A Healthy Elgin Spinal Disc

A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Connected Chiropractic knows a lot about the spinal intervertebral disc! Elgin chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients appreciate that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine acts 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 leaving the spine through which to pass. If this opening is thinned, which happens when discs degenerate and lose height, the nerves passing through are compressed. This compression slows circulation to the nerve and inflammation of the nerve starts. The shrinking of the nerve opening is called Elgin spinal stenosis. Shown here is a schematic and MRI picture of normal and stenotic nerve openings.

A SPRING

The intervertebral disc performs like a spring to hold the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore works to avoid nerve compression and to allow spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it allows the adjacent vertebra to come closer to one another, resulting in loss of motion, nerve compression, and back pain or arm or leg pain. What maintains the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs have a content of a chemical termed glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which permits the disc to absorb 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 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 incapacity 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 delivered.

First, Connected Chiropractic offers a specialized type of Elgin spinal manipulation which enlarges the disc space height, increases the nerve opening size, reduces pressure within 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 undoes the effects of gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that result in spinal stenosis and loss of motion. A report 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 gratified patients in the short and long term. (2) Connected Chiropractic benefits Elgin back pain sufferers’ discs!

Second, Connected Chiropractic 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, creating higher 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 repair by encouraging Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)

CONTACT Connected Chiropractic

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 Elgin chiropractic appointment today. Your Elgin spine will be grateful for the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!