January 2024 Healthy News from Pure Chiropractic Disc Herniation Size Doesnt Always Matter and Ways to Lower Chronic Pain
DISC SIZE DOESN’T (necessarily) MATTER!
Now that’s’ a twist on new year’s resolutions of dieting to downsize! With back pain and neck pain, a small disc is not necessarily pain-free. Surprised? If you have a small disc and pain, you aren’t! What matters is (1) how much mechanical pressure the disc protrusion is placing on the nerve root and/or (2) the amount of chemical irritation is present if a disc extrusion’s inner gel-like material has left the outer annular fibers and now surrounds the spinal nerve(s) which has (have) never touched each other before. Nerves do not like this new chemical “bath” and hurt! A tiny extruded disc can provoke a great amount of pain if chemical irritation is part of the problem. A huge protruded may not produce pain at all if it does not contact a spinal nerve. (1-7) A 2023 published study just ended their report with the conclusion that the size of a disc protrusion did not show a noteworthy relationship to pain and function. (8) If you or a loved one or friend is starting 2024 with Concord, NC back pain with or without sciatic leg pain or neck pain with or without arm pain radiculopathy, come visit Pure Chiropractic for some Concord, NC pain relief with gentle, safe chiropractic Cox® Technic care!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Timothy Gagan on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson about use of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for a patient experiencing back and leg pain due to a disc herniation.
Concord, NC CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: 4 Ways to Reduce Chronic Pain In 2024
As researchers and healthcare professionals try to establish practice guidelines (ex: WHO) in managing chronic pain (back, neck, etc.), they’re analyzing influencing factors that chronic pain sufferers and their caregivers need to address for best clinical outcomes:
- Understand the condition. A clear understanding of the chronic primary low back pain condition via education/advice was associated with beneficial developments in pain, function, quality of life, and psychological outcomes. (9)
- Consider emotional influences. Adverse childhood events were documented to be significantly associated with chronic pain and pain-related disability as an adult. (10)
- Undergo spinal manipulation. A review of nonpharmacological pain management methods chosen by Medicare patients reported that manipulative therapies, mainly chiropractic, have been the most extensively investigated approaches. (11) Cox® Technic flexion-distraction - as we use in our chiropractic practice – helped a 67-year-old veteran who experienced chronic low back pain and intermittent lower extremity pain for many decades get overall improvement in his condition, reduce use of pain medication, and gain mobility after 4 sessions over a 4-week period. (12)
- Exercise. Structured exercise programs were documented to decrease pain and functional limitation in chronic low back pain patients. (13)
Make 2024 your year for pain relief! Pure Chiropractic is happy to be your Concord, NC chiropractic partner in this endeavor. See you soon!