February 2023 Healthy News from OrthoIllinois Chiropractic Spinal Canal Area Englargement and Back Pain Reduction with Chiropractic Care
Do you experience back pain? Spinal stenosis? Degenerative disc disease? Do you know what they have in common (besides pain)? Decreased spinal canal area. With disc degeneration, the disc reduces, leading to a reduced spinal canal area. With spinal stenosis, a(n) disc bulge, protruding disc, osteophyte, discal cyst, synovial cyst, spinal cyst diminishes the spinal canal area. A newly published paper explained how chiropractic flexion distraction treatment, specifically Cox® Technic spinal manipulation and mobilization, increased the spinal canal area and produced vertebral motions. The new study just published in January 2023 stated that chiropractic flexion distraction enlarged spinal area, height, and width due to increased nerve foraminal area. (1)
Such spinal modifications allowed involved spinal elements like spinal nerves to ‘breathe’ leading to eventual (though occasionally faster or even immediate for some patients) back pain relief. Outcomes and supporting research like this are the forces behind our use of gentle, safe chiropractic treatment options like Cox® Technic that has research explaining its biomechanical effects on the spine. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic invites you to share your degenerated disc and/or spinal stenosis with us!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Ram Gudavalli, the guiding researcher in Cox® Technic research projects, on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the research behind The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Back pain sufferers are often recommended exercises to strengthen spinal, gluteal, and core muscles as a way to supplement their in-office chiropractic care. Classic lumbar flexion (Williams) exercises have been the norm for a long time, going back to the 1930s as they limit lumbar extension while improving lumbar flexion, supported by high levels of research evidence. A typical exercise series would have a patient lie on the floor, keeping hands along the side of the body and bending the knees with feet flat on the floor, then simply tighten ab and gluteal muscles while flattening the spine against the floor. The next would be a knee-chest motion (pulling one knee to chest then the other knee then both knees to chest) exercise. (2) There are additional such exercises in the series, but OrthoIllinois Chiropractic be thrilled for our new McHenry back pain patients to start with these easy moves on day 1 (after we examine your spine and establish a treatment plan, of course). OrthoIllinois Chiropractic looks forward to meeting you soon and learning more about your spine, degenerated disc, and/or spinal stenosis and sharing any exercises that may help!
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Have a wonderful February! We look forward to seeing you and your spine this month!