- Anatomy of The Spine
- Back Pain in Children
- Caring for your Spine
- Emerging Spinecare Trends
- Evaluation of Spinal Disorders
- Exercise and The Spine
- Intervention - Spinal Disorders
- Intervertebral Disc
- Non Surgical Options
- Nutrition and Spinecare
- Options for Spine Treatments
- Pregnancy and Back Pain
- Prevalence of Spine Disorders
- Sleep and the Spine
- Spinecare Introduction
- Spinehealth and Disease
- Surgical Interventions
- Treatment with Medications
- Understanding Back Pain
Spinecare Topics
Spinehealth and Disease
Spinal Dysfunction
Neurology of the Spinal Segment:
Spinal bones and joints are in a constant state of the “cellular remodeling� regulated in part by specialized nerve endings. Sensory nerve endings referred to as receptors, also help protect the supportive and wieghtbearing tissues of the spinal segment. These receptors help protect structures from abnormal loads through complex feed-forward and feedback muscle-receptor servomechanisms.
What Causes Spinal Segment Hypomobility
Spinal segment hypomobility represents one of the most common types of spinal dysfunction. It can be caused by a number of different mechanisms, the most common of which is degeneration. Adhesions or scar tissue can form surrounding the spinal facet joints. Adhesions can arise from a variety of causes including as a result of trauma which resulting in an inflammatory process. The second type of adhesions the result of tissue dehydration associated with immobilization of the spinal segment. Immobilization leads to tissue dehydration with approximation of certain chemicals and fibers in the tissue which leads to a sticking together phenomenon thus restricting movement. Manipulation or mobilization of these tissues through manual manipulation and/or increased activity helps to promote the breakdown of restriction adhesions and also increase the movement of water and nutrients into the tissue.
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Spinal Dysfunction
Joint Dysfunction versus Joint Disease:
The term joint dysfunction refers to the loss of one or more movements within the normal range of joint motion. There are many conditions which may result in joint dysfunction. Joint disease refers to a disorder which leads to injury or breakdown of cellular elements of a joint. Joint disease will cause joint dysfunction. Most diseases affecting the spinal joints (facets) are associated with inflammation. Various causes of spinal joint inflammation may include an autoimmune disorder, infection, and trauma. Causes for joint dysfunction include inefficient sustained postures, overworked tissues/overuse syndromes, persistent reflexive muscle spasm or tightness, generic structural abnormalities, inflammatory arthritis, and persistent joint hypermobility.
Joint Hypomobility versus Hypermobility:
Joint fixation or hypomobility may involve the entire spinal segment including the ligaments, facets and disc. Whenever a spinal segment is unable to move normally, greater physical demands are placed upon adjacent segments. This can lead to increased movement (hypermobility) at adjacent segments. It is often the hypermobile spinal segment, which contributes to the development of an active inflammatory process and pain. This occurs from excessive stretching of the supportive connective tissues. The level of fixation or hypomobility may be clinically silent or without symptoms.
Benefits of Normal Joint Mobility:
There are many benefits of normal joint mobility, these benefits include:
The term joint dysfunction refers to the loss of one or more movements within the normal range of joint motion. There are many conditions which may result in joint dysfunction. Joint disease refers to a disorder which leads to injury or breakdown of cellular elements of a joint. Joint disease will cause joint dysfunction. Most diseases affecting the spinal joints (facets) are associated with inflammation. Various causes of spinal joint inflammation may include an autoimmune disorder, infection, and trauma. Causes for joint dysfunction include inefficient sustained postures, overworked tissues/overuse syndromes, persistent reflexive muscle spasm or tightness, generic structural abnormalities, inflammatory arthritis, and persistent joint hypermobility.
Joint Hypomobility versus Hypermobility:
Joint fixation or hypomobility may involve the entire spinal segment including the ligaments, facets and disc. Whenever a spinal segment is unable to move normally, greater physical demands are placed upon adjacent segments. This can lead to increased movement (hypermobility) at adjacent segments. It is often the hypermobile spinal segment, which contributes to the development of an active inflammatory process and pain. This occurs from excessive stretching of the supportive connective tissues. The level of fixation or hypomobility may be clinically silent or without symptoms.
Benefits of Normal Joint Mobility:
There are many benefits of normal joint mobility, these benefits include:
- Provide normal neurological input to the spinal cord and brain from the joint and the surrounding soft tissue structures.
- Improved passive and active movement of fluid and nutrients through joint tissues particularly those tissues that are devoid from blood supplies such as cartilage and intervertebral disc.
- Improved muscle performance around the joint.
- Improved local blood flow to the joint and related structures.
- Reduced risk for the development of adhesions or scar tissue.
- Improved regulation for regional bone calcium metabolism.
- Lowered risk for adhesion or scar tissue development between tissue planes of the spinal segment. Increased facilitation of specialized nerve endings, which provides special regulation (joint kinesthesia).
- More efficient dispersal of loads upon joint discogenic elements including cartilage.
Neurology of the Spinal Segment:
Spinal bones and joints are in a constant state of the “cellular remodeling� regulated in part by specialized nerve endings. Sensory nerve endings referred to as receptors, also help protect the supportive and wieghtbearing tissues of the spinal segment. These receptors help protect structures from abnormal loads through complex feed-forward and feedback muscle-receptor servomechanisms.
What Causes Spinal Segment Hypomobility
Spinal segment hypomobility represents one of the most common types of spinal dysfunction. It can be caused by a number of different mechanisms, the most common of which is degeneration. Adhesions or scar tissue can form surrounding the spinal facet joints. Adhesions can arise from a variety of causes including as a result of trauma which resulting in an inflammatory process. The second type of adhesions the result of tissue dehydration associated with immobilization of the spinal segment. Immobilization leads to tissue dehydration with approximation of certain chemicals and fibers in the tissue which leads to a sticking together phenomenon thus restricting movement. Manipulation or mobilization of these tissues through manual manipulation and/or increased activity helps to promote the breakdown of restriction adhesions and also increase the movement of water and nutrients into the tissue.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
