A Healthy Minster Spinal Disc
A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Minster Chiropractic Center knows a lot about the spinal intervertebral disc! Minster chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients value 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 provides 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 slows circulation to the nerve and inflammation of the nerve begins. The shrinking of the nerve opening is termed Minster spinal stenosis. Shown here is a schematic and MRI picture of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc acts like a spring to keep the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore works to stop nerve compression and to allow spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it allows the adjacent vertebra to move nearer one another, resulting in motion loss, nerve compression, and pain in the back or down the arms or legs. What keeps the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs contain a chemical called glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows the disc to absorb water from the fluid moving into the disc. Actually, the interior of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content of the disc’s interior reduces significantly with degeneration, thus reducing the water content of the disc. The loss of water in the disc because of 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 look at two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is done.
First, Minster Chiropractic Center uses a specialized type of Minster spinal manipulation which enlarges the disc space height, increases the nerve opening size, reduces pressure within the disc to help in circulation, restores 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 reverses the effects of gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that cause 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 gratified patients in the short and long term. (2) Minster Chiropractic Center benefits Minster back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Minster Chiropractic Center may recommend nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is enhanced when combined with Cox® Technic. Combining these two 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 repair by promoting Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Minster Chiropractic Center
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 Minster chiropractic appointment today. Your Minster spine will be grateful for the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!
