A Healthy Williamson Spinal Disc
A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Apple Country Chiropractic understands well the spinal intervertebral disc! Williamson chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients value that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine performs as a separator holding the spinal bone apart, the vertebrae, apart and permits motion of the spine. The disc also provides 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 impedes circulation to the nerve and inflammation of the nerve starts. The shrinking of the nerve opening is called Williamson spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI poster of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc acts like a spring to keep the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore functions to prevent nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it allows the adjacent vertebra to move nearer one another, resulting in motion loss, nerve compression, and back pain or arm or leg pain. What keeps the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs contain a chemical called glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which permits the disc to take up water from the fluid entering the disc. Actually, the inside of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content of the disc’s interior reduces significantly with degeneration, thus dropping the water content of the disc. Disc water loss 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 termed instability. (1)
BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC
Let’s look at two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is done.
First, Apple Country Chiropractic uses a specialized type of Williamson spinal manipulation which increases the disc space height, increases the nerve opening size, reduces pressure inside the disc to help in circulation, returns lost range of motion to the spine and establishes nerve conduction to the brain for pain relief. (4) This latter benefit is called afferentation. The manipulation reverses the effects of gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that cause spinal stenosis and loss of motion. Researchers revealed 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 satisfied patients in the short and long term. (2) Apple Country Chiropractic benefits Williamson back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Apple Country Chiropractic may recommend nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is improved when combined with Cox® Technic. Combining these two allows increased levels in the disc. It is this glycosaminoglycan that absorbs water to nine times its own volume, generating higher fluid content in the disc to improve both nerve opening size and aid prevention of disc degeneration and inflammation. Folic acid (Vitamin B9) plays a part in peripheral nerve injury repair by encouraging Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Apple Country Chiropractic
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 Williamson chiropractic appointment today. Your Williamson spine will appreciate the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!
