About Easley Transitional Segment

Are you one of the 6% of people who is lucky enough to have an extra veterbra? Or one who has one less vertebra? All luck aside, as one of the 6% of people who have transitional segments, either one too many (6) or one too few (4) vertebrae, you may experience low back pain.

a congenital (meaning you were born with it) condition in which the lumbar spine has one too many or one too few vertebrae

The normal lumbar spine has 5 segments. A transitional segment stresses the low back and causes instability of the spine. 93% of patients in the 1000 patients study * of flexion-distraction reached maximum improvement in less than 90 days and 94% of patients needed less than 30 visits. Transitional segment responds well to Cox Technic flexion-distraction, but it did take the most visits and days to attain maximum improvement in the 1000 cases study. It is important to cooperate in your conservative care to control your transitional segment's impact on your lifestyle.

Note: A transitional segment places unusual stress on the spine which results in a disc herniation at the level above the segment. The herniation, then, causes symptoms of nerve root pain. The pain source is always above the transitional segment, not at the level of the transitional segment.

A thorough, clinical examination that may include imaging is important to your recovery.

In office, Young Chiropractic uses Cox Technic Flexion Distraction and Decompression to widen the canal space, drop the intradiscal pressure and increase the disc height to relieve pain.

You will welcome the Cox Technic manipulation that gently "pulls you apart," as many patients describe the treatment or say they need. Depending on the severity of your pain and symptoms, gentler Protocol I may be applied until 50% relief of pain or more restoring Protocol II may be applied to guide your recovery.