Nashua 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 Nashua chiropractic patients coming to Moriarty Chiropractic are very wise!) Discs degenerate. As a matter of fact, discs are stated to start degenerating in the second decade of life. By your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, it would be less unusual to not see disc degeneration. Research today is showing some promise in the care of disc degeneration with even the possibility being floated in the literature of potential disc regeneration. This is amazing to your Nashua chiropractor and to chiropractic patients everywhere!

THE ROLE OF THE DISC

The disc acts as the spine’s shock absorber. The disc opposes the compressive loads put on the spine during movement. How is it able to do this? It has a high proteoglycan aggrecan content. Proteolysis is aggrecan loss that occurs 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 probable disc regeneration and its potential to ease back pain.

AGING AND DISC DEGENERATION

Disc degeneration is a well-acknowledged cause of low back pain. What is the disc made of? Aggrecan is the key component. Aggrecan is the main proteoglycan structure in the extracellular matrix that makes up the disc. Aggrecan is quite large, composed 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 vital to keep the disc hydrated enough to permit the disc to tolerate compressive loading it is made to do. (2) Disc degeneration gets down to the molecules that make up the disc. Moriarty Chiropractic gets down there, too! These authors posit that aggrecan-based therapies for disc regeneration may well be possible.

THERAPY FOR POTENTIAL DISC REGENERATION

Chondroitin sulfate is showing itself 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 described as being the source of glycosaminoglycan synthesis in the disc. (3,4,5) Merging nutrition with distraction spinal manipulation indicated promise for potential disc regeneration. (6) Moriarty Chiropractic includes spinal disc nutrition with spinal distraction manipulation for the optimal clinical outcome.

CONTACT Moriarty Chiropractic

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 incorporation of gentle distraction manipulation and nutrition for this patient’s relief and management of disc herniation pain.