St Peters 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!). (Old Mill Chiropractic knows many wise St Peters chiropractic patients!) Discs degenerate. As a matter of fact, discs are reported to begin degenerating in the 2nd decade of life. By your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, it would be less common to not see disc degeneration. Today’s research is showing some promise in the care of disc degeneration with even the potential being put forward in the literature of potential disc regeneration. This is amazing to your St Peters 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? Its a high proteoglycan aggrecan content. Proteolysis is the loss of aggrecan that happens 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 supported by the disc’s matrix. (1) This offers hope to exploration of possible 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 keep the disc hydrated 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. Old Mill Chiropractic gets down there, also! These authors posit that aggrecan-based therapies for disc regeneration are 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 described as being the source of glycosaminoglycan synthesis in the disc. (3,4,5) Combining nutrition with distraction spinal manipulation showed promise for potential disc regeneration. (6) Old Mill Chiropractic includes spinal disc nutrition with spinal distraction manipulation for the optimal clinical outcome.
CONTACT Old Mill Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Tyler Lomnicki on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes 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.
