A Healthy Manchester Spinal Disc
A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries understands well the spinal intervertebral disc! Manchester 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 leaving 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 impedes circulation to the nerve and inflammation of the nerve sets in. The narrowing of the nerve opening is called Manchester spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI depiction of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc functions like a spring to hold the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore acts to avoid nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it permits the adjacent vertebra to come closer to one another, resulting in motion loss, compressed nerve, and back pain or arm or leg pain. What keeps the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs have a content of a chemical termed 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 in the inner disc decreases significantly with degeneration, thus lowering 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 termed instability. (1)
BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC
Let’s consider two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is done.
First, Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries uses a specialized form of Manchester spinal manipulation which increases the disc space height, boosts the nerve opening size, decreases pressure inside 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 undoes the effects of gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that cause spinal stenosis and loss of motion. A study revealed that spinal mobilization with leg movement in patients with lower extremity sciatica pain reduced low back and leg pain intensity, disability, pain; increased range of motion of spine; and gratified patients in the short and long term. (2) Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries benefits Manchester back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries may suggest nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is enhanced when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination allows higher levels in the disc. The glycosaminoglycan absorbs water to nine times its own volume, producing 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 encouraging Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries
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 Manchester chiropractic appointment today. Your Manchester spine will appreciate the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!
