Executive Chiropractic of Iowa Offers Relieving Care for Post-Surgical Neck Pain
Neck pain anytime isn’t welcome. Neck pain after neck surgery is particularly unwelcome…by the patient and the treating physician! Gentle manual treatment of post-surgical neck pain and any adjacent-to-the-surgical-level-segment spinal pain issues at Executive Chiropractic of Iowa helps many West Des Moines neck pain sufferers attain neck pain relief.
DDD
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) - the deterioration of a or multiple spinal discs – shows itself as low back pain and neck and arm pain. 40% of people over age 40 have degenerative disc disease while 80% of those over age 80 have it. 10% to 20% of people with disc degeneration in the lumbar spine and up to 30% of those with disc degeneration in the cervical spine will not get relief from non-surgical treatments. (1) Degenerative disc disease is reported as starting in the second decade of life. (2) The artificial disc replacement has been around for some time. An early analysis of its use and efficacy indicated that about 5% of DDD patients were eligible for it. Further, the review reported that lumbar artificial disc replacement was 79% better than lumbar spine fusion with a major complication rate of 0% to 13% per implanted device. The rate of major complications at 2 years post-surgery varied from 0% to 8.1% per implant. Adjacent segment disease was reported to be 2% in an 11-year-follow-up study, but not definitive in the clinical trial data. (1) Executive Chiropractic of Iowa sees post-surgical neck pain patients with such adjacent segment disease seek our West Des Moines chiropractic care not uncommonly.
ADJACENT SEGMENT DISEASE AFTER CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY
Spine literature has recently addressed the concern expressed in the study above about adjacent segment disease, degenerative changes at spinal segments immediately next to a spinal fusion or disc implant area. The cause for such pain is explained as possibly resulting from altered stresses on the adjoining levels after such procedures. In an article geared toward primary care practitioners who care for post-surgical patients with spinal pain, one such patient who presently had neck pain and cervical arm pain radiculopathy with a history of experiencing anterior cervical disectomy and spinal fusion surgery 30 years ago for DDD. This patient had 34 sessions of chiropractic care – a combination of cervical manipulation, flexion distraction decompression, soft-tissue mobilization and therapeutic ultrasound – reported relief. (3) Executive Chiropractic of Iowa uses flexion distraction decompression procedures to gently treat post-surgical West Des Moines neck pain.
POST-CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY NECK PAIN
Researchers wrote that cervical spine surgeries for degenerative cervical spine conditions are increasing swiftly and leaving in their wake post-surgical pain syndromes: chronic pain, adjacent segment disease, recurrent disc herniation, facet join pain, and/or epidural scarring. Repeat surgeries may be proposed though some patients are unable to or don’t want to undergo another surgery. Such patients may then consult with a practitioner who offers manual therapy for desired relief. Due to the fact that the clinical practice guidelines are composed but not very clearly for post-cervical spine surgery management, researchers analyzed published papers to determine a path of care. Of 12 articles, 10 studies on conservative care recounted favorable clinical outcomes. (4) That is hopeful! Executive Chiropractic of Iowa shares this hope with our West Des Moines neck pain patients who have had cervical spine surgery for degenerative disease and other issues causing neck pain. Our gentle spinal manipulation approach called Cox® Technic provides relieving, doctor-monitored treatment of your cervical spine.
CONTACT Executive Chiropractic of Iowa
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Chris Osterlitz on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes how he treated a patient who found relief of his neck pain after a cervical spine surgery using the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management which may include nutritional advice to slow the degenerative disc disease.
Make your West Des Moines chiropractic appointment now. Unwelcomed neck pain as a result of degenerative disc disease and/or adjacent segment disease after a cervical spine surgery may well find desired relief in the hands of your chiropractor.
