Normal degeneration of the spine may seem strange
when discussing degeneration, but age meets
us all. Age generates degeneration normally. Our
Pensacola chiropractic practice acknowledges and
respects age for its effect on the spine and its influence
in disc degeneration and paraspinal
muscle degeneration. They go together. Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center
treats them gently and effectively, especially
when our patients do their part in coming
to appointments, exercising, and following suggestions about
supplements that can help. It’s all part of the
Pensacola chiropractic treatment plan!
NORMAL DEGENERATION: Age
Age. Not a topic we enjoy talking about,
but age doesn’t mind. It keeps doing what it does. Age contributed much when researchers
compared the fatty infiltration of muscle in normal people to that
in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who were matched for age, BMI, weight, etc. The paraspinal muscle changes
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 trigger degenerative lumbar
spinal stenosis because of the amplified
mobility of the segment, progressing disc
degeneration. Weakened paravertebral muscles may weaken lumbar spinal
stability. (2) Truly, the spine and all its muscles are interconnected.
Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center looks at them all, to their response to
treatment, to their role in the pain.
BACK PAIN AND ITS PALS
Low back pain has friends. It brings with
it degeneration, change, fat, imbalance and more. Researchers adknowledged
intervertebral disc degeneration as being the main cause of
chronic low back pain. It’s a familiar and recuring
condition in spine surgery realms. Disc degeneration is associated
with disc inflammation. As we humans age, researchers explained
that its bone marrow changes to bone marrow fat, initiating
an inflammatory response in the disc and paraspinal muscles which play
a role in spine stability. As the muscles fill with fat, low back pain transitioned
to chronic. (3) In a study of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and
sciatica/leg pain, researchers described that lumbar
degenerative diseases prompted paravertebral muscle degeneration
with greater levels of intramuscular fat infiltration. Women’s
paraspinal muscles were significantly smaller. The erector spinae
muscle and multifidus muscle in older aged patients were seen
to have more fat in them. (4) Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center appreciates
that aging contributes to 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 is logical that doing less if back
surgery is done would be prudent.
A new 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 treating back
pain. Gentler treatment can go far in reducing pain. That
is the motto of the CTFDD treatment plan at Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center: gentle
spinal manipulation, gentle exercise, etc.
CONTACT Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center
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.
Schedule your Pensacola chiropractic
appointment soon. There’s no avoiding age or its
accompanying pal, degeneration. If disc degeneration and spinal muscle
degeneration are now your pals, trust Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center to get you all
on a path of healing.