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 issues at
Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries helps many Manchester neck pain sufferers get
neck pain relief.
DDD
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) - the wear and tear
of one or more 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 get relief from non-surgical treatments. (1) Degenerative disc disease is documented
as starting in the second decade of life. (2)
The artificial disc replacement has existed for some time. An early analysis of its use and efficacy stated
that about 5% of DDD patients were eligible for it. Additionally,
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) Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries finds that post-surgical neck pain
patients with such adjacent segment disease pursue
our Manchester chiropractic care not uncommonly.
ADJACENT SEGMENT DISEASE AFTER CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY
Spine literature has recently addressed
the concern conveyed in the study above 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 explained as potentially arising
from altered stresses on the adjoining levels after
such procedures. In an article written for an audience of primary
care practitioners who see post-surgical patients with spinal
pain, one such patient who presently had neck pain and cervical
arm pain radiculopathy after a history of having had anterior cervical disectomy and spinal fusion surgery 30 years prior
for DDD. This patient underwent 34 sessions of chiropractic care – a combination
of cervical manipulation, flexion distraction decompression, soft-tissue mobilization
and therapeutic ultrasound – stated that they had
relief. (3) Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries uses flexion distraction decompression procedures
to gently address post-surgical Manchester neck pain.
POST-CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY NECK PAIN
Researchers wrote that cervical spine surgeries for
degenerative cervical spine conditions are rising swiftly
and creating 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 unable to or don’t
want to go through another surgery. Such patients may then turn to manual therapy for desired
relief. Because the clinical practice guidelines are
composed but not very clearly for post-cervical
spine surgery management, researchers analyzed published papers
to establish a path of care.
Of 12 articles, 10 studies on conservative care recounted favorable clinical outcomes.
(4) That is hopeful! Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries shares this hope with our
Manchester 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 allows
relieving, doctor-monitored treatment of your cervical spine.
CONTACT Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Chris Osterlitz on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he discusses
how he helped a patient find relief of his neck
pain after a cervical spine surgery following the Cox® Technic System
of Spinal Pain Management which may include nutritional advice to slow the degenerative disc disease.
Set up your Manchester
chiropractic appointment soon. Unwelcomed neck pain as a
result of degenerative disc disease and/or adjacent segment disease
after a cervical spine surgery may well find the hoped for relief
in the hands of your chiropractor.