Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC Shares More Than Bones and Discs: The Surprising Immune Connection Behind Chronic Spinal Pain
YOUR SPINE HAS A DRAINAGE SYSTEM — AND IT MATTERS MORE THAN WE THOUGHT
What's old is new again in the world of back pain research
There's a pattern in science that repeats itself more often than researchers like to admit: someone finds something valuable, the field moves on, and years later everyone wonders why it took so long to come back around. Something similar is happening with your spine — and the story concerns a system most people overlook: the lymphatic system. This humble network of fluid-draining, immune-patrolling vessels runs throughout your entire body, and as it turns out, it has been quietly involved in spinal health and disease all along. Read on for more of this information that piqued the attention of us here at Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC and will pique yours, too!
A DISCOVERY WORTH REVISITING
Back in 2011, researchers Kashima, Dongre, and Athanasou published a quiet but interesting study in Spine journal. (1) They described something surprising: lymphatic vessels are present and active within the very tissues where disc degeneration and vertebral disease take hold. In other words, far from ignoring injured disc tissue, the lymphatic system appears to be one of the first responders on the scene. The paper did what so many papers do — it got published, got cited, and got forgotten. Until now.
SCIENCE CATCHES UP — DECADES LATER
Fast forward to 2025, when a study in Pain journal explained that spinal disc injury in mice triggered something noteworthy: germinal center formation. (2) That's immune system language for your body propelling a full antibody-production campaign — the same response reserved for fighting infections. The result? Chronic pain sensitization pushed by your own immune response to disc degeneration.
Then in 2026, a comprehensive review in Bone Research connected the dots beautifully, detailing the spinal lymphatic system as an emerging pathway linking fluid balance, immunity, and spinal disease — calling it a critical and previously underappreciated player in back pain and disc degeneration. (3) Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC appreciates all these interconnections.
WHY YOU AND YOUR CHIROPRACTOR CARE
What does this mean for you, lying on that chiropractic table? Simply put, your spine is far more than a stack of bones and discs. It's a place where inflammation, fluid drainage, and immune activity all meet and impact one another.
Chiropractic care has long emphasized restoring movement, lowering nerve interference, and supporting the body's natural healing capacity. These new findings suggest that enhancing spinal mobility may also support healthy lymphatic flow and immune regulation around the discs themselves.
What's old is new again — your chiropractor here at Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC was caring for the whole system waiting for science to catch up!
Your spine is smarter than anyone gave it credit to be.
CONTACT Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Joel Dixon from Australia on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the relief possible for a patient with disc extrusion with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
