What is Spinal Stenosis?

Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal due to the encroachment of disc material or bony growths that squeeze and irritate the spinal cord and/or extending nerve roots.  This can lead to pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs, feet, or buttocks.  The benefits that many stenosis patients derive from VAX-D may be due to its positive re-positioning and rejuvenating effect on the herniated and degenerative discs that often accompany stenosis.  Spinal stenosis, which may be found in conjunction with other spinal conditions, is commonly a contributing cause for sciatic symptoms.

What is Degenerative Disc Disease?

Degenerative disc disease is not technically a disease, but rather a state of disc dehydration and deterioration due to a combination of cumulative trauma, poor dietary and exercise habits, and aging.  As discs degenerate they become more prone to failure from physical stress, which may tear disc fibers and result in more complications, such as osteoarthritis, disc bulging, disc herniation, and stenosis.

Many spine experts conclude that the vacuum of negative pressure created within discs by VAX-D helps attract moisture from surrounding tissue, re-hydrating and revitalizing thinning and torn degenerated discs.

If You Don’t Use It, You’ll Lose It

Traumatic spinal injuries may cause patients to avoid their normal daily activities.  Without proper treatment, pain will progressively worsen, resulting in decreased physical activity and gradual weakening of the supportive spinal muscles, leading to accelerated disc degeneration.

Going, Going… and Finally Gone.

Phase I: Dysfunctional

Phase I of degenerative disc disease is categorized by tears around the outer surface of the annulus.  Further damage to the disc and surrounding tissue is exacerbated by the less effective disc.

Phase II: Unstable

In Phase II, the joint progressively loses strength.  Disc changes include further tearing along the horizontal axis of the disc, greater loss of disc height, and cartilage degeneration.

Phase III: Stabilization

Further loss of disc height, disc space narrowing, moderate to severe endplate damage, disc fibrosis, and the formation of osteophytes can eventually cause surrounding vertebrae to fuse together.