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A Healthy Burlington and Hamilton Spinal Disc

A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Spinal Care Clinic knows a lot about the spinal intervertebral disc! Burlington and Hamilton chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients value that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine performs 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 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 called Burlington and Hamilton spinal stenosis. Shown here is a schematic and MRI depiction of normal and stenotic nerve openings.

Burlington and Hamilton stenotic and normal spinal discs

A SPRING

The intervertebral disc performs like a spring to keep the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore acts 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 contain a chemical termed glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows the disc to take up water from the fluid moving into the disc. Actually, the interior of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content of the disc’s interior decreases significantly with degeneration, thus dropping 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 inability to control motion of the vertebrae is termed instability. (1)

BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC

Let’s look at two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is delivered.

First, Spinal Care Clinic offers a specialized type of Burlington and Hamilton spinal manipulation which enlarges the disc space height, increases the nerve opening size, decreases pressure inside the disc to aid 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 termed 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 gratified patients in the short and long term. (2) Spinal Care Clinic benefits Burlington and Hamilton back pain sufferers’ discs!

Second, Spinal Care Clinic may suggest nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is boosted when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination allows higher levels in the disc. It is this glycosaminoglycan that absorbs water to nine times its own volume, creating greater fluid content in the disc to improve both nerve opening size and assist prevention of disc degeneration and inflammation. Folic acid (Vitamin B9) contributes to peripheral nerve injury healing by helping Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)

CONTACT Spinal Care Clinic

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 Burlington and Hamilton chiropractic appointment today. Your Burlington and Hamilton spine will be grateful for the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!

 
Your Burlington and Hamilton chiropractor loves seeing a healthy intervertebral disc and helps the not so healthy one recover. 
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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."