A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Vancouver Spine Care Centre
understands well the spinal intervertebral disc!
Vancouver chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients appreciate
that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine plays
a role as a separator holding the spinal
bone apart, the vertebrae, apart and permits motion of the
spine. The disc also supports a large opening for the
nerves leaving 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 sets in.
The narrowing of the nerve opening is called Vancouver
spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI depiction
of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc works
like a spring to keep the vertebra apart. The normal disc
therefore functions to prevent
nerve compression and to allow spinal motion. When the disc
degenerates, or thins, it permits the adjacent vertebra to move nearer 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 permits
the disc to take in water from the fluid moving
into the disc. Actually, the inside
of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content in the
inner disc reduces significantly with degeneration, thus dropping
the water content of the disc. Disc water loss
due to GAG loss is called degeneration. Disc degeneration reduces
the ability of the disc to resist motion by over 65%. The inability
to control motion of the vertebrae is called instability. (1)
BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC
Let’s look at two benefits for
the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is done.
First, Vancouver Spine Care Centre uses a specialized type
of Vancouver spinal manipulation which increases the
disc space height, boosts the nerve opening size, drops
pressure inside the disc to aid in circulation, returns
lost range of motion to the spine and establishes 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 result in
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; improved
range of motion of spine; and gratified patients in the short
and long term. (2) Vancouver Spine Care Centre
benefits Vancouver back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Vancouver Spine Care Centre may suggest nutritional
delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is boosted
when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination
allows higher levels in the disc. It is
this glycosaminoglycan that absorbs water to nine times its own volume, producing
higher 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 promoting Schwann cell proliferation, migration,
and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Vancouver Spine Care Centre
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 Vancouver chiropractic appointment
today. Your Vancouver spine will be grateful for the
attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!