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

Now there is a novel idea for the start of a new year amidst all the talk of new year’s talk of dieting to downsize! In the world of back pain and neck pain, a little disc is not necessarily pain-free. Surprised? If you have a small disc and pain, you are not! What matters is (1) how much mechanical pressure the disc protrusion is putting on the nerve root and/or (2) how much chemical irritation is involved if a disc extrusion’s inner gel-like material has escaped the outer annular fibers and now encircles 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 disc extrusion can provoke a great amount of 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 concluded that the size of a disc protrusion did not demonstrate a significant relationship to pain and function. (8) If you or a loved one or friend is beginning 2024 with Auburn back pain with or without sciatic leg pain or neck pain with or without arm pain radiculopathy, come visit Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. for some Auburn 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 suffering with back and leg pain due to a disc herniation.              

 

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

As researchers and healthcare professionals work toward establishing practice guidelines (ex: WHO) to manage chronic pain (back, neck, etc.), they’re studying influencing factors that chronic pain sufferers and their caregivers need to address for optimal clinical outcomes:

1. Understand the condition. A clear grasp of the chronic primary low back pain condition via education/advice was related to improvements in pain, function, quality of life, and psychological outcomes. (9)
2. Consider emotional influences. Adverse childhood events were found to be significantly related to chronic pain and pain-related disability as an adult. (10)
3. Undergo spinal manipulation. A study of nonpharmacological pain management approaches chosen by Medicare patients found that manipulative therapies, mainly chiropractic, have been the most widely investigated approaches. (11) Cox® Technic flexion-distraction - as we utilize in our chiropractic practice – helped a 67-year-old veteran who experienced chronic low back pain and intermittent lower extremity pain for many decades realize overall improvement in his condition, reduce use of pain medication, and gain mobility after 4 sessions over a 4-week period. (12)
4. Exercise. Structured exercise programs were shown to reduce pain and functional limitation in chronic low back pain patients. (13)

Make 2024 your year for pain relief! Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. is ready to be your Auburn chiropractic partner in this project. See you soon!

Make your Auburn chiropractic appointment today!