Neck pain anytime isn’t 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
Manahawkin Chiropractic Center helps many Manahawkin 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 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 existed for some time. An early analysis of its use and efficacy indicated
that about 5% of DDD patients were appropriate for it. Additionally,
the review stated 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 stated to be 2% in one
11-year-follow-up study, but not definitive in the clinical
trial data. (1) Manahawkin Chiropractic Center sees post-surgical neck pain
patients with such adjacent segment disease seek
our Manahawkin 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 immediately
next to a spinal fusion or disc implant region. The cause for such
pain is explained as potentially arising
from altered stresses on the adjacent 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 currently had neck pain and cervical
arm pain radiculopathy after a history of having had 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 – stated that they experienced
relief. (3) Manahawkin Chiropractic Center uses flexion distraction decompression procedures
to gently treat post-surgical Manahawkin neck pain.
POST-CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY NECK PAIN
Researchers wrote that cervical spine surgeries for
degenerative cervical spine conditions are rising 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 unwilling to undergo another surgery. Such patients may then turn to manual therapy for hoped
relief. Due to the fact that the clinical practice guidelines are
written but not very distinctly for post-cervical
spine surgery management, researchers reviewed published papers
to determine a path of care.
Of 12 articles, 10 studies on conservative care recounted favorable clinical outcomes.
(4) That is hopeful! Manahawkin Chiropractic Center imparts this hope with our
Manahawkin 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 Manahawkin Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Chris Osterlitz on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes
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 Manahawkin
chiropractic appointment soon. Unwelcomed neck pain due to degenerative disc disease and/or adjacent segment disease
after a cervical spine surgery may well find desired relief
in the hands of your chiropractor.