The problem: When I gain weight, it goes straight to my middle
You know those squishy midsection lumps you can pinch? That’s subcutaneous fat, located just beneath the surface of your skin, says Ursula White, PhD, an obesity researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University. Another type of fat, called visceral fat, sits deep within the abdominal area, surrounding the organs. This is the kind that’s considered especially harmful; research has found that excess amounts of visceral fat may put your at a higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Where we pack on flab may be determined by genetics, says White. But in general, notes Tara Collingwood, RDN, coauthor of Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies ($23; amazon.com)�when people gain weight, it often increases their amount of visceral fat. That’s one reason a diet that’s too high in simple carbs is so problematic: “Eating too many low-fiber, high-sugar foods can spike levels of insulin, which then stores all those calories as fat,” explains Collingwood.
The solution:�You can’t fight genetics�but you can make it harder for your body to store excess calories as fat by limiting your consumption of refined carbs. Eat more high-fiber foods instead, such as oats, beans, and sweet potatoes, suggests Leslie Bonci, RDN, owner of Active Eating Advice. Also, aim to eat three meals and one snack a day�and have them on a set schedule, recommends Bonci. One 2014 study found that eating erratically was linked to a bigger waist circumference than sticking to a schedule.
Pregnant women should get their blood pressure checked at each prenatal visit to screen for preeclampsia, a potentially fatal complication that can damage the kidneys, liver, eyes and brain, new U.S. guidelines say.
While many doctors already monitor blood pressure throughout pregnancy, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) updated its guidelines for the first time since 1996 to stress that screening at every visit can help doctors catch and treat preeclampsia before it escalates from a mild problem to a life-threatening one.
“Preeclampsia is one of the most serious health problems affecting pregnant women,” task force member Dr. Maureen Phipps, a women’s health researcher at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, said by email.
“Because this condition is common and critical, the Task Force offers two separate recommendations to help women lower the risk associated with preeclampsia – screening for preeclampsia is recommended for all pregnant women, and women at high risk of developing the condition can take low-dose aspirin to help prevent it,” Phipps added by email.
The screening recommendations, published on Tuesday in JAMA, apply to women without a history of preeclampsia or high blood pressure. Separate guidelines advise low-dose aspirin after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy for women with a history of elevated blood pressure. (http://bit.ly/2oIwP5B)
Preeclampsia can progress quickly, and typically develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Blood pressure screening earlier in pregnancy can show normal results for women who go on to develop preeclampsia.
In addition to elevated blood pressure, women with preeclampsia may also have excess amounts of protein in their urine, as well as swelling in the feet, legs and hands.
Women may suffer from stroke, seizures, organ failure and in rare cases, death. For babies, complications include slower growth inside the uterus, low birth weight and death.
Risks for preeclampsia include a history of obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as a mother or sister who has experienced the condition.
Because the risks of preeclampsia increase with age, women may be able to lower their chances of developing this complication by having babies sooner, said Dr. Dana Gossett, an obstetrics and gynecology researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, and co-author of an accompanying editorial in JAMA.
“Beyond that, it is also important to ensure that all health problems are well managed prior to pregnancy,” Gossett said by email. “High blood pressure should be under good control, other diseases like kidney disease or lupus should be well controlled, and women should try to be close to their ideal body weight prior to conception.”
Checking blood pressure at every prenatal visit can help prevent complications for mothers and babies alike, said Dr. Martha Gulati, chief of cardiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix and author of a separate editorial in JAMA Cardiology.
“This is something that should be provided to every woman as part of preventive care,” Gulati said by email. “We will save lives and prevent complications and death in pregnant women with this simple, cost-effective” test that doesn’t take much time.
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez looks at back pain medications and their effect on sleep.
Can you relieve spine pain and get a good night�s rest? Sure some drugs get in the way.
Prescription medications are among the most recommended nonsurgical treatments for back and neck pain. While these drugs might help alleviate what ails your back, your sleep may suffer because of this. That�s a big deal, as sleep deprivation hurts your general wellbeing.
Unfortunately, back and neck pain medications can have side effects�and interfering with your sleep and ability to operate normally throughout the day are ones that are typical. Your medication may stop you from getting enough sleep or falling asleep. Or, your slumber quality suffers, although you might doze off readily. Plus, sleep-related side effects do n�t just affect you during the nighttime hours, as you may experience drowsiness or jitters during the day.
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Sleep Science 101: Reconsidering Sedatives
Before delving into common back and neck pain drugs that may affect your slumber, it�s important to comprehend one of the biggest misconceptions about sleep medicines: the effect of sedation.
Many view sedatives as sleep aids due to the fact that they enable you to fall asleep fast. Nevertheless, this doesn�t tell the entire image, based on Steven A. King, MD, MS, who practices pain medicine in New York and is a clinical professor of Psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine.
�When contemplating what�s good for sleep, it really is vital to not forget that sleep is just not a uniform activity through the entire span of the night, but rather, a succession of cycles involving different levels of wakefulness,� wrote Dr. King in a site for Psychiatric Times. �Merely because a medication may put one to sleep doesn�t mean restful slumber will be provided by it if it disrupts the normal sleep cycles.�
During a good night�s sleep, your brain will repeatedly cycle through five phases: stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. You should spend about 25% of your total slumber and this is the cycle. As researchers believe it contributes to regulating your mood, learning, and saving memories having uninterrupted REM sleep is significant.
Monitor your sleep quality, if you�ve been prescribed a medicine with sedative effects, for example an opioid. It�s not about how fast you fall asleep but also how refreshed you feel the very next day. If you dazed and �re waking up groggy, talk to your doctor about possible alterations to your medication regimen.
Back &�Neck Pain Medications That May Disrupt Sleep
Below are drugs that treat spinal conditions and may likewise have sleep-associated side effects.
Note: The table below features common back and neck pain medications that could interfere with your sleep and daytime functioning; it is not an all inclusive list. Always discuss the potential side effects of your medications that are certain with your physician.
Talk To Your Doctor About Drug Alternatives For Better Sleep
The quality of your slumber shouldn�t suffer�as a result, although keeping your spine healthy is vital. If you�ve detected a decrease in quality or quantity of sleep since beginning your back or neck pain medicine, tell your physician. She or he might prescribe an alternative drug or treatment while addressing your spinal issue to restore healthful sleep.
Throwing punches in the ring is only part of the reason why professional boxers have knockout bodies. They also sculpt their strong physiques with tons of cross training—with a focus on building a rock-solid core. “Core conditioning is crucial for boxing,” says Chris Algieri, a professional boxer and two-time world champion. “Most of the power in a punch comes from being able to forcibly rotate your core, giving the strike explosive power.”
A sturdy core also helps keep a boxer’s body safe during a match. “The boxer has to be able to take blows to the body without damaging their ribs and organs,” explains Algieri. “The muscles in the abdominals and obliques act as body armor against opponents’ attacks.”
You don’t have to be a pro fighter to reap the ab-chiseling benefits of a boxer’s training. In the video above and in the gifs below, Algieri demonstrates his go-to conditioning exercises for a strong, stable core that’s ready to roll with the punches.
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Bicycle crunches
This move is great for boxers because it focuses on core stability, while also rotating the shoulders and incorporating the lower body. Plus it’s an athletic movement that hones coordination.
What to do: Begin by laying on your back with hands behind head, then alternate bringing each elbow to the opposite knee, while maintaining a tight core. Do 10-20 continuous crunches with each elbow. Rest and then repeat 2-3 times.
Side plank
This is a key exercise for a boxer, since the movement promotes both core stability and shoulder girdle strength—crucial for throwing those strong punches.
What to do: Turn to one side with your legs extended and your feet and hips planted on the ground. Now, put your elbow under your shoulder and push your abs and hips up until the top of your body forms a straight line. Hold for 30-60 seconds. Return to the starting position, then move to the other side and repeat.
This is an awesome move that challenges balance and coordination, as well as core strength.
What to do: Start off in a plank position. With your weight resting on your left forearm, slowly lift your right arm off the ground, reaching it out in front of you. Lower back down, and alternate to the left arm. Do this 10 times with each arm.
T-push-up
The T-push-up will help you build core stability, as well as posterior shoulder strength and flexibility. Boxers experience a lot of wear and tear on the shoulder, so it’s important to strengthen each part of the shoulder. Plus, the push-up works the anterior deltoid, which is important for movement and power when punching forward.
What to do: Begin in a standard push-up position. Lower your body slowly, as you would for a regular push-up. But as you push yourself up, turn to one side, raising that side’s arm towards the ceiling. Return your hand to the floor, then repeat on the other side. Do this 15 times on each side.
Alternating leg with ball pass + seated underhand pass
This exercise really works your lower abdominals and also promotes full-body coordination. Boxers will often explode out of a crouched position, so it’s important to have strong lower abs to support this movement. And the second part, seated underhand pass, uses isometric holds to promote core strength and stability. Plus it hones the hand-eye coordination necessary to be a great fighter.
What to do: From seated position with feet off the ground, squeeze your abs and pull knees in as you pass a weight (or medicine ball or an imaginary object) under your bent leg. Repeat 20 times.
Accordion side crunch
This isometric hold promotes core strength, while the crunch tones your obliques and increases endurance. It’s also another move that promotes coordination between the upper and lower body.
What to do: From side position, simultaneously crunch and pull knees in, keeping feet off the floor and focusing on your obliques. Repeat this 15-20 times.
Russian twist
This classic ab move will improve your core rotational strength, which is important for maximizing power when throwing a punch.
What to do: Starting in a seated position, explosively twist from one side to the other. Aim to twist to each side 15-20 times.
Sit-up with a twist
This is a full-core movement, which works you upper and lower ab muscles in the initial sit-up, then fires up your obliques during the twist. Similar to Russian twist, this sit-up variation strengthens rotational core movement and improves your ability to generate power from the core (aka the essentials for throwing a punch.)
What to do: Starting on your back, roll up into a sit-up, with one leg extended and one foot pressed into the floor, knee bent. From here, explosively twist to the side, bringing your opposite elbow to the bent knee. Do this 15-20 times, then switch to the other side.
When you’re on a diet, you may gravitate to the “diet” food section at the supermarket, but beware: Diet foods can destroy your diet and make you fat. Although labeled “diet” or “low-fat,” they may be high in sugar and can make you gain weight, not lose it.
Researchers from the University of Georgia fed rats a diet high in sugar but low in fat that was meant to imitate many popular diet foods, and found that the animals gained weight when compared to rats fed a balanced rodent diet.
In addition, the high-sugar diet induced a host of medical problems, including liver damage and brain inflammation.
“Most so-called diet products containing low or no fat have an increased amount of sugar and are camouflaged under fancy names, giving the impression that they are healthy, but the reality is that those foods may damage the liver and lead to obesity as well,” said the study’s principal investigator, Krzysztof Czaja.
“What’s really troubling in our findings is that the rats consuming high-sugar, low-fat diets didn’t consume significantly more calories than the rats fed a balanced diet,” said Czaja, an associate professor of veterinary biosciences and diagnostic imaging in UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
“Our research shows that in rats fed a low-fat, high-sugar diet, the efficiency of generating body fat is more than twice as high — in other words, rats consuming low-fat high-sugar diets need less than half the number of calories to generate the same amount of body fat,” he said.
Researchers divided rats into three groups and monitored their body weight, caloric intake, body composition, and fecal samples over a period of four weeks. One group consumed a diet high in fat and sugar, another group was fed a low-fat, high-sugar diet, and a third group was given a balanced or “normal” diet.
Both the low-fat, high-sugar and high-fat, high-sugar groups showed significant increases in both body weight and body fat when compared to the balanced group. They also showed an increase in liver fat.
The accumulation of liver fat in the high-sugar, low-fat group, Czaja said, “is a very dangerous situation, because the liver accumulating more fat mimics the effect of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.”
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is caused by fat buildup in the liver. Serious forms of the disease can cause liver damage similar to that caused by heavy alcohol use.
The two high-sugar diets also caused chronic inflammation in the intestinal tract and brain. Previous studies found that the brain inflammation changed signals in the brain that controlled the ability to determine when one is full.
“The brain changes resulting from these unbalanced diets seem to be long term, and it is still not known if they are reversible by balanced diets,” Czaja said.
Previous studies have shown other problems with low-fat diets. A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders linked low-fat diets with depression. Low-fat diets have also been linked to heart disease. One study found that diets low in fat lowered the body’s level of HDL — the “good” cholesterol that helps protect against heart disease.
Can a new exercise regimen boost your brain health if you’re over 50?
Possibly, suggests a new research review that found middle-age folks can improve their thinking and memory skills by adopting regular moderate-to-vigorous routines involving aerobic and resistance exercise.
“When we combined the available data from [39 previous] studies, we were able to show that undertaking physical exercise was able to improve the brain function of people aged 50 and over,” said study lead author Joseph Northey. He’s a doctoral candidate and teaching fellow at the University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise in Australia.
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Results of Exercise on Memory
The review included 18 studies that looked at the impact of aerobic exercise — such as walking, running and swimming — on thinking, alertness, information processing, executing goals and memory skills.
Resistance training, such as weight lifting, was the focus of 13 studies. Another 10 studies looked at various types of exercise done in combination. And, a handful of studies specifically explored the impact of tai chi and yoga on brain health. Study participants did their exercise under some degree of supervision, the researchers noted.
Activity routines were categorized in terms of exercise type, intensity and length. They were then stacked up against the results of tests that measured brain performance. In the end, the researchers determined that exercise did help brain health. However, different forms of exercise were linked to different types of benefits. For example, aerobic exercise and tai chi appeared to enhance overall brain function. Resistance training was linked to improved memory.
Northey added that, besides highlighting the benefits of aerobic exercise, “being able to show that resistance training — such as lifting weights or using body weight — was similarly beneficial is a very novel and important finding.”
“Combining both aerobic and resistance training is ideal,” he said. “In addition to improving your brain function as our review shows, you should expect to see improvements in cardio-respiratory fitness and muscle strength, which are important for maintaining general health and being able to undertake day-to-day tasks,” Northey said.
Research Conclusions
The research team also concluded that the biggest brain boost comes from routines that are of moderate to vigorous intensity and conducted as often as possible for between 45 minutes to an hour. But will middle-aged people new to exercise gain as much of a brain boost as those who’ve been exercising for decades?
“We know in many animal models and population type studies that the longer people are physically active the greater the benefits to brain function,” Northey said.
He added that more research is underway to assess just how much exercising while young might ultimately confer on brain health among those over 50.
Northey also offered some advice for those motivated by the findings to get moving. If you’re currently inactive, he suggested speaking to your doctor to make sure it’s safe for you to start exercising.
“It is also worthwhile gaining some instruction on exercise methods to ensure that you are setting achievable goals and getting the most out of the time invested in exercise,” he said.
Dr. Anton Porsteinsson is director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Care, Research and Education Program with the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, N.Y. He said that earlier investigations looking into the protective effect of exercise on brain health “have not agreed on this matter.” But looked at collectively, he said, the current review “suggests that exercise, including aerobic exercise, resistance training and tai chi, is beneficial to brain health in addition to the well-established positive effects that exercise has to improve general health and reduce risk of disease.
“Of particular interest to me,” Porsteinsson added, “is that a combination of aerobic and resistance training appears to have the largest effect.” “(And) along with studies suggesting that certain diets contribute to brain health,” he noted, “it appears that adopting a healthy lifestyle is never too late.”
SOURCES: Joseph Michael Northey, Ph.D. candidate and teaching fellow, University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, Canberra, Australia; Anton Porsteinsson, M.D., professor, psychiatry, neurology, and director, Alzheimer’s Disease Care, Research and Education Program, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, N.Y.; April 24, 2017 British Journal of Sports Medicine online
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic care is an well-known, alternative treatment option utilized to prevent, diagnose and treat a variety of injuries and conditions associated with the spine, primarily subluxations or spinal misalignments. Chiropractic focuses on restoring and maintaining the overall health and wellness of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, a chiropractor, or doctor of chiropractic, can carefully re-align the spine, improving a patient�s strength, mobility and flexibility.
Just put one foot in front of the other and you’ll boost your brain at the same time.
That’s the conclusion of a small study that found the impact of a foot while walking sends pressure waves through the arteries that increases blood supply to the brain. “New data now strongly suggest that brain blood flow is very dynamic,” said researcher Ernest Greene and his colleagues at New Mexico Highlands University.
Activities such as bicycling, walking and running may optimize brain function and overall sense of well-being during exercise, the researchers said.
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How Exercise Regulates Circulation to the Brain
Blood supply to the brain was once considered an involuntary action that wasn’t affected by exercise or changes in blood pressure. Previous research has shown, however, that the foot’s impact while running is associated with backward-flowing waves in the arteries that help regulate circulation to the brain. These waves are in sync with the runner’s heart rate and stride, the study authors explained.
For the new study, scientists examined the effects of walking, which involves a lighter foot impact than running.
Using ultrasound technology, they measured the carotid-artery diameter and blood velocity waves of 12 healthy young adults to calculate the blood flow to their brains as they walked at a steady pace. The participants were also assessed at rest.
The study showed that walking results in a significant increase in blood flow to the brain. The boost in blood flow isn’t as dramatic as with running, but it’s more notable than that seen with biking, which doesn’t involve any foot impact, the study authors said.
“What is surprising is that it took so long for us to finally measure these obvious hydraulic effects on cerebral blood flow,” said Greene, the study’s first author. “There is an optimizing rhythm between brain blood flow and ambulating [walking]. Stride rates and their foot impacts are within the range of our normal heart rates [about 120/minute] when we are briskly moving along,” Greene said in a news release from the American Physiological Society.
The study’s findings were expected to be presented Monday at the society’s annual meeting, in Chicago. Results of studies presented at meetings are usually considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
SOURCE: American Physiological Society, news release, April 24, 2017
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic care is an well-known, alternative treatment option utilized to prevent, diagnose and treat a variety of injuries and conditions associated with the spine, primarily subluxations or spinal misalignments. Chiropractic focuses on restoring and maintaining the overall health and wellness of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, a chiropractor, or doctor of chiropractic, can carefully re-align the spine, improving a patient�s strength, mobility and flexibility.
TEXARKANA � The UTEP men�s golf team defeated Southern Miss (4-1, semifinals) and Charlotte (4-1, finals) in match-play format to win the 2017 Conference USA Men�s Golf Championship at the Texarkana Country Club on Tuesday.
It is the first conference title since 1985 and only the second in program history. The Orange and Blue also punched their ticket to the NCAA Regionals for the first time as a team since 2004.
It was the fitting conclusion to the three-day event for the Miners, who notched the top seed in match play after their first-place showing in stroke play (15-over 879; 287-294-298).
�You have a lot of moving parts going on,� sixth-year head coach Scott Lieberwirth said. �It�s tough to judge [the match]. The best part is we got the first two points on the board. Knowing that we had leads in two other matches, we knew we just needed to hang on and close out one of those matches.�
Battling in a match that was too close to call early, Nicklas Pihl got the Miners off to a solid start in the championship vs. Charlotte. The match with the 49ers� Conor Purcell was all square through eight holes before Pihl found another gear. He won two of the next three holes to go 2UP through the 11th hole, and Purcell could never recover.
UTEP pushed its team advantage to 2-0, thanks to Charles Corner knocking off the 49ers� Matty Lamb, 2UP. Corner started fast by taking the first two holes, an edge he maintained through the turn. Lamb�s comeback started on the back nine with wins at both 10 and 13 to make the match all square. Corner remained steadfast, winning both the 15th and 18th holes to put Lamb away.
Charlotte tried to claw back into the championship with Tyler Young edging Aaron Terrazas, 1UP. The match was all square through 15 holes but Young found the necessary separation after carding a 3 and Terrazas recorded a 4 on the 17th hole. Both golfers fired 4s on the 18th hole to give the 49ers a team point.
The lone senior on the team Frederik Dreier then took center stage. The reigning C-USA Golfer of the Year was in a back and forth match with Charlotte�s John Gough. All squared through 10 holes, Dreier won three of the next five holes to take control of the dual. Gough claimed hole No. 16 to get within two, but Dreier prevailed, sending the Miners into celebration.
�It was very emotional,� Dreier said. �This being my last conference [tournament] ever and to win it with the guys was amazing.�
Those sentiments were expounded upon by Lieberwirth.
�I think fittingly, it was Frederik Dreier�s match that clinched it for us, him being a senior, him being the reigning Conference USA Player of the Year,� Lieberwirth said. �It couldn�t have been a better ending for us to have Freddie finish it.�
Andreas Sorensen lost the first two holes to the C-USA individual medalist Seth Gandy before a stunning reversal. He squared with Gandy by the fifth hole and vaulted out to 3UP through hole No. 13. Gandy�s rally came too little, too late, as Sorensen won 1&2.
The Miners made it to the final round of match play after a hard-fought 4-1 win over Southern Miss. The tournament was shortened a day due to a forecast of inclement weather on Wednesday.
�It [weather] forced us to have to play two rounds in back-to-back days, which is something we never do,� Lieberwirth said. �Without question, fatigue was a factor for both teams. We were fortunate to get to that championship match. It�s difficult for everybody involved, but our guys fought through it, they continued to play well throughout the afternoon. They just did a great job.�
Pihl set the tone against the fourth-seeded Southern Miss Golden Eagles with a 3&2 conquest of Walker Kesterson. It was all squared through the opening six holes before Pihl won two of the next three to make the turn 2UP. The Golden Eagle briefly cut into the lead on hole No. 11, but Pihl recovered immediately on No. 12 and never looked back.
Sorensen raced out to a huge lead, taking each of the first five holes from the Golden Eagles� Derick Kelting. The margin remained five heading into the 13th hole, before Kelting mounted a rally, winning four of the next five to make the dual tight going into the 18th hole. Sorensen did not flinch however, matching Kelting with a 4 and winning the dual.
USM�s Ryan Argotsinger and UTEP�s Dreier battled back-and-forth early on, with Argotsinger 2UP at the turn. Dreier�s aspirations of a comeback didn�t come to fruition, with Argotsinger posting a 5&4 victory.
As it turned out, that proved to be the lone team point in the match for Southern Miss. The Miners clinched the team win thanks to Corner�s 1UP vanquishing of Matt Lorenz. Terrazas downed Matt Codd 1 & 1 to punctuate the victory.
Corner quickly dug himself an early hole, with Lorenz jumping out to a 2UP lead through three holes. Corner responded brilliantly, tasting victory on six of the next seven holes to stand 4UP through the 11th hole. Lorenz fought back and eventually clawed back to all square through 17 holes but Corner won the 18th hole.
It was a compelling match between Terrazas and Codd, with action all square through 16 holes. Terrazas found a way to get it done, though, carding a 3 while Codd was saddled with a 5 on the 17th hole.
The NCAA Regionals are slated to begin on May 15.
�I feel like we have got a lot of grown men,� Lieberwirth said. �They act mature, I think they play the game the right way and I think they act the right way, which is something that we want from our program. I couldn�t be any prouder than I am right now.�
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is commonly associated with aging. As you get older, your discs, like other joints within the body, can degenerate (break down) and become problematic: That’s a natural part of growing older, the body begins to deal with years of strain, overuse, and perhaps even misuse.
Nonetheless, DDD can appear in people as young as 20, so regrettably, youth doesn’t always protect you from this disc-related spinal condition. In fact, some patients may inherit a prematurely aging spine.
Degenerative disc disease involves the intervertebral discs, or the pillow-like shock absorbers between your vertebrae in your back. These help your back carry weight and permit complex movements of the back while maintaining stability. As you get older, the discs can lose flexibility, elasticity, and shock absorbing features. Additionally they become thinner as they dehydrate. The discs change from a supple state that enables smooth movements into a stiff and rigid state that restricts your movement and causes pain.
You could have degenerative disk disease if you experience chronic back or neck pain. It normally happens in your lower back (lumbar spine) or neck (cervical spine). Developing degenerative disc disease can be a slow process.
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How Does Spinal Degeneration Occur?
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) can change many parts of your spine. To understand how, you first need a basic knowledge of what makes up your back. First of all, you’ve vertebrae, labeled in the picture below as the “vertebral body.” In your back, or vertebral column, you have 33 vertebrae.
Your spine is split into separate areas:
Neck (cervical spine)
Mid-back (thoracic spine)
Low back (lumbar spine)
At the low end of your back, you additionally possess the sacrum and also the coccyx, which is often called your tailbone.
Degenerative disc disease is most likely to occur in your lumbar spine or your cervical spine.
Intervertebral Discs
In between your vertebrae, you have intervertebral discs. These act like shock absorbers or pads on your back as it moves. Each disc is composed of a tire-like outer band known as the annulus fibrosus and a gel-like inner substance called the nucleus pulposus. Degenerative disc disease alters the discs and makes them less able to cushion the movements of the spine. With DDD, your intervertebral discs also become more vulnerable to injuries or conditions; they may bulge or herniate.
Together, the vertebrae and the discs provide a protective tunnel (the spinal canal) to where the spinal cord and spinal nerves are placed. These nerves run down the center of the spine and the vertebrae to various portions of the body, where they help you move and feel.
Facet Joints
Your spine also consists of facet joints, which are joints located to the posterior side (back) of your vertebrae. These joints (like all joints in your body) help facilitate movements and are extremely important to your flexibility.
Cartilage
Your spinal joints are covered by cartilage, which shields your bones as you move. Without cartilage, your bones would rub together and could be very painful. Unfortunately, your cartilage might be affected by general damage on your own back, plus it may wear away. That’s when bone spurs (osteophytes) can form as your body attempts to repair itself.
Muscles, Blood Vessels, and Ligaments, Tendons
Your back additionally has ligaments muscles, tendons, and arteries. Muscles are fibrils of tissues that power your motion. Ligaments are the powerful, flexible bands of fibrous tissue that link the bones together, and tendons connect muscles to bones. Blood vessels provide nourishment. These parts all work together that will help you move.
Further Concerns Regarding Degenerative Disc Disease
What is DDD?
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) isn’t really a disorder�it is the regular wear and tear process of aging on your spine. Unfortunately, as we age, our intervertebral discs (pillow-like pads involving the bones in your spine) lose their flexibility, elasticity, and shock-absorbing features. When this happens, the disks shift from a supple, flexible state which allows flowing motion, into a rigid and stiff state that limits your movement.
What Causes Degenerative Disc Disease?
Degenerative disc disease is generally the result of aging, and that means you are more inclined to have it if you’re older than 50. However, younger people can have symptoms of DDD as well. Injuries also can start the process that is degenerative .
The degenerative process causes your discs to lose their capability to cushion your moves. Slowly, the collagen (protein) structure of the outer portion of your disk�the annulus fibrosus�weakens. The degenerative process also affects the water content in your discs, as well as the water content is a must to preserving movement. With the water, DDD -attracting molecules in your disks decrease, making your disks become inflexible and more stiff.
Are There Non-Surgical Options to Treat DDD?
You can attempt, to help deal with pain from degenerative disc disease:
bed rest (only several days)
restricting your actions that boost the pain
light exercise (walking, swimming, etc) as recommended by your doctor
Over the counter medications
prescription medications
When Should Surgery Be Considered for DDD?
Although degenerative disc disease patients respond well to non-operative treatments, some patients do need surgery. Surgery should really be considered only after you have tried several months of non-operative treatment. You surgeon will recommend the best kind of operation for you. Here are a few common sorts of surgery used for patients with DDD:
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)
Foraminotomy
Microdiscectomy
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic care is an well-known, alternative treatment option utilized to prevent, diagnose and treat a variety of injuries and conditions associated with the spine, primarily subluxations or spinal misalignments. Chiropractic focuses on restoring and maintaining the overall health and wellness of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, a chiropractor, or doctor of chiropractic, can carefully re-align the spine, improving a patient�s strength, mobility and flexibility.
Korir etched himself into the UTEP recordbooks with the second-fastest time in program history, just .02 seconds behind Bert Cameron�s time of 44.58 set in 1980.
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UTEP�s freshman Emmanuel Korir was named Conference USA Athlete of the Week after his performance on Saturday at Kidd Field, announced the league office Tuesday afternoon.
The Kenyan clocked the nation�s second-fastest time of 44.67 in the 400m and broke the 37-year old stadium record (Billy Mullins, 45.03, USC, 1980).
Korir etched himself into the UTEP recordbooks with the second-fastest time in program history, just .02 seconds behind Bert Cameron�s time of 44.58 set in 1980.
This is Korir�s second weekly award of the outdoor season. Last weekend, the mid-distance runner clocked the fourth-fastest time in school history with a time of 1:47.19 in the 800m, which rates him 12th in the nation in the event.
The UTEP track and field team travel westbound to Berkley, Calif. for the Brutus Hamilton Open at Edwards Stadium. For live results and breaking news follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter.
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