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A Healthy West Palm Beach Spinal Disc

A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Chiropractic Care understands well the spinal intervertebral disc! West Palm Beach 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 leaving the spine through which to pass. If this opening is reduced, 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 starts. The shrinking of the nerve opening is termed West Palm Beach spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI depiction of normal and stenotic nerve openings.

West Palm Beach stenotic and normal spinal discs

A SPRING

The intervertebral disc performs 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 permits the adjacent vertebra to approximate one another, causing in loss of motion, nerve compression, and back pain or arm or leg pain. What keeps the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs have a content of a chemical termed glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows the disc to absorb water from the fluid coming into the disc. Actually, the interior of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content in the inner disc reduces significantly with degeneration, thus dropping the water content of the disc. The loss of water in the disc because of GAG loss is called degeneration. Disc degeneration decreases the ability of the disc to resist motion by over 65%. The inability to control motion of the vertebrae is termed instability. (1)

BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC

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

First, Chiropractic Care offers a specialized form of West Palm Beach spinal manipulation which increases the disc space height, increases the nerve opening size, drops pressure inside the disc to assist in circulation, restores lost range of motion to the spine and establishes nerve conduction to the brain for pain relief. (4) This latter benefit is termed afferentation. The manipulation undoes the effects of gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that cause spinal stenosis and loss of motion. A study 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) Chiropractic Care benefits West Palm Beach back pain sufferers’ discs!

Second, Chiropractic Care 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 aid prevention of disc degeneration and inflammation. Folic acid (Vitamin B9) contributes to peripheral nerve injury healing by helping Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)

CONTACT Chiropractic Care

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

 
Your West Palm Beach chiropractor loves 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."