January 2024 Healthy News from Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries Disc Herniation Size Doesnt Always Matter and Ways to Lower Chronic Pain
DISC SIZE DOESN’T (necessarily) MATTER!
Now there is a twist on new year’s resolutions of dieting to downsize! In the world of back pain and neck pain, a little disc is not necessarily pain-free. Surprised? If you have a small disc and pain, you’re not! What does matter is (1) how much mechanical pressure the disc protrusion is placing on the nerve root and/or (2) the amount of chemical irritation is involved if a disc extrusion’s inner gel-like material has left the anular fibers that surround it and now surrounds the spinal nerve(s) which has (have) never touched each other before. Nerves hurt when this new chemical irritant comes in! A tiny disc extrusion can produce lots of pain if chemical irritation is involved. A huge disc protrusion may not cause pain at all if it does not contact a spinal nerve. (1-7) A 2023 published study just concluded that the size of a disc protrusion did not show a significant relationship to pain and function. (8) If you or a loved one or friend is starting 2024 with Manchester back pain with or without sciatic leg pain or neck pain with or without arm pain radiculopathy, come visit Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries for some Manchester 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.
Manchester CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: 4 Ways to Reduce Chronic Pain In 2024
As researchers and healthcare professionals try to establish practice guidelines (ex: WHO) in managing chronic pain (back, neck, etc.), they’re analyzing influencing factors that chronic pain sufferers and their caregivers need to address for best 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 found to be significantly related to chronic pain and pain-related disability as an adult. (10)
- Undergo spinal manipulation. A review of nonpharmacological pain management approaches undergone by Medicare patients reported that manipulative therapies, mainly chiropractic, have been the most extensively investigated approaches. (11) Cox® Technic flexion-distraction - as we utilize in our chiropractic practice – benefitted a 67-year-old veteran who experienced chronic low back pain and intermittent lower extremity pain for several decades realize overall improvement in his condition, reduce use of pain medication, and gain mobility after 4 sessions over a 4-week period. (12)
- Exercise. Structured exercise programs were documented to decrease pain and functional limitation in chronic low back pain patients. (13)
Make 2024 your year for pain relief! Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries is excited to be your Manchester chiropractic partner in this project. See you soon!