Healthy News January 2024 Disc Size Doesnt Necessarily Matter & 4 Ways To Ease Chronic Pain

Now there’s 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 really pain-free. Surprised? If you have a small disc and pain, you aren’t! What does matter is (1) how much mechanical pressure the disc protrusion is putting on the nerve root and/or (2) how much 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 hurt when this new chemical irritant comes in! A tiny extruded disc can generate lots of pain if chemical irritation is part of the problem. A huge disc protrusion may not cause pain at all if it doesn’t contact a spinal nerve. (1-7) A 2023 published study just concluded 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 beginning 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 due to 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) to manage chronic pain (back, neck, etc.), they are analyzing influencing factors that chronic pain sufferers and their caregivers need to address for optimal clinical outcomes:

1. 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)
2. Consider emotional influences. Adverse childhood events were documented to be significantly associated with chronic pain and pain-related disability as an adult. (10)
3. Undergo spinal manipulation. A study of nonpharmacological pain management approaches undergone by Medicare patients found that manipulative therapies, mainly chiropractic, have been the most widely studied approaches. (11) Cox® Technic flexion-distraction - as we utilize in our targetlocation practice – benefitted a 67-year-old veteran who experienced chronic low back pain and intermittent lower extremity pain for several decades get overall improvement in his condition, reduce use of pain medication, and gain mobility after 4 sessions in just a short 4-week period. (12)
4. 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! Vancouver Disc Centers is ready to be your Vancouver chiropractic partner in this effort. See you soon!

Schedule your Vancouver chiropractic appointment today!