Neck pain anytime is not welcome. Neck pain after
neck surgery is especially 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 conditions at
Chiropractic Solutions helps many San Jose neck pain sufferers find
neck pain relief.
DDD
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) - the wear and tear
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 80 years of age
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 respond
to non-surgical treatments. (1) Degenerative disc disease is documented
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 stated that lumbar artificial disc replacement was
79% superior to 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 ranged from 0% to 8.1% per implant. Adjacent
segment disease was stated to be 2% in an
11-year-follow-up study, but not definitive in the clinical
trial data. (1) Chiropractic Solutions sees post-surgical neck pain
patients experiencing such adjacent segment disease seek
our San Jose chiropractic care not uncommonly.
ADJACENT SEGMENT DISEASE AFTER CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY
Spine literature has recently published studies regarding
the concern expressed in the prior study about
adjacent segment disease, degenerative changes at spinal segments directly
next to a spinal fusion or disc implant area. The cause for such
pain is described as potentially resulting
from altered stresses on the adjacent 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 currently had neck pain and cervical
arm pain radiculopathy after a history of having
undergone anterior cervical disectomy and spinal fusion surgery 30 years earlier
for DDD. This patient had 34 sessions of chiropractic care – a mix
of cervical manipulation, flexion distraction decompression, soft-tissue mobilization
and therapeutic ultrasound – stated that they experienced
relief. (3) Chiropractic Solutions uses flexion distraction decompression procedures
to gently address post-surgical San Jose 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 recommended
though some patients are not able to or don’t
want to go through another surgery. Such patients may then turn to manual therapy for hoped
relief. Due to the fact that the clinical practice guidelines are
composed but not very distinctly for post-cervical
spine surgery management, researchers analyzed published papers
to determine a path of care.
Of 12 articles, 10 studies on conservative care reported favorable clinical outcomes.
(4) That is hopeful! Chiropractic Solutions shares this hope with our
San Jose neck pain patients who have undergone cervical
spine surgery for degenerative disease and other issues causing neck pain. Our
gentle spinal manipulation approach called Cox® Technic allows
relieving, doctor-monitored treatment of your cervical spine.
CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Chris Osterlitz on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he discusses
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.
Schedule your San Jose
chiropractic appointment today. Unwelcomed neck pain due to degenerative disc disease and/or adjacent segment disease
after a cervical spine surgery may well find desired relief
in your chiropractor’s hands.