Sitka Chiropractic Care of an Aging Spine: Nutrition & Manipulation
Wrinkles, frown lines, smile lines, disc degeneration…natural events with growing older (and, might we add, wiser!). (Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka knows many wise Sitka chiropractic patients!) Discs degenerate. As a matter of fact, discs are reported to start degenerating in the second decade of life. By your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, it would be less unusual to not have disc degeneration. Research today is showing some promise in the care of disc degeneration with even the potential being floated in the literature of possible disc regeneration. This is exciting to your Sitka chiropractor and to chiropractic patients everywhere!
THE ROLE OF THE DISC
The disc is the spine’s shock absorber. The disc resists the compressive loads put on the spine during movement. How is it able to do this? It has a high proteoglycan aggrecan content. Proteolysis is the loss of aggrecan that happens with degeneration. Researchers propose that restoration of aggrecan loss in the nucleus of the disc is possible via cells that can synthesize aggrecan and be supported by the disc’s matrix. (1) This gives hope to exploration of probable disc regeneration and its potential to ease back pain.
AGING AND DISC DEGENERATION
Disc degeneration is a well-acknowledged source of low back pain. What makes up a disc? Aggrecan is the key component. Aggrecan is the main proteoglycan structure in the extracellular matrix that forms the disc. Aggrecan is quite large, made up of varied glycosaminoglycan chains. It can create more aggregates when combined with hyaluronan. The glycosaminoglycan chains are negatively charged and bind to water molecules which are necessary to maintain the disc’s hydration enough to permit the disc to withstand compressive loading it is made to do. (2) Disc degeneration gets down to the molecules that make up the disc. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka gets down there, also! These authors suggest that aggrecan-based therapies for disc regeneration may well be possible.
THERAPY FOR POTENTIAL DISC REGENERATION
Chondroitin sulfate is showing itself to be such a therapy. Chondroitin sulfate’s potential benefit was initially discussed clear back in 1966 by Cole, Ghosh and Taylor. Chondroitin sulfate is explained as being the source of glycosaminoglycan synthesis in the disc. (3,4,5) Merging nutrition with distraction spinal manipulation indicated ability for potential disc regeneration. (6) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka incorporates spinal disc nutrition with spinal distraction manipulation for the best possible clinical outcome.
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Tyler Lomnicki on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management integration of gentle distraction manipulation and nutrition for this patient’s relief and management of disc herniation pain.
