January 2024 Healthy News from Most Chiropractic Clinic Disc Herniation Size Doesnt Always Matter and Ways to Lower Chronic Pain
DISC SIZE DOESN’T (necessarily) MATTER!
Now there is a novel idea for the start of a new year amidst all the talk of new year’s talk of dieting to downsize! In the world of back pain and neck pain, a little disc is not really pain-free. Surprised? If you have a small disc and pain, you aren’t! 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 an extruded disc’s inner gel-like material has exited the outer annular fibers and now envelops the spinal nerve(s) which has (have) never come in contact with each other before. Nerves don’t like this new chemical “bath” and hurt! A tiny extruded disc can provoke a great amount of pain if chemical irritation is involved. 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 noteworthy relationship to pain and function. (8) If you or a loved one or friend is beginning 2024 with Murfreesboro back pain with or without sciatic leg pain or neck pain with or without arm pain radiculopathy, come visit Most Chiropractic Clinic for some Murfreesboro 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 suffering with back and leg pain due to a disc herniation.
Murfreesboro CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: 4 Ways to Ease Chronic Pain In 2024
As researchers and healthcare professionals work toward establishing practice guidelines (ex: WHO) to manage chronic pain (back, neck, etc.), they’re studying influencing factors that chronic pain sufferers and their caregivers ought to address for optimal 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 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 approaches chosen by Medicare patients reported that manipulative therapies, mainly chiropractic, have been the most extensively 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 realize overall improvement in his condition, reduce use of pain medication, and increase mobility after 4 sessions over a 4-week period. (12)
- Exercise. Structured exercise programs were documented to reduce pain and functional limitation in chronic low back pain patients. (13)
Make 2024 your year for pain relief! Most Chiropractic Clinic is happy to be your Murfreesboro chiropractic partner in this endeavor. See you soon!