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

Now that’s’ 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 small disc is not necessarily pain-free. Surprised? If you have a small disc and pain, you are not! What does matter is (1) the amount of pressure the disc protrusion is placing on the nerve root and/or (2) the amount of chemical irritation is present if a disc extrusion’s inner gel-like material has left the outer annular fibers and now surrounds the spinal nerve(s) which has (have) never touched each other before. Nerves don’t like this new chemical “bath” and hurt! A tiny disc extrusion can produce enormous pain if chemical irritation is part of the problem. A huge disc protrusion may not trigger pain at all if it doesn’t contact a spinal nerve. (1-7) A 2023 published study just ended their report with the conclusion 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 McHenry back pain with or without sciatic leg pain or neck pain with or without arm pain radiculopathy, come see OrthoIllinois Chiropractic for some McHenry 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 experiencing back and leg pain due to a disc herniation.              

 

McHenry 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) in managing chronic pain (back, neck, etc.), they are studying influencing factors that chronic pain sufferers and their caregivers ought 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 methods utilized by Medicare patients found that manipulative therapies, mainly chiropractic, have been the most widely studied methods. (11) Cox® Technic flexion-distraction - as we use in our targetlocation practice – benefitted a 67-year-old veteran who experienced chronic low back pain and intermittent lower extremity pain for several decades realize overall improvement in his condition, decrease use of pain medication, and gain mobility after 4 sessions over a 4-week period. (12)
4. Exercise. Structured exercise programs were shown to decrease pain and functional limitation in chronic low back pain patients. (13)

Make 2024 your year for pain relief! OrthoIllinois Chiropractic is ready to be your McHenry chiropractic partner in this endeavor. See you soon!

Schedule your McHenry chiropractic appointment now!