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Normal Degeneration Linked with Vancouver Spinal Stenosis

Normal degeneration of the spine may seem odd when discussing degeneration, but age meets us all. Age brings on degeneration normally. Our Vancouver chiropractic practice recognizes and respects age for its influence on the spine and its influence in disc degeneration and paraspinal muscle degeneration. They go hand-in-hand. Vancouver Disc Centers treats them gently and successfully, particularly when our patients do their part in coming to appointments, exercising, and taking supplements that can be beneficial. It’s all part of the Vancouver chiropractic treatment plan!

NORMAL DEGENERATION: Age

Age. Not a topic we want to talk about, but age does not care. It keeps doing its thing. Age contributed much when comparing the fatty infiltration of muscle in normal people to that in lumbar spinal stenosis patients matched for age, BMI, weight, etc. The paraspinal muscle alterations in lumbar spinal stenosis patients and normal people were comparable. Degeneration of these muscles related to age was more noticeable in lumbar spinal stenosis patients particularly in the multifidus muscles. (1) A radiographic study of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis found age-related risk factors. Researchers wrote that larger intervertebral disc height and more severe vertebral endplate failure may stimulate degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis because of the increased mobility of the segment, progressing disc degeneration. Weakened paravertebral muscles may weaken lumbar spinal stability. (2) Truly, the spine and all its muscles are linked. Vancouver Disc Centers looks at them all, to their response to treatment, to their part in the pain.

BACK PAIN AND ITS PALS

Low back pain has associates. It brings with it degeneration, change, fat, imbalance and more. Researchers credited intervertebral disc degeneration as being the main cause of chronic low back pain. It’s a familiar and recuring condition in spine surgery realms. Disc degeneration is related to disc inflammation. As we humans age, researchers explained that its bone marrow changes to bone marrow fat, triggering an inflammatory response in the disc and paraspinal muscles which play a role in spine stability. As the muscles fill with fat, low back pain changed to chronic. (3) In a study of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and sciatica/leg pain, researchers saw that lumbar degenerative diseases prompted paravertebral muscle degeneration with higher levels of intramuscular fat infiltration. Women’s paraspinal muscles were significantly smaller. The erector spinae muscle and multifidus muscle in older aged patients were described as having more fat in them. (4) Vancouver Disc Centers appreciates that aging contributes to back pain’s development, path, and treatment.

LESS IS MORE: Treating Aged Back Pain

Since researchers documented that with age comes fatty infiltration of paraspinal muscles and inflammatory responses in the disc, it is logical that doing less if back surgery is done would be prudent. A new study wrote that the addition of fusion to a decompression back surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis increased the odds of new stenosis on an MRI two years later at the operated level or at an adjacent spinal level even when spondylolisthesis (a condition that one vertebra slipped on another one) was noted at surgery. (5) Less is more frequently when managing back pain. Gentler treatment can go far in decreasing pain. That is the motto of the CTFDD treatment plan at Vancouver Disc Centers: gentle spinal manipulation, gentle exercise, etc.

CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Joseph Beissel on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for a patient with chronic low back pain.  

Make your Vancouver chiropractic appointment today. There’s no avoiding age or its accompanying pal, degeneration. If disc degeneration and spinal muscle degeneration are now your pals, trust Vancouver Disc Centers to get you all on a path to healing. 

 
Vancouver degenerative spinal changes  
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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."