Vancouver Chiropractic Treatment of Back Pain and Related Fatty Infiltration of Paraspinal Muscles
No doubt, our Vancouver chronic back pain sufferers have read about related paraspinal (multifidus, psoas, quadratus lumborum, erector spinae) muscle fatty infiltrate. They are all tied together: fatty muscle infiltration, disc degeneration, spinal stenosis, facet joint degeneration, back pain. Vancouver Disc Centers addresses all of them, too, to reduce back pain, strengthen the spine, and improve your quality of life.
WHAT IS PARASPINAL MUSCLE FATTY INFILTRATE?
Paraspinal muscle fatty infiltrate is an accumulation of fat within the tissue of the muscles found near the spine, the paraspinal muscles. This condition may be triggered by aging or genetics although it can also be activated by lifestyle issues like poor nutrition or lack of exercise. This condition doesn’t always trigger symptoms, but if it does, they can include low back pain and related stiffness in the lower back and legs or troubled walking because of gait disturbances. Intervertebral disc degeneration is a well-recognized culprit of chronic back pain, disc inflammation, and even spinal stability. Strong, effective paraspinal muscles assist spinal stability. With back pain comes fatty infiltration of the paraspinal muscles that interfere with stability. (1) Vancouver Disc Centers tests for these issues thoroughly during the chiropractic examination with an appreciation for the potential connection.
THE BACK PAIN AND WEAK PARASPINAL MUSCLE CONNECTION
A recent study summarized that disc degeneration and paraspinal muscle weakness were strongly associated, facet joint degeneration and paraspinal muscle weakness were weakly associated, and facet joint degeneration and disc degeneration were strongly associated. It noted that the level of paraspinal muscle weakness increased with level of lumbar disc degeneration and facet joint degeneration while fatty infiltration of the multifidus paraspinal muscle was vulnerable to weight. (2) Further, the published literature on the degree to which low back pain and fatty infiltration of multifidus and other paraspinal muscles (erector spinae, psoas, quadratus lumborum) impacted each other was somewhat contradictory – which comes first (pain or fatty infiltrate), can fatty infiltrate be reversed, is one predictive of the other (back pain that there is fatty infiltrate or fatty infiltrate that points to future back pain)? (3) Vancouver Disc Centers keeps abreast of what the research reports and encourages our back pain patients to strengthen the muscles that they can so that they can support the spine in healing and preventing more bouts of pain as best as possible.
CHIROPRACTIC CARE OF BACK PAIN AND MUSCLE WEAKNESS
Vancouver Disc Centers knows that low back pain patients don’t just suffer pain; they also get to experience muscle quality loss due to more fatty infiltration of the paraspinal muscles. The extent of muscle loss is highly correlated with the severity of the back pain and related dysfunction. (4) That is the reason that exercise is so important alongside treatment of back pain for pain relief and prevention. Implementing The Cox Technic System of Spinal Pain Management as well as other chiropractic services, nutrition and exercise, Vancouver Disc Centers is here to help! While researchers are still studying whether fatty infiltration is changeable, Vancouver Disc Centers finds the attempt to tone and improve strength a worthy effort.
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he details the many options available to back pain sufferers regarding healthcare providers and emphasizes the benefit of being under the care of a chiropractor trained in the protocols of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers
Make your Vancouver chiropractic visit to address your back pain and weakened paraspinal muscles. Relief and an enhanced quality of life are in your future!
