AMI Chiropractic Clinic Blog

YO UR BODY IS DESIGNED TO MOVE Bottom Line: Your body is built to move. Every spinal disc and joint is designed to help you sit, stand, run and well…move! Your discs are soft enough to flex as you bend forward and back. The spinal facet joints slide as your turn and twist, the ligament-connected spinal bones keep you supported as your muscles push and pull.Your body is an incredibly strong and resilient system! Why It Matters: New research has started to give us a glimpse at just how important movement is in our life. For example, movement of the spine has been shown to stimulate and accelerate the healing process. In fact, movement is so crucial in the healing process that even people who have spine surgery are encouraged to get up and to move as quickly as possible after surgery.         All the bones, muscles, ligaments and joints of your spine are specially designed to support movement.       Movement of the individual ...

Facet Joints:  Gliding Your Way To Better Health Bottom Line: So, what are facet joints? Facet joints are the tiny joints within your spine. There are 24 individual vertebrae that are connected to one another by facet joints on either side. Each facet joint is lubricated by synovial fluid. It is the lubrication and alignment of the facet joint that allows the normal slide and glide motion to occur. These joints that enable us to move our spine forwards, backwards, side to side and rotationally. These joints are special and they are unique and have a key responsibility in each part of the spine. The angle of the joint’s changes in the spinal structure to help manage its weight loading ability, and the degree of movement and stability required at that particular level. For example: In your neck the cervical spine the joints are angled at 45 degrees. In your mid back, the thoracic spine, the joints are angled at 60 degrees. In your lower back, the lumbar ...

Taking Control of Your Health: Slowing Down the Degenerative Process Bottom Line: We are all subjective to the law of breakdown - whichever way you look at it! Degenerative changesare inevitable but occur at different rates amongst us all; otherwise, we all would have the same problems at the same age! Unfortunately, it is a process we cannot revert but we can take control and slow it down. Why it Matters:   Just because all of us will experience degenerative disc disease as we age doesn’t mean that process is the same for everyone. Research has shown that by taking a pro-active approach with your spinal health, you may be able to slow down the degenerative process. Degenerative changes are part of the normal aging process due to the weight of gravity, injuries, and repetitive stress on your spine. Researchers have found a correlation between the amount of arthritis in the spine and the severity of degenerative changes. Stretching, exe...

A Spinal Disc Bulge or Herniation: What’s The Difference? Bottom Line: The bones, discs, ligaments, and muscles of your spine are designed to help you maintain proper spinal alignment, posture, and movement. Between each set of bones or vertebrae is a small rubbery disc. These discs act as small shock absorbers for your spinal bones and nerves. They have a tough, rubber-like outer layer called the annulus fibrosis and a soft jelly-like center that is called the nucleus pulposus. As you age or encounter injuries, the curve of your spine may fall out of alignment. This can place uneven stress on your spinal column and discs, increasing the chance of having a disc break down and herniate. Why Does It Matter? A disc herniation occurs when the outer portion of the disc ruptures (or tears) and the soft inner portion squeezes out. This type of injury can cause pain at the site of herniation, or sometimes the herniated disc can pinch a nearby nerve, causing pai...