"I've been suffering from low back pain for many years. My joints are stiff and sore, especially in the morning until I warm-up. I cannot work stooping. They found on X-ray that I have disk degeneration and there are osteophytes all over my spine"

These are the main and most frequent complaints associated with degenerative arthritis. Such patients are sure they suffer from "pinched nerves". Many people think that those problems are related to joint osteophytes. They imagine them like mushrooms which grow up wherever they wish, compress nerves, blood vessels and cause pain and numbness.

Osteophytes, however, are not a reason of either the pinching or pain. They appear as result of the squeezing and pain. Just like callous appear where shoes squeeze the foot. Osteophytes also emerge where muscle spasm and joint misalignment cause a chronic irritation of bones and joint capsule.

Muscle spasm and joint misalignment are the result of various injuries. Injuries lead to the spasm of muscles aiming to fix the painful joints. When muscles are in spasm, a blood circulation is getting poor and the nourishment of tissues is disturbed. It leads to dystrophy an degeneration of muscles and joints. So, our "terrible" pain that we fear too much is just a signal indicating that the muscles are in deficit of oxygen. The pain is the cry of the body for help. Pain is the language of your body, try to hear it , not to hate it.

This complex: muscular spasm, a blocked joint and disturbed blood supply, is called a functional blockage.

It is the authentic cause of arthritis. Joints never degenerate due to age or bad weather. Joints move where muscles pull them. Joints stay where muscles hold them. The joint degeneration is preceded by muscle degeneration. There will be no degeneration in any age if muscles keep their elasticity and flexibility.

First are muscles then joints. It is true for disease it should be a rule for a treatment.