I start this important subject with telling you about my dog; she has a disc injury. While some may think what does that have to do with me, I am a human not a dog, I have to point out some important points. Dogs have a spinal anatomy similar to ours, vertebra separated by discs. And they can have the same problems we do, including pain associated with disc injuries.
My little girl started to show she was in pain, now if you’re a pet owner, this can you leave you feeling helpless, and like any responsible pet owner I took her to the veterinarian were we discovered her reason for being in pain, Disc injury.
This is where I tie my dog and your disc injury together, I treat people all the time for disc injuries and now it was time to do the same for my little girl. While I do not adjust or traction her as I would a person for I am not skilled in dog anatomy, I do give her the nutritional supplements that I tell people to take. They work wonders, I can attest to this as my dog is back to chasing the Frisbee at the park.
You probably have heard it before; you are what you eat. When you have an injured disc you want to feed it the right nutrients to help it. Discs have a poor blood supply so it is more important than ever to make sure they are getting what they need. As a disc deteriorates it will change, growing new nerves that have only one purpose, to transmit pain. Also as a disc deteriorates, with time the bone next to the disc (vertebrae) will go through stages of bad to worse, they are called modic changes, modic 1 is reversible, modic 2 may be reversible and modic 3 is not, the bottom line is that 75% of people with modic changes have constant back pain, there is never a moment without pain. Pain is there when you go to bed and when you wake up, it can even wake you up as it hurts to turn over in bed. You must give the disc as much help as you can to prevent those changes, the right supplements is a big part in that help. Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulfate with MSM complex is the supplement that is going to slow if not stop those changes.
It is a fact that certain foods cause inflammation while others decrease it. When taking a supplement you want one that decreases inflammation. There is a big buzz phrase out there right now, omega 3 fatty acids, and the reason being is it is a natural anti-inflammatory. This should be part of your daily supplemental program.
So what specifically do I recommend, 1. Glucosamine and Chondroitin with MSM complex, the three items together are key. 2. DHA and EPA ( these are omega 3) as a necessary routine.
In addition I suggest, 3. Grape seed extract, 4. Vitamin C, 5. Citrus Bioflavoniods, 6. Alpha Lipoic acid, 7. Manganese, which help with bone structure and antioxidants. If you look, you may find all of these great supplements in one product which is fantastic.
There is one final thing I need to mention, discs get their nutrition through movement, so while you are taking these, you need to move, try to walk, swim or ride a bike; and if possible, see a Chiropractor.