A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
knows a lot about the spinal intervertebral disc!
Toronto chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients appreciate
that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine plays
a role 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
narrowed, 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 starts.
The shrinking of the nerve opening is termed Toronto
spinal stenosis. Shown here is a schematic and MRI depiction
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 preclude
nerve compression and to allow spinal motion. When the disc
degenerates, or thins, it permits the adjacent vertebra to approximate one another, causing in motion
loss, compressed nerve, and back
pain or arm or leg pain. What keeps the
intervertebral disc height? Normal discs contain a
chemical termed glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows
the disc to take in water from the fluid coming into the disc. Actually, the inside
of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content in the
inner disc decreases significantly with degeneration, thus reducing
the water content of the disc. The loss of water in the disc
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 consider two benefits for
the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is done.
First, Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre uses a specialized type
of Toronto spinal manipulation which enlarges the
disc space height, enlarges the nerve opening size, drops
pressure inside the disc to assist 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 satisfied patients in the short
and long term. (2) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
benefits Toronto back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre 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, 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 helping Schwann cell proliferation, migration,
and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
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 Toronto chiropractic appointment
today. Your Toronto spine will appreciate the
attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!