A Healthy West Des Moines Spinal Disc
A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Executive Chiropractic of Iowa knows a lot about the spinal intervertebral disc! West Des Moines 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 permits 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 reduced, which happens when discs degenerate and lose height, the nerves passing through are compressed. This compression slows circulation to the nerve and inflammation of the nerve starts. The narrowing of the nerve opening is termed West Des Moines spinal stenosis. Shown here is a schematic and MRI picture of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc acts like a spring to keep the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore acts to avoid nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it allows the adjacent vertebra to approximate one another, resulting in motion loss, compressed nerve, and pain in the back or down the arms or legs. What keeps the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs have a content of a chemical called glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which permits 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 decreases significantly with degeneration, thus dropping the water content of the disc. Disc water loss because of 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’s look at two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is done.
First, Executive Chiropractic of Iowa uses a specialized type of West Des Moines spinal manipulation which enlarges the disc space height, boosts the nerve opening size, drops pressure inside the disc to help in circulation, restores 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. A report 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) Executive Chiropractic of Iowa benefits West Des Moines back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Executive Chiropractic of Iowa may suggest nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is boosted when combined with Cox® Technic. Combining these two allows higher levels in the disc. The glycosaminoglycan absorbs water to nine times its own volume, generating greater fluid content in the disc to improve both nerve opening size and assist 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 Executive Chiropractic of Iowa
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 West Des Moines chiropractic appointment today. Your West Des Moines spine will be grateful for the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!
