A Healthy Toronto Spinal Disc
A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre knows a lot about the spinal intervertebral disc! Toronto 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 allows motion of the spine. The disc also maintains a large opening for the nerves leaving 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 begins. The narrowing of the nerve opening is called Toronto spinal stenosis. Shown here is a schematic and MRI depiction of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc performs like a spring to hold the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore acts to prevent nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it permits the adjacent vertebra to approximate one another, resulting in motion loss, compressed nerve, and back pain or arm or leg pain. What keeps the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs contain a chemical termed glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which permits the disc to take in water from the fluid moving into the disc. Actually, the inside 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 due to GAG loss is called degeneration. Disc degeneration reduces the ability of the disc to resist motion by over 65%. The incapacity to control motion of the vertebrae is called instability. (1)
BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC
Let us look at two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is done.
First, Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre uses a specialized type of Toronto spinal manipulation which enlarges the disc space height, enlarges the nerve opening size, reduces pressure inside the disc to help in circulation, returns 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 undoes the effects of gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that cause spinal stenosis and loss of motion. Researchers showed 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 satisfied patients in the short and long term. (2) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre benefits Toronto back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre may suggest nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is boosted when combined with Cox® Technic. This combination allows higher levels in the disc. The glycosaminoglycan absorbs water to nine times its own volume, creating greater 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 promoting Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of nerve growth factor. (3)
CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
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 Toronto chiropractic appointment today. Your Toronto spine will appreciate the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!
