommend his practice

Will

Jasons’ service has been impeccable. He is very professional, friendly and relatable to his clients.

Mathikazi

Super professional! Holistic therapy focuses on overall wellbeing over the long term. My child’s shoulder and consequently sleeping problem were properly dealt with.

Lerato

First of all, you should know how friendly he is. He isn’t as rude as the others are. Even though the treatment hurt I felt healed afterwards. Even after some days I still don’t feel the pain. He even helps distract me while he is working so it isn’t as sore. He also made me feel comfortable very quickly and that made things a lot more fun and easy.

Queen

Most informative and upfront Physio I have ever had the pleasure of receiving treatment from. He is honest and worked hard to fix my problem. Extremely satisfied with the results.

Nick

BRILLIANT. My problems were being resolved from day one. He guided me through exercises and strengthening me to prevent further injuries. I would recommend him to anyone.

Durran

BRILLIANT. My problems were being resolved from day one. He guided me through exercises and strengthening me to prevent further injuries. I would recommend him to anyone.

Durran

The treatment I got was so good. He has a magic touch because anywhere I had pain, he touched and my pain went away. The exercise we did was marvellous. The exercises we did made me feel so good. In the four days, we worked I felt great afterwards. I want to call and send my friends and family to him so he can help them.

Malatji

So I hobbled (I used to need a walking stick) into his office but now I don’t. If you’re looking for a physiotherapist who’s going to be straight with you and actually address your pain, Jason Roets should definitely be your choice. Now I walk well WITHOUT my walking stick! And no more pain!

Zinz

Jason is deeply invested in the recovery and wellbeing of his patients. He has a holistic approach and takes all factors – past and present – into account when providing treatment. He works to fix the root of problems, rather than simply treat immediate symptoms. His care and passion for what he does are undeniable

Gina

I had extreme pains in my neck. After a few sessions with Jason, I feel much relieved and pain-free. Jason is very friendly and engages with his clients in his sessions, which helps create a connection on an emotional level not only physical.

Jonathan

I think it’s the best thing I could do to treat my back pain. It took a while before I went in and I wished I when sooner. I really liked how fast he responded and wanted to see me so quickly. I also liked how the ebooks he has was really helpful that I got through seeing it on Facebook.

Charles

Jason has been great and patient with me through the journey. I have been suffering from backache and headache for a long time and he helped me for 2 weeks and already there is a huge difference. Thanks for your help 😊

Nkope

I was desperate to get help for my back. A neurosurgeon said I needed surgery but I refuse to go because there is no one to look after me while I recover. And with covid, I will not go to the hospital because that’s where you get it. I’m so glad I went to Jason because he really helped and I don’t need surgery anymore.

Jane

I would like other people to consider using him because of how much he has helped me. If you feel like you need help you should contact him I didn’t know how connected the body was and how old injures can make me have pain now. Now i don’t feel any pain and the exercises helped so much I’m no longer stiff and my back pain is gone

Sylvia

I had an injured back muscle for more than a year. I was assisted by a clinic specializing in those kinds of injuries which took a lot of sessions to relieve some of the pain. Jason’s physio treatment took 2 sessions! Thanks, Jason!

Gerhard

Excellent service! Wow! Beyond amazed at the high level of accuracy carried out through the process of my treatment. I am completely free of all the pain was experiencing! Again, Wow!

Baatseba

I advised you to do it. Because I experience the pain that I had couldn’t even allow me to walk with confidence. My pain was heavy on me. My body was so heavy. The pain was so sore. He even picked up things that I didn’t even know if had. I sleep so much better now. But now I don’t have any problems

Aldine

I had back pain for almost 2 years, I relied heavily on strong pain killers and I was about to do an operation, but the day I met Jason everything changed, I have healed no more pain no more taking pain killers.

Mmabatho

Jason has been the best physiotherapist. He had literally changed my life. I’ve gone to several physiotherapists before who have not been able to solve my back problem. However, with Jason he made me feel as if I can recover and in a quick time I actually did. I’d highly recommend his practice

Will