July 2021 Healthy News from Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
Distraction and Patient Education and Exercise
Osteoarthritis of the knee and hip are known and growing concerns as our society gets older…around the world. Today, Canada is evaluating the “Good Life with Osteoarthritis in Demark” (GLAD) system for knee and hip osteoarthritis. The program incorporates manual therapy, exercise and patient education. (1) One GLAD study had patients attend 2-3 patient education classes and 12 supervised exercise sessions over the course of 8 weeks, patients’ pain intensity got better by 26-33%, walking speed improved 8-12%, chair standability got better by 18-30%, and joint-related quality of life improved 12-26%. (2) (Another study utilized MRI to measure the thickness of knee joint cartilage after distracting the knee joint to find that it increased with treatment bringing about significant short- and long-term cartilage regeneration up to 10 years after treatment. (3) This was performed with young people, but it is hopeful!) Back in 2017, a Canadian chiropractor described the benefit of his application of Cox® flexion-distraction-principle-based distraction to the osteoarthritic knee, and the success he’s seen in his patients. Overall (acute and chronic patients combined), patients related a mean visual analog scale score drop from 7.7 to 1.8 in 3 weeks and 5.3 visits. Acute knee OA patients’ scores decreased from 8.1 to 1.1 in 4.8 treatments in 2.4 weeks. Chronic patients’ scores reduced from 7.5 to 2.2 in 3.3 weeks and 5.4 treatments. (4) Chiropractors like yours at Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation are ahead of the curve with their modified Cox® Technic principles-based-flexion-distraction-approach to knee osteoarthritis. New protocols for use in hip OA are also in development. Talk with us today about how distraction treatment may help you with Carrolltown hip and knee osteoarthritis!
HOPE FOR DEGENERATED DISCS: Chondroitin Sulfate
Back pain treatment approaches from surgery to manual therapy to exercise to nutrition abound while back pain endures. Injecting hyaluronic acid hydrogel is demonstrating some promise as it seems to suppress the loss of disc height, promote tissue hydration for disc repair, and decrease inflammation and innervation to prevent more disc degeneration. (5) The nutritional approach continues to show promise for back pain sufferers as the disc matrix components are identified, two key components being chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan and hyaluronan. Making chondroitin sulfate available to the disc as well as controlling the hydrostatic pressure of the disc is advantageous. (6) Cox® Technic is shown to decrease intradiscal pressure, so combining it with chondroitin sulfate may be, too. Are you taking yours? Consider adding a disc supplement containing chondroitin sulfate to your routine after we talk. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation is ready!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he discusses the part chondroitin sulfate plays in the health, degeneration and possible regeneration of the intervertebral disc and in the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
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Schedule your next Carrolltown chiropractic appointment with Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation. See you then!