Juneau 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!). (Many Juneau chiropractic patients coming to Aurora Chiropractic Center are quite wise!) Discs degenerate. As a matter of fact, discs are stated to start degenerating in the second decade of life. By your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, it would be less unusual to not see disc degeneration. Today’s research is presenting some promise in the care of disc degeneration with even the potential being proposed in the literature of possible disc regeneration. This is exciting to your Juneau 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 an elevated proteoglycan aggrecan content. Proteolysis is aggrecan loss that occurs with degeneration. Researchers suggest that restoration of aggrecan loss in the nucleus of the disc is probable via cells that can synthesize aggrecan and be borne 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-documented cause of low back pain. What is the disc made of? Aggrecan is the main component. Aggrecan is the key proteoglycan structure in the extracellular matrix that makes up the disc. Aggrecan is quite large, composed 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 tolerate compressive loading it is designed to do. (2) Disc degeneration gets down to the molecules that make up the disc. Aurora Chiropractic Center 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 promise for potential disc regeneration. (6) Aurora Chiropractic Center includes spinal disc nutrition with spinal distraction manipulation for the best possible clinical outcome.
CONTACT Aurora Chiropractic Center
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 incorporation of gentle distraction manipulation and nutrition for this patient’s relief and management of disc herniation pain.
