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
Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn helps many Ashburn 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 40 years of age
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 cervical disc degeneration 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 existed for some time. An early analysis of its use and efficacy stated
that about 5% of DDD patients were appropriate for it. Further,
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 went from 0% to 8.1% per implant. Adjacent
segment disease was said to be 2% in an
11-year-follow-up study, but not definitive in the clinical
trial data. (1) Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn finds that post-surgical neck pain
patients experiencing such adjacent segment disease pursue
our Ashburn chiropractic care not uncommonly.
ADJACENT SEGMENT DISEASE AFTER CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY
Spine literature has recently published studies regarding
the concern conveyed in the prior study about
adjacent segment disease, degenerative changes at spinal segments directly
next to a spinal fusion or disc implant region. The cause for such
pain is described as possibly arising
from altered stresses on the neigboring levels after
such procedures. In an article written for an audience of 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 ago
for DDD. This patient underwent 34 sessions of chiropractic care – a combination
of cervical manipulation, flexion distraction decompression, soft-tissue mobilization
and therapeutic ultrasound – reported
relief. (3) Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn uses flexion distraction decompression procedures
to gently address post-surgical Ashburn neck pain.
POST-CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY NECK PAIN
Researchers wrote that cervical spine surgeries for
degenerative cervical spine conditions are increasing quickly
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 unwilling 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
written 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! Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn imparts this hope with our
Ashburn 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 Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn
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.
Schedule your Ashburn
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.