A Healthy La Grande Spinal Disc
A cushion. A spacer. A spring. A spinal disc. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC understands well the spinal intervertebral disc! La Grande chiropractic back pain and neck pain patients appreciate that knowledge! The intervertebral disc in the human spine acts as a separator holding the spinal bone apart, the vertebrae, apart and permits 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 narrowed, 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 shrinking of the nerve opening is termed La Grande 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 preclude nerve compression and to permit spinal motion. When the disc degenerates, or thins, it permits the adjacent vertebra to approximate one another, resulting in loss of motion, nerve compression, and pain in the back or down the arms or legs. What keeps the intervertebral disc height? Normal discs contain a chemical termed glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which allows the disc to take up water from the fluid entering the disc. Actually, the interior of a healthy disc is 80% water. The GAG content in the inner disc decreases significantly with degeneration, thus lowering the water content of the disc. The loss of water in the disc due to 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 us look at two benefits for the spine when Cox® distraction manipulation is done.
First, Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC uses a specialized type of La Grande spinal manipulation which increases the disc space height, enlarges the nerve opening size, decreases pressure inside 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 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; increased range of motion of spine; and satisfied patients in the short and long term. (2) Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC benefits La Grande back pain sufferers’ discs!
Second, Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC 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, 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 Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
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 La Grande chiropractic appointment today. Your La Grande spine will appreciate the attention you give its cushy, separating, springy spinal disc!
