A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Chiropractic Solutions
understands well the spinal intervertebral disc!
San Jose 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 allows motion of the
spine. The disc also maintains a large opening for the
nerves leaving the spine through which to pass. If this opening is
thinned, 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 starts.
The narrowing of the nerve opening is termed San Jose
spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI picture
of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc performs
like a spring to keep the vertebra apart. The normal disc
therefore performs 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 motion
loss, nerve compression, and back
pain or arm or leg pain. What keeps the
intervertebral disc height? Normal discs contain a
chemical called glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows
the disc to absorb water from the fluid entering the disc. Actually, the inside
of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content of the disc’s interior decreases significantly with degeneration, thus lowering
the water content of the disc. The loss of water in the disc
because of GAG loss is called degeneration. Disc degeneration reduces
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 us consider two benefits for
the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is delivered.
First, Chiropractic Solutions offers a specialized type
of San Jose spinal manipulation which enlarges the
disc space height, boosts the nerve opening size, drops
pressure within the disc to aid 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 called
afferentation. The manipulation undoes the effects of
gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that cause
spinal stenosis and loss of motion. A study revealed
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) Chiropractic Solutions
benefits San Jose back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Chiropractic Solutions may recommend nutritional
delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is boosted
when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination
allows higher levels in the disc. The glycosaminoglycan absorbs water to nine times its own volume, producing
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 promoting Schwann cell proliferation, migration,
and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions
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 San Jose chiropractic appointment
today. Your San Jose spine will be grateful for the
attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!