January 2024 Healthy News from OrthoIllinois Chiropractic Disc Herniation Size Doesnt Always Matter and Ways to Lower Chronic Pain
DISC SIZE DOESN’T (necessarily) MATTER!
Now there is a novel idea for the start of a new year amidst all the talk of new year’s talk of dieting to downsize! In the world of back pain and neck pain, a little disc isn’t really pain-free. Surprised? If you have a small disc and pain, you aren’t! What matters is (1) the amount of pressure the disc protrusion is putting on the nerve root and/or (2) how much chemical irritation is involved if a disc extrusion’s inner gel-like material has exited the anular fibers that surround it and now envelops the spinal nerve(s) which has (have) never come in contact with each other before. Nerves do not like this new chemical “bath” and hurt! A tiny disc extrusion can generate lots of pain if chemical irritation is involved. A huge disc protrusion may not produce pain at all if it doesn’t contact a spinal nerve. (1-7) A 2023 published study just ended their report with the conclusion that the size of a disc protrusion did not demonstrate a noteworthy relationship to pain and function. (8) If you or a loved one or friend is starting 2024 with McHenry back pain with or without sciatic leg pain or neck pain with or without arm pain radiculopathy, come see OrthoIllinois Chiropractic for some McHenry pain relief with gentle, safe chiropractic Cox® Technic care!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Timothy Gagan on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson about use of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for a patient experiencing back and leg pain because of a disc herniation.
McHenry CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: 4 Ways to Reduce Chronic Pain In 2024
As researchers and healthcare professionals work toward establishing practice guidelines (ex: WHO) to manage chronic pain (back, neck, etc.), they’re analyzing influencing factors that chronic pain sufferers and their caregivers ought to address for optimal clinical outcomes:
- Understand the condition. A clear grasp of the chronic primary low back pain condition via education/advice was associated with beneficial developments in pain, function, quality of life, and psychological outcomes. (9)
- Consider emotional influences. Adverse childhood events were documented to be significantly associated with chronic pain and pain-related disability as an adult. (10)
- Undergo spinal manipulation. A review of nonpharmacological pain management approaches used by Medicare patients found that manipulative therapies, mainly chiropractic, have been the most widely studied methods. (11) Cox® Technic flexion-distraction - as we utilize in our chiropractic practice – helped a 67-year-old veteran who experienced chronic low back pain and intermittent lower extremity pain for many decades find overall improvement in his condition, reduce use of pain medication, and increase mobility after 4 sessions in just a short 4-week period. (12)
- Exercise. Structured exercise programs were reported to reduce pain and functional limitation in chronic low back pain patients. (13)
Make 2024 your year for pain relief! OrthoIllinois Chiropractic is excited to be your McHenry chiropractic partner in this effort. See you soon!