A Healthy New York City Spinal Disc
A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Rosenberg Wellness Center understands well the spinal intervertebral disc! New York City chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients appreciate that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine performs as a separator to hold the spinal bones apart, the vertebrae, apart and allows motion of the spine. The disc also supports a large opening for the nerves exiting 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 begins. The narrowing of the nerve opening is termed New York City spinal stenosis. See this schematic and MRI depiction of normal and stenotic nerve openings.
A SPRING
The intervertebral disc acts like a spring to hold the vertebra apart. The normal disc therefore works to avoid nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it allows the adjacent vertebra to approximate one another, causing 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 termed glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows the disc to take up water from the fluid moving into the disc. In fact, the inside of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content in the inner disc reduces significantly with degeneration, thus reducing the water content of the disc. The loss of water in the disc because of GAG loss is called degeneration. Disc degeneration reduces the ability of the disc to resist motion by over 65%. The inability to control motion of the vertebrae is called instability. (1)
BENEFICIAL TREATMENT: COX® TECHNIC
Let’s look at two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is done.
First, Rosenberg Wellness Center uses a specialized type of New York City spinal manipulation which increases the disc space height, enlarges the nerve opening size, reduces pressure within the disc to aid 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 called afferentation. The manipulation undoes the effects of gravitational and work effort changes in the spine that result in 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) Rosenberg Wellness Center benefits New York City back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Rosenberg Wellness Center may recommend nutritional delivery of glycosaminoglycan by capsule which is improved when combined with Cox® Technic. Combining these two allows higher levels in the disc. The glycosaminoglycan absorbs water to nine times its own volume, producing greater fluid content in the disc to improve both nerve opening size and assist 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 Rosenberg Wellness Center
Listen to this PODCAST by Dr. Jonathan Cerrutti as he shares 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 New York City chiropractic appointment today. Your New York City spine will appreciate the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!
