July 2021 Healthy News from Manahawkin Chiropractic Center
Distraction and Patient Education and Exercise
Knee and hip osteoarthritis are known and growing concerns as our society ages…around the world. Currently in 2021, Canada is reviewing the “Good Life with Osteoarthritis in Demark” (GLAD) program for knee and hip osteoarthritis. The program combines manual therapy, exercise and patient education. (1) One GLAD study had patients attend 2-3 patient education classes and 12 supervised exercise sessions over the course of 8 weeks, patients’ pain intensity improved 26-33%, walking speed improved 8-12%, chair standability got better by 18-30%, and joint-related quality of life improved 12-26%. (2) (Another study used MRI to determine the thickness of knee joint cartilage after knee joint distraction to document that it thickened with treatment resulting in significant short- and long-term cartilage regeneration up to 10 years post-treatment. (3) This was performed with young people, but it is hopeful!) Back in 2017, a Canadian chiropractor wrote a paper describing his application of Cox® flexion-distraction-principle-based distraction to the osteoarthritic knee, and the success he’s seen in his patients. Overall (acute and chronic patients together), patients related a mean visual analog scale score drop from 7.7 to 1.8 in 3 weeks and 5.3 treatments. Acute knee OA patients’ scores dropped from 8.1 to 1.1 in 4.8 treatments in 2.4 weeks. Chronic patients’ scores reduced from 7.5 to 2.2 in 3.3 weeks and 5.4 treatments. (4) Chiropractors like yours at Manahawkin Chiropractic Center are ahead of the curve with their modified Cox® Technic principles-based-flexion-distraction-approach to knee osteoarthritis. Novel protocols for use in hip OA are also in development. Talk with us today about how distraction treatment may help your Manahawkin osteoarthritis of the hip and knee!
HOPE FOR DEGENERATED DISCS: Chondroitin Sulfate
Back pain treatment approaches be they surgical, exercise, nutrition, and/or manual therapy based flourish while back pain endures. Injecting hyaluronic acid hydrogel is showing some potential as it seems to suppress the loss of disc height, promote tissue hydration for disc repair, and lower inflammation and innervation to prevent more disc degeneration. (5) The nutritional approach continues to show promise for back pain sufferers as the disc matrix components are known, two central components being chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan and hyaluronan. Making chondroitin sulfate available to the disc as well as controlling the hydrostatic pressure of the disc is advantageous. (6) Cox® Technic is shown to drop intradiscal pressure, so mixing it with chondroitin sulfate may be, too. Are you taking yours? You may want to think about including a disc supplement that has chondroitin sulfate to your schedule after we talk. Manahawkin Chiropractic Center is ready!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he discusses the part chondroitin sulfate plays in the health, degeneration and possible regeneration of the intervertebral disc and in the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
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Schedule your next Manahawkin chiropractic appointment with Manahawkin Chiropractic Center. See you then!