From Dr. Natalie Meiri’s Clinical Pearl Stories:
Chiropractic Care is Possible After Neck and Back Surgery
This was a 64 year old patient who presented to my office with neck, back and left shoulder pain following a car accident. She marked pain on her neck, bakc and drew a line going down her left shoulder for pain on the intake form. To be HIPAA compliant, I will call her Saskia instead of her real name.
The current accident was her second accident. The first auto accident was 10 years ago. And she had surgery on her neck and low back due to this prior accident. So Saskia was questioning what treatment options were still available since she had a history of surgery. “Is chiropractic still an option, even after major spinal surgery?” Indeed, she soon found out Chiropractic Care is Possible After Neck and Back Surgery.
Saskia’s Medical History
Saskia had a laminectomy nearly 10 years ago on her neck and low back following her previous car accident. A laminectomy is a surgical procedure that removes a portion of the vertebral bone called the lamina, which is the roof of the spinal canal. Also known as decompression surgery, a laminectomy enlarges your spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is a major spine operation.
She had the laminectomy on her C6-C7 and L4-L5 vertebra (neck and lower back spinal bones). Saskia suffered from a herniated disc in both areas of her spine which caused a radiculopathy (nerve root compression).
Saskia came to see me because she “didn’t want any more surgery or drugs if possible”. Spinal surgery is often one of the last options a patient chooses. This is after exploring medications, physical therapy, and chiropractic. Also, the surgery may be to no avail and not have a good outcome. Saskia also remembered the extremely intense and year-long recovery period.
Saskia’s Exam and Imaging
Upon examination, Saskia had positive tests for her cervical (neck), thoracic (mid back), lumbar (low back), and left shoulder.
I ordered X-rays of her spine and left shoulder. It showed osteoarthritis (wear and tear arthritis) throughout her spine. Her left shoulder x-ray showed mild osteoarthritis. I would send Saskia out for further imaging (i.e. magnetic resonance imaging, MRI) or a electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction study (NCS) for the left shoulder if there wasn’t any improvement within 12 visits.
Saskia’s Chiropractic Treatment: Low Force Techniques Were Considered to be Safer
Firstly, Saskia’s chiropractic treatment consisted of chiropractic manipulation/ adjustments of the spine utilizing low force techniques. Moreover, the adjustments were delivered around the level of the laminectomy, but not at where the laminectomies were performed with the following techniques: flexion distraction, hand-held mechanical adjusting instrument, SOT (sacro-occipital technique) blocking. For her thoracic and left shoulder, a low intensity/low amplitude diversified (hands on) adjustment was performed. Additionally, associated regions that were adjusted were both hips , which were misaligned (subluxations or intersegmental dysfunctions) due to the conditions she had.
Secondly, soft tissue therapy (myofascial release, pressure point and various post isometric relaxation techniques) and modalities (cold/heat therapy and electric muscle stimulation) were administered.
Thirdly, she was given therapeutic exercises to continue her treatment at home.
Saskia’s Outcome for Treatment at Meiri Chiropractic
Saskia started feeling better within the first few visits. After a few months of treatment, she regained her range of motion and strength back. Chiropractic adjustments normalize function, restore joint mobility, resolves joint inflammation and reduces the patient’s pain. Even for post-surgical cases, patients can get fast pain relief and over time improve function.
Do you know someone like Saskia who is in need of chiropractic treatment? Chiropractic Care is Possible After Neck and Back Surgery! Contact Dr. Natalie Meiri of Meiri Chiropractic today serving North Palm Beach, Jupiter, Wellington, Palm Beach Gardens and the surrounding areas. Get the relief you need and deserve! We also offer chiropractic care for many other ailments. Call 561-253-8984 to learn more or to schedule an appointment.
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