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01/29/2016 By Todd Wegerski

Annular Tear | What is causing your low back pain?

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This is a replay of the live broadcast with Todd Wegerski DC hosted on 1/29/2016.

Annular tears or annular fissures (this is the new medical term) fall under the category of degenerative disc disease. The intervertebral disc is made up of 2 components, the annulus fibrosus and the nucleus pulposus. A healthy disc is able to sustain the compressive loads of the spine, while a degenerative disk loses that ability. The number one risk factor for disc degeneration is poor genetics, being dealt a bad hand from the family tree.

Annular Tear

The annulus fibrosus is made up of tough collagen fibers that encircle the inner nucleus pulposus. Its job is to contain the nucleus in the center, and be able to withstand the strong compressive forces that the spine is under. The nucleus pulposus has a gel like consistency, its job is to help distribute those compressive forces over a greater surface area of the vertebra itself. “Poor genes” results in a defect in one of the components of the disc that is responsible for attracting water, glucose, and oxygen into the disc. When this occurs, there is a decrease in cell metabolism in the disc which eventually leads to cell death, and “death” of the disc itself. This is what is degenerative disc disease.

When the disc degenerates, it loses the ability to handle the compressive forces of the spine. The layers of the annulus can begin to tear or fissure. This can occur either from the inside-out, known as a radial tear, or in between the layers, known as a concentric tear. Some annular tears are asymptomatic, while others are symptomatic. Painful tears can be the result of disc material leaking out of the disc and irritating nerves that are close by. These can and do heal. It is a slow process ranging in the 6-18 month range.

Filed Under: Blabs, Video Show

01/15/2016 By Todd Wegerski

Stenosis | What is causing your low back pain?

Have you been diagnosed with spinal stenosis? Is it causing you to have lower back  or leg pain?

Canal Stenosis
Canal Stenosis

In this edition of Back Talking, we continue the series “What is causing your lower back Pain? In what I’ve come to call Spinal Grand Rounds, we take a look at a real life case study of someone who is suffering from canal stenosis.

What is stenosis?

The work comes from the Greek and means to narrow. With spinal canal stenosis it means that the canal where the spinal cord and the nerves that exit off of the spinal cord has narrowed. Any of the surrounding structures such as the vertebrae, the joints, discs, and ligaments can encroach into the spinal canal and cause narrowing or stenosis. This narrowing can cause pressure on the spinal cord itself or on the spinal nerves. The person will typically experience pain in the lower back, and tingling, numbness, weakness and sometimes cramping in their legs.

The classic finding with someone who has this diagnosis is that when the flex or bend forward from the waist, the symptoms they are experiencing go away! It’s called the shopping cart sign believe it our not. You see the person in the grocery store cruising the aisles, bent forward leaning over the cart because it makes them feel better!

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For more information on neurogenic claudication

Filed Under: Blabs Tagged With: Blab, Stenosis

12/04/2015 By Todd Wegerski

Facet Syndrome | What is Causing your Low Back Pain?

Have you been diagnosed with facet problems or facet syndrome? Is this causing you lower back pain?

Well everything has to start somewhere! This is the first episode of Back Talking on Blab. The most exciting thing about Blab is obviously it is a visual medium. How better to teach someone about anatomy, show them an x-ray or a MRI, than with pictures! So here we go!

In this first episode, we are starting off with what I am calling “Spinal Grand Rounds.” We take a real live case, take a look at her history, examination findings, and imaging studies. We then present what is “normal” anatomy and function, and then move on to the pathological stuff. We then work our way through the information. Almost like you get to be inside my head as we sort through the pertinent information, how cool is that?

So in this first episode, we take a look at a young woman with several issues going on in her lower back. She has problems with a disc, degenerative disc disease, and loss of disc height. But what is the true cause of her troubles are her facet joints.

Filed Under: Blabs

The Joint Chiropractic – Morrisville NC

Interested in becoming a patient of Dr Todd Wegerski? Our location is conveniently located for residents in the Cary, Morrisville, Apex, and Raleigh Durham region. We are located in the Parkwest Village Shopping center at the corner of Cary Parkway and Chapel Hill Road. For more information call us at 919-377-2303 or check us out here http://bit.ly/2f4MDQ3

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Come join me every Tuesday afternoon at or around 2pm as we go live on Facebook with our "Ask a Chiropractor" series on Back Talking! In the episode, I answer questions on anything related to the spine or back, or chiropractic related. Follow me on Facebook by liking the The Joint Chiropractic Morrisville page, so that you'll be notified of new shows.

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