A Healthy Severna Park Spinal Disc

A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Back And Neck Care Center understands well the spinal intervertebral disc! Severna Park chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients appreciate that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine acts as a separator holding the spinal bone apart, the vertebrae, apart and allows motion of the spine. The disc also maintains 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 termed Severna Park spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI depiction of normal and stenotic nerve openings.

Severna Park stenotic and normal spinal discs

A SPRING

The intervertebral disc performs like a spring to keep the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore functions to preclude nerve compression and to allow spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it permits the adjacent vertebra to move nearer one another, causing in motion loss, nerve compression, and back pain or arm or leg pain. What keeps the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs have a content of a chemical called glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which permits 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 of the disc’s interior reduces significantly with degeneration, thus lowering the water content of the disc. The loss of water in the disc 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 called instability. (1)

BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC

Let’s look at two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is delivered.

First, Back And Neck Care Center offers a specialized form of Severna Park spinal manipulation which enlarges the disc space height, boosts the nerve opening size, drops pressure within 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 called afferentation. The manipulation undoes the effects of gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that result in spinal stenosis and loss of motion. Researchers 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 gratified patients in the short and long term. (2) Back And Neck Care Center benefits Severna Park back pain sufferers’ discs!

Second, Back And Neck Care Center may recommend nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is enhanced when combined with Cox® Technic. Combining these two 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 aid prevention of disc degeneration and inflammation. Folic acid (Vitamin B9) contributes to peripheral nerve injury healing by promoting Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)

CONTACT Back And Neck Care Center

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 Severna Park chiropractic appointment today. Your Severna Park spine will be grateful for the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!

 
Your Severna Park chiropractor really likes seeing a healthy intervertebral disc and helps the not so healthy one recover. 
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."