A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Aaron Chiropractic Clinic
understands well the spinal intervertebral disc!
Fort Wayne chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients value
that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine plays
a role as a separator to hold the spinal bones apart, the vertebrae, apart and allows motion of the
spine. The disc also supports a large opening for the
nerves exiting the spine through which to pass. If this opening is
reduced, which happens when discs degenerate
and lose height, the nerves passing through are compressed. This compression slows
circulation to the nerve and inflammation of the nerve sets in.
The shrinking of the nerve opening is called Fort Wayne
spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI picture
of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc acts
like a spring to hold the vertebra apart. The normal disc
therefore functions to preclude
nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc
degenerates, or thins, it allows the adjacent vertebra to come
closer to one another, resulting in loss of motion, compressed nerve, and back
pain or arm or leg pain. What maintains the
intervertebral disc height? Normal discs have a content of a
chemical called glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which permits
the disc to take up water from the fluid coming into the disc. In fact, the interior
of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content in the
inner disc decreases significantly with degeneration, thus lowering
the water content of the disc. The loss of water in the disc
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 us consider two benefits for
the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is delivered.
First, Aaron Chiropractic Clinic offers a specialized form
of Fort Wayne spinal manipulation which enlarges the
disc space height, increases the nerve opening size, drops
pressure inside the disc to aid in circulation, returns
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 reverses 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; increased
range of motion of spine; and gratified patients in the short
and long term. (2) Aaron Chiropractic Clinic
benefits Fort Wayne back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Aaron Chiropractic Clinic may suggest nutritional
delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is improved
when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination
allows increased levels in the disc. It is
this glycosaminoglycan that 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) plays a part in peripheral nerve injury repair
by helping Schwann cell proliferation, migration,
and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Aaron Chiropractic 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 Fort Wayne chiropractic appointment
today. Your Fort Wayne spine will appreciate the
attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!