Georgetown Exercise and Manipulation May Help Get Water into Disc
Water is central to the body. The body is composed of around 50% water. The spinal disc has about 80% water. Disc degeneration entails the loss of disc hydration and water. Chiropractic manages disc problems like disc degeneration with various approaches. Exercise assists water diffusion into the disc. Spinal manipulation boosts diffusion of water into the disc. Drinking water can’t but help! Dr. Butwell utilizes spinal manipulation to help our spine pain patients suffering with Georgetown back pain and neck pain and related arm and leg pain and recommends exercise to boost the effects of spinal manipulation to improve the health of the spinal disc.
DIFFUSION OF WATER INTO THE DISC VIA EXERCISE
Can exercise benefit the intervertebral disc in non-specific low back pain sufferers? Researchers described how muscles, tendons and bone do respond positively, so they looked at the disc to see if it does. One new study used imaging to find out. On T2-weighted MRI imaging after six months of exercise in the patient with non specific low back pain, the researchers did not discover a benefit though at 3 months the imaging exhibited higher L5S1 diffusion coefficients. They did explain that other types of low back pain sufferers may respond differently. (1) That’s noteworthy. The increased 'apparent diffusion coefficients' is promising yet when we look at other articles about diffusion of water into the disc. Wong explained that non-specific low back pain patients who responded with greater than 30% relief to spinal manipulation therapy compared with non-responders demonstrated a higher apparent diffusion coefficient for diffusion of water into the disc. (2) If exercise can boost that even a bit, it has a place in neck and back pain management. If nothing else, a Georgetown back pain sufferer may well improve the chances of responding to conservative care by maximizing the water content of disc with exercise and spinal manipulation!
Georgetown SPINAL MANIPULATION AND WATER DIFFUSION INTO THE DISC
Studies of manual therapy and traction effects on the intervertebral disc in back pain patients documented that there is an effect on the physiology (the structure and function) of the disc mainly via water diffusion and molecular transport. Both of these are important for a healthy disc. (3) Beattie reported that changes in the water diffusion within the discs at L1-2, L2-3, and L5S1 were observed after just one treatment of spinal manipulation. (4) Dr. Butwell utlilizes the gentle distraction treatment called Cox Technic spinal manipulation to make a push-pull-pumping effect on the disc and its endplates to encourage imbibition of fluid into the disc help our Georgetown spine pain patients.
CONTACT Dr. Butwell
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he further discusses the process of disc degeneration and how Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction helps in its care via manipulation.
Make your Georgetown chiropractic appointment today. Your body survives on water. Disc degeneration is a loss of water. Dr. Butwell guides Georgetown chiropractic back pain sufferers toward healthier discs with spinal manipulation and exercise to coost water content.
