The intervertebral disc is a complex and important
part of the spine. It allows pain-free motion of the spine, or not. If the disc
degenerates, spinal motion deteriorates, and pain often occurs.
This is even more likely for patients with diabetes. It
is|It’s]5] just one more concern Vancouver diabetic
patients need to address. The latest research
on diabetes and the disc indicates that vitamin
D may help with the health of the disc. Vancouver Spine Care Centre
is prepared to do just that for Vancouver back pain
patients as well as Vancouver diabetic patients
who also have Vancouver back pain.
Diabetes, Vitamin D, and the Disc
Diabetic patients with disc degeneration want to take
Vitamin D as it prevents and even treats degenerative changes in their discs.
How? By improving the content of TGF-β and IGF-1, two influential growth factor
cytokines (proteins circulated by cells that control specific
interactions with other cells). (1) Vancouver Spine Care Centre bets you’ll
agree that it is stunning how the health of the disc gets
down to the very cells that make it up|of which it is comprised!
Those cells crave Vitamin D to do their job right.
Vancouver Spine Care Centre encourages Vancouver diabetic and
non-diabetic patients similarly to take care of these cells nutritionally and with Vancouver chiropractic
spinal manipulation in the form of Cox Technic.
Glucose Status and the Disc
The glucose status also alters the
oxygen consumption rate of degenerated discs: degenerative discs in low glucose
have higher oxygen consumption rates and degenerative discs in high glucose
have lower oxygen consumption rates. The glucose status did not affect
non-degenerated discs. (2) Vancouver degenerated discs react
in a different way than non-degenerated ones. Of this,
Vancouver Spine Care Centre is confident because
Vancouver Spine Care Centre sees it daily in taking care of
our Vancouver back pain patients.
Oxygen Consumption Rates and the Disc
The degenerative intervertebral disc has a notably
higher oxygen consumption rate - 3 to 5 times greater - than the non-degenerative,
normal human disc. The degenerative disc
is different at the cellular level. This oxygen
consumption rate factor changes the behavior
of the disc’s cells and even its tissue’s nutritional status as nutrients are
delivered to the disc via
the matrix and endplates. This rate of transport of nutrients is influenced
by the degenerative state of the disc. (2) So when should Vitamin D be taken
to protect and care for the Vancouver degenerative disc?
When the disc is healthy and even more so when it is not.
Schedule your Vancouver chiropractic appointment at
Vancouver Spine Care Centre to discuss the health status of your Vancouver
spinal discs and how Vitamin D may be of benefit to them whether
they are degenerated or not.