Rupert Clements, one of the chiros @ C1 writes about a powerful study showing a clear link between a lack of motion in the spinal joints and the development of osteoarthritis.
An interesting study was carried out by G.Cramer, J.Fournier, et al. in October last year titled:
Degenerative Changes Following Spinal Fixation in a Small Animal Model.
It was then published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Vol. 27 No. 3, Pgs. 141-154
The study evaluated changes in the small joints, the facet joints, of the lumbar spine after they were artificially fixed together and therefore prevented from moving.
The study used an established small animal (rat) model of spinal fixation (hypomobility) where 3 contiguous lumbar segments (L4, L5, L6) were fixed with a specially engineered vertebral fixation device. Spinal segments of control rats were compared with those of animals whose spines had been fixed for 1, 4, or 8 weeks. Subgroups of these fixation animals subsequently had the fixation device removed for 1, 2, 4, 8, or 12 weeks to evaluate the effects of attempting to re-establish normal forces to the vertebral segments following hypomobility. The joints that were fixated were examined microscopically to determine how the lack of motion affected the health of the joints. By using small animals such as mice or rats, the changes they go through in a study can be very closely observed in a way that, clearly, they can’t be in human studies.
The conclusion: These findings indicate that fixation (hypomobility) results in time-dependent degenerative changes of the Z joints (the small facet joints in the spine).
The study was a high quality study which produced some highly meaningful information.
So, what did they find? The joints that were immobilized began to break down and degenerate, while the joints that moved remained healthy. The type of breakdown that the researchers found in the fixated joints was the same as in osteoarthritis; which is the most common type of arthritis and while there are many types of arthritis, this is the type people are generally referring to when they say ‘arthritis’. They also found that the longer the joint did not move the more degenerative arthritic changes it showed. The point is that this reflects the same processes that occur in you and I and that is why it is so valuable.
So who do I pass this on to? Anyone who mentions suffering from, or wanting to avoid, arthritis. Or better yet, pass it on to the person you know who is already very health conscious, wants to stay active, and wants to learn how chiropractic care can help keep them moving and healthy!
