A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation
understands well the spinal intervertebral disc!
Tonawanda chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients appreciate
that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine acts as a separator to hold the spinal bones apart, the vertebrae, apart and permits motion of the
spine. The disc also supports a large opening for the
nerves exiting the spine through which to pass. If this opening is
reduced, which happens when discs degenerate
and lose height, the nerves passing through are compressed. This compression slows
circulation to the nerve and inflammation of the nerve starts.
The narrowing of the nerve opening is called Tonawanda
spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI picture
of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc performs
like a spring to hold the vertebra apart. The normal disc
therefore functions to avoid
nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc
degenerates, or thins, it allows the adjacent vertebra to approximate one another, resulting in motion
loss, nerve compression, and back
pain or arm or leg pain. What maintains the
intervertebral disc height? Normal discs have a content of a
chemical called glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which permits
the disc to take up water from the fluid moving
into the disc. Actually, the inside
of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content in the
inner disc decreases significantly with degeneration, thus dropping
the water content of the disc. Disc water loss
because of GAG loss is called degeneration. Disc degeneration reduces
the ability of the disc to resist motion by over 65%. The inability
to control motion of the vertebrae is termed instability. (1)
BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC
Let us consider two benefits for
the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is delivered.
First, Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation offers a specialized type
of Tonawanda spinal manipulation which increases the
disc space height, enlarges the nerve opening size, drops
pressure inside the disc to help in circulation, restores
lost range of motion to the spine and establishes nerve
conduction to the brain for pain relief. (4) This latter benefit is called
afferentation. The manipulation undoes the effects of
gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that result in
spinal stenosis and loss of motion. Researchers showed
that spinal mobilization with leg movement in patients with lower extremity
sciatica pain reduced low back and leg pain intensity, disability, pain; improved
range of motion of spine; and satisfied patients in the short
and long term. (2) Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation
benefits Tonawanda back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation may suggest nutritional
delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is boosted
when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination
allows increased levels in the disc. It is
this glycosaminoglycan that absorbs water to nine times its own volume, producing
higher fluid content in the disc to improve both nerve opening
size and aid prevention of disc degeneration and inflammation. Folic
acid (Vitamin B9) contributes to peripheral nerve injury repair
by promoting Schwann cell proliferation, migration,
and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation
Listen to this PODCAST by Dr. Jonathan Cerrutti as he discusses his
chiropractic care of a painful, stenotic disc and spinal canal due to disc herniation on
The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson.
Schedule your Tonawanda chiropractic appointment
today. Your Tonawanda spine will appreciate the
attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!