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Normal Degeneration Linked with Burlington and Hamilton Spinal Stenosis

Normal degeneration of the spine may sound strange when talking about degeneration, but age encounters us all. Age generates degeneration normally. Our Burlington and Hamilton chiropractic practice recognizes and respects age for its influence on the spine and its role in paraspinal muscle and disc degeneration. They go hand-in-hand. Spinal Care Clinic treats them gently and effectively, especially when our patients participate fully by keeping appointments, exercising, and following suggestions about supplements that can help. It’s all part of the Burlington and Hamilton chiropractic treatment plan!

NORMAL DEGENERATION: Age

Age. Not a topic we want to talk about, but age does not care. It keeps doing its thing. Age played a considerable role when comparing the fatty infiltration of muscle in normal people to that in lumbar spinal stenosis patients matched for age, BMI, weight, etc. The paraspinal muscle changes in lumbar spinal stenosis patients and normal people were comparable. Degeneration of these muscles related to age was more noticeable in lumbar spinal stenosis patients particularly in the multifidus muscles. (1) A radiographic study of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis found age-related risk factors. Researchers wrote that larger intervertebral disc height and more severe vertebral endplate failure may trigger degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis because of the increased mobility of the segment, furthering disc degeneration. Weakened paravertebral muscles may weaken lumbar spinal stability. (2) Indeed, the spine and all its muscles are interconnected. Spinal Care Clinic looks at them all, to their response to treatment, to their part in the pain.

BACK PAIN AND ITS PALS

Low back pain has associates. It brings with it degeneration, change, fat, imbalance and more. Researchers credited intervertebral disc degeneration as being the main cause of chronic low back pain. It’s a familiar and recuring condition in spine surgery realms. Disc degeneration is related to disc inflammation. As we humans age, researchers explained that its bone marrow changes to bone marrow fat, activating an inflammatory response in the disc and paraspinal muscles which play a role in spine stability. As the muscles fill with fat, low back pain changed to chronic. (3) In a study of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and sciatica/leg pain, researchers saw that lumbar degenerative diseases prompted paravertebral muscle degeneration with higher levels of intramuscular fat infiltration. Women’s paraspinal muscles were significantly reduced. The erector spinae muscle and multifidus muscle in older aged patients were described as having more fat in them. (4) Spinal Care Clinic appreciates that aging contributes to back pain’s development, path, and treatment.

LESS IS MORE: Treating Aged Back Pain

Since researchers documented that with age comes fatty infiltration of paraspinal muscles and inflammatory responses in the disc, it is logical that doing less if back surgery is done would be wise. A new study wrote that adding fusion to a decompression back surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis increased the risk of new stenosis on an MRI two years later at the operated level or at an adjacent spinal level even when spondylolisthesis (a condition that one vertebra slipped on another one) was seen at surgery. (5) Less is more oftentimes when managing back pain. Gentler treatment can go far in decreasing pain. That is the motto of the CTFDD treatment plan at Spinal Care Clinic: gentle spinal manipulation, gentle exercise, etc.

CONTACT Spinal Care Clinic

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Joseph Beissel on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for a patient with chronic low back pain.  

Make your Burlington and Hamilton chiropractic appointment now. There’s no escaping age or its accompanying pal, degeneration. If disc degeneration and spinal muscle degeneration are now your pals, trust Spinal Care Clinic to set you all on a path to healing. 

 
Burlington and Hamilton degenerative spinal changes  
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."