Normal degeneration of the spine may seem strange
when discussing degeneration, but age meets
us all. Age brings on degeneration normally. Our
Williamson chiropractic practice recognizes and
respects age for its effect on the spine and its influence
in disc degeneration and paraspinal
muscle degeneration. They go hand-in-hand. Apple Country Chiropractic
treats them gently and effectively, especially
when our patients participate fully by coming
to appointments, exercising, and taking
supplements that can help. It’s all part of our
Williamson chiropractic treatment plan!
NORMAL DEGENERATION: Age
Age. Not a topic we enjoy talking about,
but age doesn’t mind. It keeps doing its
thing. Age contributed much when comparing the fatty infiltration of muscle in normal people to that
in lumbar spinal stenosis
patients matched for age, BMI, weight, etc. The paraspinal muscle alterations
in lumbar spinal stenosis patients and normal people were similar.
Degeneration of these muscles related to age was more noticeable
in lumbar spinal stenosis patients particularly in the
multifidus muscles. (1) In a radiographic study of degenerative lumbar
spinal stenosis patients, age-related risk factors were noted. Researchers
wrote that larger intervertebral disc height and more severe
vertebral endplate failure may stimulate degenerative lumbar
spinal stenosis due to the increased
mobility of the segment, furthering disc
degeneration. Weakened paravertebral muscles may weaken lumbar spinal
stability. (2) Indeed, the spine and all its muscles are interconnected.
Apple Country Chiropractic looks at them all, to their response to
treatment, to their role in the pain.
BACK PAIN AND ITS PALS
Low back pain has associates. It brings with
it degeneration, change, fat, imbalance and more. Researchers credited
intervertebral disc degeneration as being the main cause of
chronic low back pain. It’s a common and recuring
condition in spine surgery realms. Disc degeneration is related to disc inflammation. As we humans age, researchers pointed out
that its bone marrow changes to bone marrow fat, activating
an inflammatory response in the disc and paraspinal muscles which influence spine stability. As the muscles fill with fat, low back pain changed
to chronic. (3) In a study of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and
sciatica/leg pain, researchers noted that lumbar
degenerative diseases caused paravertebral muscle degeneration
with greater levels of intramuscular fat infiltration. Women’s
paraspinal muscles were significantly reduced. The erector spinae
muscle and multifidus muscle in older aged patients were noted
to have more fat in them. (4) Apple Country Chiropractic appreciates
that aging plays a role in back pain’s
development, path, and treatment.
LESS IS MORE: Treating Aged Back Pain
Since researchers noticed that
with age comes fatty infiltration of paraspinal muscles and inflammatory
responses in the disc, it makes sense that doing less if back
surgery is done would be sensible.
A recent study wrote that adding fusion
to a decompression back surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis raised
the risk of new stenosis on an MRI two years later at the operated
level or at an adjacent spinal level even when spondylolisthesis (a condition
that one vertebra slipped on another one) was seen at surgery. (5)
Less is more frequently when managing back
pain. Gentler treatment can go far in reducing pain. That
is the motto of the CTFDD treatment plan at Apple Country Chiropractic: gentle
spinal manipulation, gentle exercise, etc.
CONTACT Apple Country Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Joseph Beissel on The Back Doctors Podcast with
Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the relief with The
Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for a patient with chronic low
back pain.
Make your Williamson chiropractic
appointment now. There’s no avoiding age or its
accompanying pal, degeneration. If disc degeneration and spinal muscle
degeneration are now your pals, trust Apple Country Chiropractic to set you all
on a path of healing.