Eugene Exercise and Manipulation May Help Get Water into Disc

Water is essential to the body. The body is composed of around 50% water. The spinal disc is composed of about 80% water. Disc degeneration entails the loss of water and disc hydration. Chiropractic takes care of disc problems like disc degeneration with a variety of forms of care. Exercise assists water diffusion into the disc. Spinal manipulation enhances diffusion of water into the disc. Drinking water can’t but help!  Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic utilizes spinal manipulation to take care of our spine pain patients experiencing Eugene back pain and neck pain and related arm and leg pain and suggests 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 reported that muscles, tendons and bone do respond well, 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 6 months of exercise in this type of patient, the non-specific low back pain patient, the researchers did not discover a benefit; however, 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) Interesting. The increased 'apparent diffusion coefficients' is promising yet when we read other articles about diffusion of water into the disc. Wong pointed out 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 disc diffusion of water. (2) If exercise can boost that even a little, it has a place in back and neck pain management. If nothing else, a Eugene back pain sufferer may well improve the odds of responding to conservative care by raising the water content of disc with exercise and spinal manipulation!

Eugene 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 impact on the physiology (the structure and function) of the disc primarily via water diffusion and molecular transport. Both of these are vital for a healthy disc. (3) Beattie reported that changes in the diffusion of water within the discs at L1-2, L2-3, and L5S1 were seen after only one treatment of spinal manipulation. (4) Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic uses the gentle distraction treatment called Cox Technic spinal manipulation to create a push-pull-pumping effect on the disc and its endplates to encourage imbibition of fluid into the disc help our Eugene spine pain patients.

CONTACT Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he further describes the process of disc degeneration and how Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction helps in its care via manipulation.

Set up your Eugene chiropractic appointment soon. Your body survives on water. Degenerated discs lose water. Rethwill Chiropractic Clinic guides Eugene chiropractic patients toward healthier discs with spinal manipulation and exercise to enhance water content.