January 2024 Healthy News from Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic Disc Herniation Size Doesnt Always Matter and Ways to Lower Chronic Pain
DISC SIZE DOESN’T (necessarily) MATTER!
Now there is a twist on new year’s resolutions of dieting to downsize! In the world of back pain and neck pain, a little disc isn’t necessarily pain-free. Surprised? If you have a small disc and pain, you’re 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 involved if an extruded disc’s inner gel-like material has left the anular fibers that surround it and now encircles 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 cause enormous pain if chemical irritation is part of the problem. A huge disc protrusion may not cause pain at all if it does not 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 show a significant relationship to pain and function. (8) If you or a loved one or friend is starting 2024 with Montreal back pain with or without sciatic leg pain or neck pain with or without arm pain radiculopathy, come see Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic for some Montreal 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.
Montreal CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: 4 Ways to Reduce Chronic Pain In 2024
As researchers and healthcare professionals try to establish practice guidelines (ex: WHO) to manage chronic pain (back, neck, etc.), they’re analyzing influencing factors that chronic pain sufferers and their caregivers ought to address for best clinical outcomes:
- Understand the condition. A clear grasp of the chronic primary low back pain condition via education/advice was associated with improvements in pain, function, quality of life, and psychological outcomes. (9)
- Consider emotional influences. Adverse childhood events were documented to be significantly associated with chronic pain and pain-related disability as an adult. (10)
- Undergo spinal manipulation. A study of nonpharmacological pain management approaches chosen by Medicare patients found that manipulative therapies, mainly chiropractic, have been the most widely investigated methods. (11) Cox® Technic flexion-distraction - as we use in our targetlocation practice – helped a 67-year-old veteran who experienced chronic low back pain and intermittent lower extremity pain for many decades get overall improvement in his condition, reduce use of pain medication, and gain mobility after 4 sessions over a 4-week period. (12)
- Exercise. Structured exercise programs were reported to reduce pain and functional limitation in chronic low back pain patients. (13)
Make 2024 your year for pain relief! Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic is excited to be your Montreal chiropractic partner in this project. See you soon!