A Healthy Easley Spinal Disc
A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Young Chiropractic understands well the spinal intervertebral disc! Easley chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients value that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine acts as a separator to hold the spinal bones apart, the vertebrae, apart and allows motion of the spine. The disc also maintains a large opening for the nerves exiting the spine through which to pass. If this opening is thinned, which occurs when discs degenerate and lose height, the nerves passing through are compressed. This compression slows circulation to the nerve and inflammation of the nerve starts. The shrinking of the nerve opening is termed Easley spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI picture of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc works like a spring to keep the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore works to avoid nerve compression and to allow spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it allows the adjacent vertebra to move nearer one another, causing in motion loss, compressed nerve, and pain in the back or down the arms or legs. What maintains 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. In fact, the inside 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. Disc water loss because of GAG loss is called degeneration. Disc degeneration decreases the ability of the disc to resist motion by over 65%. The incapacity to control motion of the vertebrae is called instability. (1)
BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC
Let’s consider two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is delivered.
First, Young Chiropractic offers a specialized type of Easley spinal manipulation which enlarges the disc space height, enlarges the nerve opening size, decreases pressure within the disc to help in circulation, restores lost range of motion to the spine and creates 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 cause 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) Young Chiropractic benefits Easley back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Young Chiropractic may recommend nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is enhanced when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination allows increased levels in the disc. The glycosaminoglycan 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) contributes to peripheral nerve injury repair by helping Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Young Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST by Dr. Jonathan Cerrutti as he shares 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 Easley chiropractic appointment today. Your Easley spine will appreciate the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!
