Normal degeneration of the spine may seem strange
when discussing degeneration, but age encounters
us all. Age brings on degeneration normally. Our
Severna Park chiropractic practice recognizes and
respects age for its influence on the spine and its role
in paraspinal muscle and disc degeneration. They go hand-in-hand. Back And Neck Care Center
treats them gently and effectively, particularly
when our patients participate fully by keeping appointments, exercising, and taking
supplements that can be beneficial. It is all part of our
Severna Park chiropractic treatment plan!
NORMAL DEGENERATION: Age
Age. Not a topic we want to talk about,
but age does not mind. It keeps doing its
thing. Age contributed much when comparing the fatty infiltration of muscle in normal people to that
in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who were matched for age, BMI, weight, etc. The paraspinal muscle alterations
in lumbar spinal stenosis patients and normal people were similar.
Degeneration of these muscles related to age was more obvious
in lumbar spinal stenosis patients especially in the
multifidus muscles. (1) In a radiographic study of degenerative lumbar
spinal stenosis patients, age-related risk factors were noted. Researchers
wrote that larger intervertebral disc height and more severe
vertebral endplate failure may stimulate degenerative lumbar
spinal stenosis because of the intensified
mobility of the segment, furthering disc
degeneration. Weakened paravertebral muscles may weaken lumbar spinal
stability. (2) Truly, the spine and all its muscles are connected.
Back And Neck Care Center looks at them all, to their response to
treatment, to their part in the pain.
BACK PAIN AND ITS PALS
Low back pain has associates. It brings with
it degeneration, change, fat, imbalance and more. Researchers adknowledged
intervertebral disc degeneration as being the number one cause of
chronic low back pain. It’s a common and recurrent
condition in spine surgery realms. Disc degeneration is linked to disc inflammation. As we humans age, researchers explained
that its bone marrow changes to bone marrow fat, activating
an inflammatory response in the disc and paraspinal muscles which influence spine stability. As the muscles fill with fat, low back pain changed
to chronic. (3) In a study of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and
sciatica/leg pain, researchers described that lumbar
degenerative diseases caused paravertebral muscle degeneration
with greater levels of intramuscular fat infiltration. Women’s
paraspinal muscles were significantly reduced. The erector spinae
muscle and multifidus muscle in older aged patients were noted
to have more fat in them. (4) Back And Neck Care Center appreciates
that aging plays a role in back pain’s
development, path, and treatment.
LESS IS MORE: Treating Aged Back Pain
Since researchers documented that
with age comes fatty infiltration of paraspinal muscles and inflammatory
responses in the disc, it makes sense that doing less if back
surgery is done would be sensible.
A recent study wrote that the addition of fusion
to a decompression back surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis raised
the odds of new stenosis on an MRI two years later at the operated
level or at an adjacent spinal level even when spondylolisthesis (a condition
that one vertebra slipped on another one) was noted at surgery. (5)
Less is more oftentimes when treating back
pain. Gentler treatment can go far in decreasing pain. That
is the motto of the CTFDD treatment plan at Back And Neck Care Center: gentle
spinal manipulation, gentle exercise, etc.
CONTACT Back And Neck Care Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Joseph Beissel on The Back Doctors Podcast with
Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the relief with The
Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for a patient with chronic low
back pain.
Schedule your Severna Park chiropractic
appointment soon. There’s no avoiding age or its
accompanying pal, degeneration. If disc degeneration and spinal muscle
degeneration are now your pals, trust Back And Neck Care Center to set you all
on a path to healing.