A Healthy Augusta Spinal Disc
A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic understands well the spinal intervertebral disc! Augusta 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 permits 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 begins. The shrinking of the nerve opening is called Augusta spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI picture of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc functions like a spring to hold the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore functions to preclude nerve compression and to allow spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it permits the adjacent vertebra to come closer to one another, resulting in motion loss, compressed nerve, and pain in the back or down the arms or legs. What keeps the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs have a content of a chemical termed glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows the disc to absorb water from the fluid entering the disc. In fact, 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. Disc water loss 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 termed instability. (1)
BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC
Let’s consider two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is delivered.
First, Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic offers a specialized form of Augusta spinal manipulation which enlarges the disc space height, increases the nerve opening size, decreases pressure inside the disc to assist 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 reverses 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 satisfied patients in the short and long term. (2) Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic benefits Augusta back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic may recommend nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is enhanced when combined with Cox® Technic. Combining these two allows higher levels in the disc. It is this glycosaminoglycan that absorbs water to nine times its own volume, creating higher 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 healing by encouraging Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Lombardy 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 Augusta chiropractic appointment today. Your Augusta spine will be grateful for the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!
