Tonawanda Chiropractic Care of an Aging Spine: Nutrition & Manipulation
Wrinkles, frown lines, smile lines, disc degeneration…natural events with growing older (and, might we add, wiser!). (Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation takes care of many wise Tonawanda chiropractic patients!) Discs degenerate. In fact, discs are reported to start degenerating in the second decade of life. By your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, it would be less unusual to not see disc degeneration. Today’s research is presenting some promise in the care of disc degeneration with even the potential being put forward in the literature of potential disc regeneration. This is exciting to your Tonawanda chiropractor and to chiropractic patients everywhere!
THE ROLE OF THE DISC
The disc acts as the spine’s shock absorber. The disc resists the compressive loads put on the spine during movement. How is it able to do this? Its an elevated proteoglycan aggrecan content. Proteolysis is aggrecan loss that occurs with degeneration. Researchers propose that restoration of aggrecan loss in the nucleus of the disc is probable via cells that can synthesize aggrecan and be borne by the disc’s matrix. (1) This offers hope to exploration of probable disc regeneration and its potential to ease back pain.
AGING AND DISC DEGENERATION
Disc degeneration is a well-documented source of low back pain. What makes up a disc? Aggrecan is the key component. Aggrecan is the main proteoglycan structure in the extracellular matrix that makes up the disc. Aggrecan is quite large, composed of many glycosaminoglycan chains. It can form more aggregates when combined with hyaluronan. The glycosaminoglycan chains are negatively charged and bind to water molecules which are vital to maintain the disc’s hydration enough to allow the disc to withstand compressive loading it is made to do. (2) Disc degeneration comes down to the molecules that make up the disc. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation gets down there, too! These authors suggest that aggrecan-based therapies for disc regeneration are possible.
THERAPY FOR POTENTIAL DISC REGENERATION
Chondroitin sulfate is proving to be such a therapy. Chondroitin sulfate’s potential benefit was initially discussed as far back as 1966 by Cole, Ghosh and Taylor. Chondroitin sulfate is explained as being the source of glycosaminoglycan synthesis in the disc. (3,4,5) Merging nutrition with distraction spinal manipulation indicated promise for potential disc regeneration. (6) Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation incorporates spinal disc nutrition with spinal distraction manipulation for the best possible clinical outcome.
CONTACT Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Tyler Lomnicki on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management integration of gentle distraction manipulation and nutrition for this patient’s relief and management of disc herniation pain.
