January 2024 Healthy News from Apple Country Chiropractic Disc Herniation Size Doesnt Always Matter and Ways to Lower Chronic Pain
DISC SIZE DOESN’T (necessarily) MATTER!
Now there is a twist on new year’s resolutions 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 matters is (1) how much mechanical pressure the disc protrusion is putting on the nerve root and/or (2) how much chemical irritation is present if a disc extrusion’s inner gel-like material has escaped the outer annular fibers and now encircles the spinal nerve(s) which has (have) never come in contact with each other before. Nerves don’t like this new chemical “bath” and hurt! A tiny disc extrusion can generate a great amount of pain if chemical irritation is part of the problem. A huge protruded may not produce pain at all if it does not contact a spinal nerve. (1-7) A 2023 published study just ended their report with the conclusion that the size of a disc protrusion did not show a significant relationship to pain and function. (8) If you or a loved one or friend is beginning 2024 with Williamson back pain with or without sciatic leg pain or neck pain with or without arm pain radiculopathy, come see Apple Country Chiropractic for some Williamson 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 suffering with back and leg pain due to a disc herniation.
Williamson CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: 4 Ways to Reduce Chronic Pain In 2024
As researchers and healthcare professionals work toward establishing practice guidelines (ex: WHO) in managing chronic pain (back, neck, etc.), they are analyzing influencing factors that chronic pain sufferers and their caregivers ought to address for optimal clinical outcomes:
- Understand the condition. A clear understanding 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 utilized by Medicare patients reported that manipulative therapies, mainly chiropractic, have been the most extensively studied approaches. (11) Cox® Technic flexion-distraction - as we use in our targetlocation practice – helped a 67-year-old veteran who experienced chronic low back pain and intermittent lower extremity pain for several decades find overall improvement in his condition, decrease use of pain medication, and increase mobility after 4 sessions in just a short 4-week period. (12)
- Exercise. Structured exercise programs were reported to decrease pain and functional limitation in chronic low back pain patients. (13)
Make 2024 your year for pain relief! Apple Country Chiropractic is happy to be your Williamson chiropractic partner in this endeavor. See you soon!