A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation
understands well the spinal intervertebral disc!
Baton Rouge chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients value
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 supports 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 impedes
circulation to the nerve and inflammation of the nerve sets in.
The narrowing of the nerve opening is called Baton Rouge
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 performs to preclude
nerve compression and to allow spinal motion. When the disc
degenerates, or thins, it permits the adjacent vertebra to approximate one another, causing in motion
loss, nerve compression, and back
pain or arm or leg pain. 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 coming into 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. 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 incapacity
to control motion of the vertebrae is termed instability. (1)
BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC
Let us consider two benefits for
the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is delivered.
First, Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation offers a specialized type
of Baton Rouge spinal manipulation which increases the
disc space height, boosts the nerve opening size, reduces
pressure inside the disc to help in circulation, returns
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; improved
range of motion of spine; and satisfied patients in the short
and long term. (2) Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation
benefits Baton Rouge back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation may suggest nutritional
delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is improved
when combined with Cox® Technic. Combining these two
allows increased levels in the disc. It is
this glycosaminoglycan that absorbs water to nine times its own volume, generating
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 helping Schwann cell proliferation, migration,
and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Capitol Spine & Rehabilitation
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 Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment
today. Your Baton Rouge spine will appreciate the
attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!