A Healthy Richmond Spinal Disc
A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Johnson Chiropractic understands well the spinal intervertebral disc! Richmond chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients appreciate that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine plays a role as a separator holding the spinal bone apart, the vertebrae, apart and allows 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 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 begins. The narrowing of the nerve opening is called Richmond spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI depiction of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc performs like a spring to hold the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore performs to stop nerve compression and to allow spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it allows the adjacent vertebra to come closer to one another, resulting in motion loss, nerve compression, and pain in the back or down the arms or legs. What maintains the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs have a content of a chemical termed glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows the disc to take in water from the fluid coming into the disc. In fact, 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 due to GAG loss is called degeneration. Disc degeneration reduces 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 delivered.
First, Johnson Chiropractic offers a specialized form of Richmond spinal manipulation which increases 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 undoes the effects of gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that result in spinal stenosis and loss of motion. A study showed 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 satisfied patients in the short and long term. (2) Johnson Chiropractic benefits Richmond back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Johnson Chiropractic may recommend nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is improved when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination allows higher levels in the disc. It is this glycosaminoglycan that 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) plays a part in peripheral nerve injury repair by promoting Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Johnson Chiropractic
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 Richmond chiropractic appointment today. Your Richmond spine will appreciate the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!
