A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Soft Health and Healing Clinic
knows a lot about the spinal intervertebral disc!
Brooks chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients appreciate
that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine plays
a role as a separator to hold the spinal bones apart, the vertebrae, apart and permits motion of the
spine. The disc also provides a large opening for the
nerves exiting the spine through which to pass. If this opening is
reduced, which happens when discs degenerate
and lose height, the nerves passing through are compressed. This compression impedes
circulation to the nerve and inflammation of the nerve begins.
The shrinking of the nerve opening is termed Brooks
spinal stenosis. Shown here is a 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 acts to stop
nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc
degenerates, or thins, it permits the adjacent vertebra to approximate one another, resulting in motion
loss, compressed nerve, and back
pain or arm or leg pain. What keeps the
intervertebral disc height? Normal discs have a content of a
chemical called glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which permits
the disc to take up water from the fluid coming into the disc. In fact, the interior
of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content in the
inner disc reduces significantly with degeneration, thus reducing
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 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, Soft Health and Healing Clinic uses a specialized form
of Brooks spinal manipulation which enlarges the
disc space height, enlarges the nerve opening size, decreases
pressure inside 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 termed
afferentation. The manipulation reverses the effects of
gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that cause
spinal stenosis and loss of motion. Researchers 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 satisfied patients in the short
and long term. (2) Soft Health and Healing Clinic
benefits Brooks back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Soft Health and Healing Clinic may suggest nutritional
delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is boosted
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, generating
greater fluid content in the disc to improve both nerve opening
size and assist 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 Soft Health and Healing Clinic
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 Brooks chiropractic appointment
today. Your Brooks spine will appreciate the
attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!