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People naturally worry about spinal disease getting steadily worse. In the case of spinal degenerative changes, however, the natural history is for the wearand- tear changes to continue as we grow older. Fortunately, the symptoms don’t directly mimic this progression, and most people experience only short-lived episodes of discomfort. Even pain which persists over a long period will tend to subside over the years.

The effect of symptoms on an individual is governed in part by his or her age and level of activity. Spinal degenerative disease takes its greatest toll in the working years of life. In retirement, when people are less active, the discomfort is often less intrusive.

Even when we know that spinal pain arises from degenerative changes and not from something more sinister, symptoms still produce a good deal of anxiety for the affected person. The worry combined with the pain may generate an overall level of distress which can at times become intolerable. Although in most cases degenerative disease does not become ‘disabling’, the pain remains unpleasant and it can certainly interfere with an individual’s ability to earn a living, causing further concern and anxiety.

Whiplash
The neck pain associated with whiplash injuries, referred to medically as hyperextension injuries, can often persist and remain intrusive for many months or even years after the injury - 20 per cent of people who sustain such an injury continue to be troubled for two years or more. Often medical examination and investigations reveal no abnormalities, and an affected person may feel that he or she is perceived by others, particularly doctors, as being a malingerer. Fortunately, in most cases, the symptoms do not get any worse and, if anything, will gradually improve with time.