January 2024 Healthy News from Vancouver Disc Centers Disc Herniation Size Doesnt Always Matter and Ways to Lower Chronic Pain
DISC SIZE DOESN’T (necessarily) MATTER!
Now there is a twist on new year’s resolutions of dieting to downsize! In the world of back pain and neck pain, a small disc isn’t necessarily pain-free. Surprised? If you have a small disc and pain, you are not! What matters is (1) the amount of 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 escaped the outer annular fibers and now encircles the spinal nerve(s) which has (have) never come in contact with each other before. Nerves do not like this new chemical “bath” and hurt! A tiny extruded disc can cause a great amount of pain if chemical irritation is part of the problem. A huge protruded may not cause pain at all if it doesn’t 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 significant relationship to pain and function. (8) If you or a loved one or friend is starting 2024 with Vancouver back pain with or without sciatic leg pain or neck pain with or without arm pain radiculopathy, come see Vancouver Disc Centers for some Vancouver 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 because of a disc herniation.
Vancouver CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: 4 Ways to Reduce Chronic Pain In 2024
As researchers and healthcare professionals work toward establishing practice guidelines (ex: WHO) in managing chronic pain (back, neck, etc.), they are analyzing influencing factors that chronic pain sufferers and their caregivers ought to address for best clinical outcomes:
- Understand the condition. A clear understanding of the chronic primary low back pain condition via education/advice was related to beneficial developments in pain, function, quality of life, and psychological outcomes. (9)
- Consider emotional influences. Adverse childhood events were found to be significantly related to chronic pain and pain-related disability as an adult. (10)
- Undergo spinal manipulation. A study of nonpharmacological pain management methods utilized by Medicare patients found that manipulative therapies, mainly chiropractic, have been the most widely studied approaches. (11) Cox® Technic flexion-distraction - as we use in our targetlocation practice – helped a 67-year-old veteran who suffered with chronic low back pain and intermittent lower extremity pain for many decades find overall improvement in his condition, decrease use of pain medication, and increase mobility after 4 sessions in just a short 4-week period. (12)
- Exercise. Structured exercise programs were shown to decrease pain and functional limitation in chronic low back pain patients. (13)
Make 2024 your year for pain relief! Vancouver Disc Centers is happy to be your Vancouver chiropractic partner in this endeavor. See you soon!