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

Now that’s’ a twist on new year’s resolutions of dieting to downsize! With back pain and neck pain, a small disc isn’t necessarily 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 putting on the nerve root and/or (2) the amount of chemical irritation is present if a disc extrusion’s inner gel-like material has left the anular fibers that surround it and now surrounds 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 generate enormous pain if chemical irritation is involved. A huge disc protrusion may not produce pain at all if it does not 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 starting 2024 with Manahawkin back pain with or without sciatic leg pain or neck pain with or without arm pain radiculopathy, come visit Manahawkin Chiropractic Center for some Manahawkin 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.              

 

Manahawkin CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: 4 Ways to Reduce Chronic Pain In 2024

As researchers and healthcare professionals try to establish 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 best clinical outcomes:

1. Understand the condition. A clear grasp 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)
2. Consider emotional influences. Adverse childhood events were documented to be significantly related to chronic pain and pain-related disability as an adult. (10)
3. Undergo spinal manipulation. A review of nonpharmacological pain management approaches undergone by Medicare patients reported that manipulative therapies, mainly chiropractic, have been the most widely investigated approaches. (11) Cox® Technic flexion-distraction - as we use 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 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! Manahawkin Chiropractic Center is happy to be your Manahawkin chiropractic partner in this effort. See you soon!

Schedule your Manahawkin chiropractic appointment now!