January 2024 Healthy News from Executive Chiropractic of Iowa Disc Herniation Size Doesnt Always Matter and Ways to Lower Chronic Pain
DISC SIZE DOESN’T (necessarily) MATTER!
Now that’s’ a novel idea for the start of a new year amidst all the talk of new year’s talk of dieting to downsize! In the world of back pain and neck pain, a small disc isn’t necessarily pain-free. Surprised? If you have a small disc and pain, you aren’t! What does matter is (1) the amount of pressure the disc protrusion is putting on the nerve root and/or (2) the amount of chemical irritation is present if an extruded disc’s inner gel-like material has exited the anular fibers that surround it and now surrounds the spinal nerve(s) which has (have) never touched each other before. Nerves do not like this new chemical “bath” and hurt! A tiny disc extrusion can provoke lots of pain if chemical irritation is involved. A huge protruded may not trigger pain at all if it does not contact a spinal nerve. (1-7) A 2023 published study just concluded that the size of a disc protrusion did not show a noteworthy relationship to pain and function. (8) If you or a loved one or friend is starting 2024 with West Des Moines back pain with or without sciatic leg pain or neck pain with or without arm pain radiculopathy, come see Executive Chiropractic of Iowa for some West Des Moines pain relief with gentle, safe chiropractic Cox® Technic care!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Timothy Gagan on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson about use of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for a patient experiencing back and leg pain due to a disc herniation.
West Des Moines CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: 4 Ways to Ease Chronic Pain In 2024
As researchers and healthcare professionals work toward establishing practice guidelines (ex: WHO) in managing chronic pain (back, neck, etc.), they’re analyzing influencing factors that chronic pain sufferers and their caregivers need to address for optimal clinical outcomes:
- Understand the condition. A clear grasp of the chronic primary low back pain condition via education/advice was associated with improvements in pain, function, quality of life, and psychological outcomes. (9)
- Consider emotional influences. Adverse childhood events were found to be significantly related to chronic pain and pain-related disability as an adult. (10)
- Undergo spinal manipulation. A study of nonpharmacological pain management approaches chosen by Medicare patients found that manipulative therapies, mainly chiropractic, have been the most widely investigated approaches. (11) Cox® Technic flexion-distraction - as we use in our chiropractic practice – benefitted a 67-year-old veteran who suffered with chronic low back pain and intermittent lower extremity pain for many decades find overall improvement in his condition, decrease use of pain medication, and increase mobility after 4 sessions over a 4-week period. (12)
- Exercise. Structured exercise programs were documented to reduce pain and functional limitation in chronic low back pain patients. (13)
Make 2024 your year for pain relief! Executive Chiropractic of Iowa is ready to be your West Des Moines chiropractic partner in this project. See you soon!