WHAT IS THE LUMBAR SPINE?

The lumbar spine is the lower region of your spine, made up of 5 vertebrae in your lower back (known as L1 to L5).¹ These vertebrae support most of your body’s weight and also help with controlling balance and movement.¹

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Functions of the lumbar spine (and its attached muscles and ligaments) include:¹

• Supporting most of your body’s weight, including the upper spine and the head
• Properly distributing your body’s weight
• Controlling leg movement
• Allowing the trunk of your body to move in all directions
• Protecting your spinal cord and the nerves that descend from the end of it

Pain, weakness, numbness or tingling sensations in your lower back, hip, thigh or leg could be signs of a problem with your lumbar spine.¹

Some common problems affecting the lumbar spine are:

• Osteoarthritis: A degenerative disease that occurs with age or injury. Breakdown in cartilage and deterioration of tendons and ligaments causes pain and swelling in the joints.²
• Degenerative disc disease: Occurs when the disks in your lumbar spine wear down, leading to pinched spinal nerves.¹
• Sciatica: Injury or damage to the sciatic nerve, which runs through your hips, buttocks and down your legs. Also called lumbar radiculopathy.¹

coMra protocols for lumbar spine problems:³

• TRAUMATOLOGY 1 can be used for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis of the spine, and degenerative spinal diseases
• NEUROLOGY 2 can be used to treat radiculopathy and sciatica
• TRAUMATOLOGY 17 can be used on slipped spinal discs

Full details are in the coMra User Guide.

TREATING LUMBAR SPINE DISEASE WITH coMra: CASE REPORTS

Dr Anna Surazakova MD is the CEO and Medical Director of the coMra Centre for Restorative Medicine, Technologia Zhizni, Altai, Russia. Below are some examples of how Dr Surazakova has been able to use coMra to help patients with serious lumbar spine problems.

1. SPINAL DEGENERATION (DEGENERATIVE LUMBAR SPINE DISEASE)⁴

A 67-year-old woman was having severe pain in her lower back. At first, the pain radiated downward to both buttocks, but at the time of her examination, it radiated down to only the left buttock and the middle of the thigh. The pain made it difficult to walk, and affected the patient’s posture, making her hunch forward. She also found it difficult and painful to rest in bed.

The patient was diagnosed with degenerative spinal disease of the lumbar spine, as well as myotonic syndrome (a neuromuscular condition that affects the relaxation of a muscle) and radiculopathy (damaged nerve roots). She also had high blood pressure and irritable bowel syndrome in remission. An MRI scan showed severe degenerative changes in her lumbar spine, as well as hernia protrusions.

The patient was given 2 courses of coMra treatment, with a rest period in between:

• The first course included 10 sessions over 6 days
• The first 2-3 days included 2 sessions per day, to treat the patient’s intense pain
• The pain started receding after day 2 (3-4 sessions)
• The patient needed fewer painkilling medications
• She could move more freely and her sleep quality improved
• Her posture and mood improved

After the first course, the patient only had mild pain in her lower back. The pain only returned if she made sudden, sharp movements.

After 2 weeks, the patient repeated the course:

• She had 10 coMra treatments over 7 days
• The first 2 days included 2 sessions per day, as the patient was stressed and had started to feel pain again
• After this second course, the pain was completely gone, and she could move freely
• Her blood pressure also stabilised, and she was able to decrease her hypertension medication

Following the 2 courses, the patient’s pain syndrome receded, and she enjoyed better sleep, appetite and range of motion.

View the full case report here.

2. SPINAL DEGENERATION, COXARTHROSIS, PAIN⁵

A 71-year-old woman had intense pain in her lower back and her left leg. The symptoms had been troubling her for 2 weeks, increasing gradually and reaching a peak that made her hunch over in pain. The pain caused irritability and tearfulness, and painkillers didn’t provide any relief. The patient is an actress and had to be very active in her work, which included dance performances.

Dr Surazakova examined the patient and made a preliminary diagnosis: degenerative spinal disease of the lumbar region, left radiculopathy (damaged nerve roots) and aggravation. This was the first time the patient had been examined for these symptoms. The pain had also raised her blood pressure and decreased her sleep quality.

The patient’s first course included 10 coMra sessions; once a day for 3 days, and then every second day, to accommodate her schedule. After her first session with coMra, the pain was reduced, and her blood pressure reading was also lowered. She didn’t experience sharp pain, although the morning after treatment she still noticed aching in her lower back and left leg. However, she could walk more freely and with straighter posture.

Dr Surazakova recommended further tests and a consultation with a traumatologist, to confirm the diagnosis. The tests showed degenerative changes in the lumbar spine, with signs of hernia and protrusions. The traumatologist also diagnosed the patient with deforming coxarthrosis (a disorder affecting the articular cartilage and bone) in the hip joints, with second- and third-degree pain.

After completing the first course of 10 sessions, the patient’s pain subsided. Her posture straightened and she could carry on with her normal daily activities. She went back to work after the fifth session.

A month later, the patient’s pain was aggravated, so she had a second course of coMra treatment, including 9 sessions. Previously, she had still been feeling aches while walking, and in the evenings, although her pain was not sharp anymore.

After the second session:

• The patient’s pain was completely gone
• She was able to move freely and dance
• Her blood pressure, which had been jumping due to her pain levels, also stabilised when the pain subsided
• She was able to reduce her blood pressure medication
• She no longer felt irritable or tearful due to pain

After this, the patient was able to go back to life as normal.

View the full case report here.

NOTE: coMra is a powerful modality. The uses described above are those recommended by the coMra User Guide. Experience over 10 years has shown that in the case of most chronic conditions, treatments can also be spread out to once or twice per week, without taking the breaks outlined in the guide.

References:

¹ Lumbar spine: what it is, anatomy and disorders. Cleveland Clinic. ² Osteoarthritis: symptoms, causes and treatment. Cleveland Clinic.  ³ coMra User Guide. ⁴ Degenerative disease of lumbar spine. coMra Therapy Youtube.⁵ Degeneration of lumbar spine, coxarthrosis, pain. coMra Therapy Youtube.