Diurnal Variation Model Explains Day/Night Disc Variations

The average individual, unless they’ve studied anatomy in depth, is probably unaware of the things that happen to the body when it lies down at night to sleep and how that simple act of lying down might mean drastic changes for the body.

Medical professionals who deal with the care of the spine understand that there is a change that occurs in disc height as we go from daytime to nighttime. During the daytime hours, about 25 percent of the volume of the lumbar disc is squeezed out while we are vertical, only to be returned back in as we lie down and sleep. This is referred to as “diurnal variation” and can be related to a patient’s back pain symptoms as the disc compresses slowly over the course of the day.

Researchers note that this diurnal variation in intervertebral disc height can affect intradiscal pressure as well as spine flexibility and both a variation in height and in flexibility due to day/night changes can result in back pain.
That said, have you ever tried explaining this to your patients? A thorough verbal explanation of diurnal variation isn’t exactly the easiest thing to get across to patients without a solid working knowledge of the spine. Medical terms like “intradiscal” and “lumbar flexion” can be confusing. Consider how it was explained by Porter and Trailescu in a research paper penned in 1990:

“…changes in disc height will increase tension on a tethered nerve route and diurnal changes in lumbar lordosis will affect the root. These factors may act in combination.”

Chances are that if you use such terminology with your patients, all they will hear is “Blah, blah, blah.” So, you need to find a better way to explain – and show – how the disc compression changes that happen through the day and night might be contributing to their back pain. For that kind of comprehensive patient education, you’ll require a very detailed 3D diurnal variation model they can see AND feel.

The models offered by Dynamic Disc Designs (ddd) are ideal for explaining back pain of all sorts. With a realistic 2-part intervertebral disc with 6 degrees of freedom, models like ddd’s Professional LxH model are just what the spine specialist needs to demonstrate what happens to the discs at different times of the day and night.

The creation of each model at Dynamic Disc Designs is carefully overseen by founder and chiropractor, Dr. Jerome Fryer. Dr. Fryer boasts a wealth of experience in treating back pain and developed the LxH and other models in order to help his patients understand – by means of a detailed visual – why they hurt and what they can do about it. The diurnal variation models are hands-down superior to pictures, videos, and 2D or 3D static models. One user even proclaimed:

“If one picture is worth a thousand words, I’d have to say that one ddd model is worth a thousand pictures.”
– Charese Pelham, MD, Department Head of Anesthesia, USA.

Browse the many 3D models available from ddd to find one that is best suited to help you explain diurnal changes and other common spine issues. Consider purchasing the most popular in a bundle for a chance to own several of the best spine models available at an affordable price.