A Healthy McHenry Spinal Disc
A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic understands well the spinal intervertebral disc! McHenry 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 allows motion of the spine. The disc also provides a large opening for the nerves leaving the spine through which to pass. If this opening is reduced, 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 McHenry spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI picture of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc functions like a spring to keep the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore acts to stop nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it permits the adjacent vertebra to move nearer one another, resulting in loss of motion, nerve compression, and pain in the back or down the arms or legs. What maintains the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs have a content of a chemical called glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows the disc to take in 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 reduces significantly with degeneration, thus reducing 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 inability to control motion of the vertebrae is called instability. (1)
BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC
Let us consider two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is done.
First, OrthoIllinois Chiropractic uses a specialized form of McHenry spinal manipulation which enlarges the disc space height, enlarges the nerve opening size, reduces pressure within the disc to help in circulation, returns lost range of motion to the spine and establishes nerve conduction to the brain for pain relief. (4) This latter benefit is termed afferentation. The manipulation undoes the effects of gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that result in 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) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic benefits McHenry back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, OrthoIllinois Chiropractic may recommend nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is enhanced when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination allows increased levels in the disc. It is this glycosaminoglycan that absorbs water to nine times its own volume, producing 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 healing by encouraging Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT OrthoIllinois Chiropractic
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 McHenry chiropractic appointment today. Your McHenry spine will be grateful for the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!
