March 2019

Chiropractic Adjustment and Disc Bulge

Chiropractic adjustments are the treatment of choice to relieve most back pain and disc bulge.

Most people suffer from their back during their life. However, they have little idea of what is happening in their spine and what should be done to get some relief and heal properly. It is even expected that they make mistakes damaging their condition.

Disc and Spine Lesions

It is essential to know that most people have a lesion such as a disc degeneration or osteoarthritis, and nonetheless, they do not resent any pain from it. A study published in 2015 in the American Journal of Neuroradiology has shown that a large majority not complaining from back pain show:

Thirty-three articles reported imaging findings among 3,000 asymptomatic persons. Disk degeneration soared from 37% of 20-year-old individuals to 96% of 80-year-old individuals, and disk bulge from 30% of those 20 to 84% of those 80 years of age. Interestingly, disk protrusion prevalence climbed from 29% of those 20 to 43% of those 80 years of age. An annular fissure was surprisingly at 19% of those 20 years of age than 29% of those 80.

Disc Bulge

Investigations showing spine degeneration are widespread even with people not suffering at any time from their back and are the norm after 65, likely part of normal aging. The medical profession often picks the degenerative process as the explanation of the back pain that is asymptomatic most of the time. MRI and X-Ray are not good indicators of the cause. Between 5 to 10% of them will be diagnosed thanks to the spine imagery, most of the time invisible to them.

Ligament or muscle injuries and nerve irritation by some inflammation are common causes. This leads to muscle spasms and segment dysfunctions, reducing the range of movement and flexibility. As the vicious cycle, the inflammation remains irritating the nerves, so the muscles spasm.

Chiropractic Adjustment Mechanism

Chiropractic adjustments are highly effective and safe for back pain. Their aim is not to put a bone in place to align it. It is more of a rapid mobilisation providing a short stretch, stimulating some receptors, and in response, the spasms release, freeing up the joints, disc and segment. The chemical substances of the inflammation are taken away by an increased flow of blood and less irritate the nerves.

The spine is then more mobile and pain-free.

What is Spondylolisthesis?

It is a name derived from the Greek language: spondylos is a vertebra, and listhesis means slipping.

We call this phenomenon spondylolisthesis when a vertebra slips forward over another vertebra. The lumbar spine is the most common area of location. The complaint is usually pain or ache in the low back, buttocks and sometimes thighs. It may be accompanied by muscular tightness and/or weakness in the glutes and hamstrings. However, young individuals do not report any symptoms in general, or rather some discomfort. X-Rays are the predominant investigation to diagnose its presence. The scale grades it in a range of 1 to 4, according to the slippage measure.

Stress Fracture

Most of the time, it is developed during childhood. However, it can be present at birth (it is said then congenital) or in adulthood after an accident or repetition of movements. The widespread cause of spondylolisthesis is a stress fracture during growth. The recurrence of backward movements like bridges puts a severe load on the parts of the vertebra not strong enough to cope with this charge, and they "crack". The sports often implied are gymnastics, dance, judo and martial arts, rugby, and weightlifting. The stability of the spine is then modified and creates severe tensions around.

Degenerative Spondylolisthesis

The degenerative process is another cause of spondylolisthesis. The slippage can be forward, anterolisthesis, or backwards, retrolisthesis. This happens after 40 or 50, primarily due to a genetic history of heavy lifting during working time. The nerves which go through between the vertebrae may be impinged by the narrowing of the canals (holes), and then pain, numbness, weakness are resent in the lower limbs. The walking perimeter is reduced, and to open the canals, the individual feels the need to sit to "open" the canals and relieve the nerves from the pressure.

Treatment of Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis can be "silent", which means that the person does even not know about their condition and does suffer from it. On the opposite, the symptoms can be severe and may demand a surgical operation before significant compression of the nerves. Regarding ache, stiffness and tensions, chiropractic adjustments are recommended but not regarding the slipping vertebra. At Orewa Chiropractic, we have long experience with sports injuries and degenerative spinal conditions and assist the patient in reducing the level of ache/pain and increasing the flexibility of the spine. Visit us.

.