A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
knows a lot about the spinal intervertebral disc!
Carrolltown chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients appreciate
that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine plays
a role as a separator holding the spinal
bone apart, the vertebrae, apart and permits motion of the
spine. The disc also maintains a large opening for the
nerves leaving the spine through which to pass. If this opening is
reduced, which occurs when discs degenerate
and lose height, the nerves passing through are compressed. This compression impedes
circulation to the nerve and inflammation of the nerve starts.
The narrowing of the nerve opening is termed Carrolltown
spinal stenosis. Shown here is a schematic and MRI picture
of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc functions
like a spring to hold the vertebra apart. The normal disc
therefore performs to avoid
nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc
degenerates, or thins, it permits the adjacent vertebra to come
closer to one another, resulting in loss of motion, compressed nerve, and pain in the back or down the arms or legs. What keeps the
intervertebral disc height? Normal discs have a content of a
chemical called glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows
the disc to absorb water from the fluid moving
into the disc. Actually, the inside
of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content of the disc’s interior decreases significantly with degeneration, thus reducing
the water content of the disc. Disc water loss
due to GAG loss is called degeneration. Disc degeneration decreases
the ability of the disc to resist motion by over 65%. The incapacity
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, Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation offers a specialized form
of Carrolltown spinal manipulation which enlarges the
disc space height, enlarges the nerve opening size, reduces
pressure inside the disc to assist 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 cause
spinal stenosis and loss of motion. A study revealed
that spinal mobilization with leg movement in patients with lower extremity
sciatica pain reduced low back and leg pain intensity, disability, pain; increased
range of motion of spine; and satisfied patients in the short
and long term. (2) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
benefits Carrolltown back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation may recommend nutritional
delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is improved
when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination
allows increased levels in the disc. The glycosaminoglycan absorbs water to nine times its own volume, generating
greater 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 helping Schwann cell proliferation, migration,
and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & 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 Carrolltown chiropractic appointment
today. Your Carrolltown spine will be grateful for the
attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!