A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office
understands well the spinal intervertebral disc!
Groton chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients appreciate
that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine acts 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 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 starts.
The shrinking of the nerve opening is called Groton
spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI depiction
of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc acts
like a spring to keep the vertebra apart. The normal disc
therefore acts to prevent
nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc
degenerates, or thins, it allows the adjacent vertebra to approximate one another, causing in motion
loss, nerve compression, and pain in the back or down the arms or legs. What maintains the
intervertebral disc height? Normal discs contain a
chemical called glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows
the disc to take up water from the fluid coming into the disc. In fact, the inside
of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content in the
inner disc decreases significantly with degeneration, thus lowering
the water content of the disc. The loss of water in the disc
due to 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 done.
First, Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office uses a specialized form
of Groton spinal manipulation which enlarges the
disc space height, enlarges the nerve opening size, reduces
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. A study 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) Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office
benefits Groton back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office may suggest nutritional
delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is improved
when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination
allows increased levels in the disc. The glycosaminoglycan 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) contributes to peripheral nerve injury healing
by helping Schwann cell proliferation, migration,
and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office
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 Groton chiropractic appointment
today. Your Groton spine will be grateful for the
attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!