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.
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!