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 issues at
Aaron Chiropractic Clinic helps many Fort Wayne neck pain sufferers attain
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 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 a
while. An early analysis of its use and efficacy stated
that about 5% of DDD patients were appropriate 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 went 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) Aaron Chiropractic Clinic finds that post-surgical neck pain
patients with such adjacent segment disease pursue
our Fort Wayne chiropractic care not uncommonly.
ADJACENT SEGMENT DISEASE AFTER CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY
Spine literature has recently published studies regarding
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 region. The cause for such
pain is explained as possibly arising
from altered stresses on the adjoining 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 presently had neck pain and cervical
arm pain radiculopathy with 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 mix
of cervical manipulation, flexion distraction decompression, soft-tissue mobilization
and therapeutic ultrasound – reported
relief. (3) Aaron Chiropractic Clinic uses flexion distraction decompression procedures
to gently address post-surgical Fort Wayne neck pain.
POST-CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY NECK PAIN
Researchers wrote that cervical spine surgeries for
degenerative cervical spine conditions are increasing quickly
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 advised
though some patients are not able to or unwilling to undergo another surgery. Such patients may then consult
with a practitioner who offers manual therapy for desired
relief. Because the clinical practice guidelines are
written 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! Aaron Chiropractic Clinic imparts this hope with our
Fort Wayne 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 provides
relieving, doctor-controlled treatment of your cervical spine.
CONTACT Aaron Chiropractic Clinic
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 using the Cox® Technic System
of Spinal Pain Management which may include nutritional advice to slow the degenerative disc disease.
Make your Fort Wayne
chiropractic appointment now. 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.