A Healthy San Jose Spinal Disc
A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Chiropractic Solutions understands well the spinal intervertebral disc! San Jose 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 maintains a large opening for the nerves exiting the spine through which to pass. If this opening is thinned, which happens when discs degenerate and lose height, the nerves passing through are compressed. This compression impedes circulation to the nerve and inflammation of the nerve starts. The shrinking of the nerve opening is called San Jose spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI poster of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc works like a spring to keep the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore acts to prevent nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it allows the adjacent vertebra to come closer to one another, causing in loss of motion, nerve compression, and back pain or arm or leg pain. What maintains the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs contain a chemical termed glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows the disc to absorb 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 reduces significantly with degeneration, thus reducing the water content of the disc. Disc water loss due to GAG loss is called degeneration. Disc degeneration decreases 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 us look at two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is done.
First, Chiropractic Solutions uses a specialized type of San Jose spinal manipulation which increases the disc space height, enlarges the nerve opening size, reduces pressure inside the disc to assist in circulation, returns lost range of motion to the spine and creates 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 result in spinal stenosis and loss of motion. Researchers revealed 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) Chiropractic Solutions benefits San Jose back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Chiropractic Solutions may recommend nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is improved when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination allows increased levels in the disc. The glycosaminoglycan 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) plays a part in peripheral nerve injury repair by promoting Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions
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 San Jose chiropractic appointment today. Your San Jose spine will appreciate the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!
