Baton Rouge 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 Baton Rouge chiropractic patients coming to Spine & Sports Rehab Center are quite wise!) Discs degenerate. As a matter of fact, discs are stated to start 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 presenting some promise in the care of disc degeneration with even the possibility being proposed in the literature of possible disc regeneration. This is exciting to your Baton Rouge 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 propose that restoration of aggrecan loss in the nucleus of the disc is possible 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 relieve 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 main component. Aggrecan is the key proteoglycan structure in the extracellular matrix that forms the disc. Aggrecan is quite large, made up of varied glycosaminoglycan chains. It can form 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 allow the disc to tolerate compressive loading it is designed to do. (2) Disc degeneration gets down to the molecules that make up the disc. Spine & Sports Rehab Center gets down there, also! These authors posit that aggrecan-based therapies for disc regeneration are possible.

THERAPY FOR POTENTIAL DISC REGENERATION

Chondroitin sulfate is proving to be such a therapy. Chondroitin sulfate’s potential benefit was initially discussed as far back as 1966 by Cole, Ghosh and Taylor. Chondroitin sulfate is explained as being the source of glycosaminoglycan synthesis in the disc. (3,4,5) Combining nutrition with distraction spinal manipulation indicated promise for potential disc regeneration. (6) Spine & Sports Rehab Center incorporates spinal disc nutrition with spinal distraction manipulation for the best possible clinical outcome.

CONTACT Spine & Sports Rehab 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 integration of gentle distraction manipulation and nutrition for this patient’s relief and management of disc herniation pain.

Schedule your Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment now. We do not fret over the signs of aging. We encourage you to embrace them and the wisdom they produce and embrace a Baton Rouge chiropractic treatment plan to deal with them.
 
Spine & Sports Rehab Center sets individual treatment plans for patients with disc degeneration, a consequence of normal aging process, that eases back pain and holds hope for regeneration.  
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."