BACK SURGERY ALTERNATIVES(Keywords: back surgery alternatives, Chiropractic, lower back surgery, leg pain after surgery, avoid back surgery, back surgery costs)May I be totally honest? All of us in the back care business are trying to make a living, and there's little altuism in back care. We're all after your dollar! The Chiropractor can't wait to manipulate you, and perhaps not give you some exercises so it won't start again next week. The acupuncturist can't wait to get the needle into you. The surgeon wants you under his knife, and perhaps the most dangerous of all, the drug companies want to get you taking anti inflammatory drugs. And we all think we have the best solution, the best value for money. What does the research say? What are back surgery costs?
CHIROPRACTIC RESEARCH ... A sobering letter...M had her fifth major lower back surgery (6 hours in theatre) with the specialist who had done the four previous ops. She was baring great pain before they opd on her and after the op she still complained of severe pain.She was back into theatre - which she told me she dreaded because the icu after-care was SO bad. They found a Peptic Ulcer from all the pain killers she had been prescribed, and removed it....... Still in ICU her pain still continued - so they opened her up a third time - to check!! That pain was coming from the backop wound infection..... She had weakened considerably by Saturday, with her son sitting with her all day till nightfall, when he left her to return to his wife and son. She died 10 minutes later on life giving apparatus. Her daughter flew in just 10 minutes too late - so sad. It was a glorious funeral service (memorial) in the church-presby. About 150 people, many of our congregation were there. It was skyped through to her eldest daughter in North America.
A team approach at back surgery alternatives ...To be honest there's a place for chiropractic and surgery and acupunture and antiinflammatories under the sun. Increased leg pain after surgery, and after chiropractic manipulation are both a possibility. Each have their merits and de-merits, and it's up to you to weigh them. Obviously you should read this page with some sceptism, it contains a good deal of bias. Whilst chiropractic patients don't die on them, plenty get worse after manipulation. After having been in the low back pain business for thirty years, I am 100% pro Go-to-a-Chiropractor FIRST. It's not just my opinion, independent research confirms that if you FIRST consult a chiropractor you are less likely to end up under the knife. Does that mean that I never refer patients for surgery. Absolutely not. After a reasonable try of chiropractic care, if the condition is progressing, a second opinion is always a must. I'm for good surgery, but I still think it should be the last option. Rather the back surgery alternatives. Why? There are many reasons, one is the development of leg pain after surgery.
Searching for something specific? Say, " slipped disc ". Just type it in here... Custom Search Progressive disc degeneration
When you bend forwards most of the flexion initially occurs in the hip joints and not in the back. Thereafter, progressively the lumbar spine joints (five of them) begin to bend. If flexion at the hips, or one of the lumbar joints is very limited, then the other joints have to take up the slack, placing increasing strain on those joints. Almost invariably when then there is a radical discectomy at one level, it's nearest neighbour crumbles too. Notice the air in the joint, the so-called vacuum phenomenon associated with a collapsed joint. Is there a back surgery alternative today?
This is the X-ray of a 63-year old woman. (It was taken lying down so you can't detect the short leg). Thirty years ago (she told me) she didn't have a back surgery alternative when she had a 'slipped disc' with pain radiating down her leg. The details obviously after all this time are a bit sketchy, but she recalls being stuck in an antalgic position for two months. She underwent a radical disectomy in the Netherlands (there were in any case very few chiropractors in NL at that time) at the level L5-S1. The surgery was reasonably successful, the pain in her leg was relieved with a few days, she could stand up straight, but the pain in her back, mild it's true, never went away. Sitting remained a problem ever since the operation. Progressively over the years the stiffness in her back increased (now we can see why, because the L4-L5 joint was disintegrating), and three years ago it started to become unbearable with pain radiating on and off down the side of her leg (L4-L5). Sitting for any length of time became intolerable. Interestingly she obtained relief by crossing her legs. Misery. Despite various medical and physiotherapy treatments she had little relief from the pain. Treatment by a physical therapist brought a measure of relief. She recalls falling down the stairs, hard on her sacrum, in her home a few years before the surgery. Would this history have been any different had she chose chiropractic thirty years ago? Of course we have no idea. But we believe in chiropractic that rehabilitation of that L5-S1 joint would have been a better option than radical surgery. We treat patients every week who are stuck in an antalgic (ever seen someone looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa?)
Had chiropractic not succeeded in relieving the pain in her leg, she could still have gone for surgery. That would have saved the L4-L5 joint from the severe degeneration that she now has. Perhaps, you are probably saying. Indeed, perhaps. Research following patients over a twenty to thirty year period is now called for to compare the overall benefits of one form of treatment over another. Perhaps the chiropractic and back surgery alternatives are even better! At least it's an option you may want to consider if you wish to avoid back surgery.
Custom Search ON EXAMINATIONBACK SURGERY ALTERNATIVESA short left leg was immediately obvious (she wore a heel lift prescribed by a podiatrist which enabled her to walk without pain, otherwise ambling and standing were difficult). Ranges of motion were remarkably good, and tests for an injured or irritated nerve were negative.Motion revealed fixations in the left sacroiliac joint and at L4 and L5. Lateral bending provoked pain in the back, and some sacroiliac joint tests were positive. Conclusion: mechanical lower lumbar and sacroiliac joint pain. We'll see how she progresses. A vigorous exercise programme will be essential. Actually I love these chronic, non-nerve pain patients. They usually respond well to gentle chiropractic treatment, but there won't be any miracles. Patience and time will be required.
"There is no greater mistake than the hasty conclusion that opinions are worthless because they are badly argued." Thomas Huxley OTHER OPTIONS @ BACK SURGERY ALTERNATIVESPerhaps you have had a bad experience with chiropractic, or are afraid of manipulation. Not everyone responds magically to what we do, and yes I admit to some patients who have increased pain, though it's usually of a temporary nature. Mostly those who don't respond well get neither better nor worse. They just don't respond no matter how hard we try. Backs are difficult! I probably don't need to tell you that if you are reading this page.So what then are the chiropractic and back surgery alternatives? I'm a great believer in exercises for the back. Find someone with experience in your area who will take you slowly and gently through a set of exercises, gradually becoming more difficult. Don't be in a hurry, just do them regularly every day, particularly first thing in the morning on your bed. Avoiding deep luxurious chairs, and the car. Less sitting alone often helps somewhat. Rather perch on something high with your legs dangling, or lie on your back with the hips and knees slightly flexed when watching TV. Have someone assess you for a length inequality, or short leg. A heel lift alone can work wonders sometimes. I recently had a social visit from a friend whom I treated some years ago. He has one of the worst back I have ever managed. Scheurermanns disease in the lumbar spine, with a short leg and scoliosis is a nightmare. He said the most beneficial thing I ever did for him was to place a 3mm lift in his shoe.
LEG LENGTH INEQUALITY ... Acupuncture has been shown to be successful with low back pain, more effective than antiinflammatory drugs. Just a good massage once a week would help. Instead of bending, when picking something off the floor, go down on one knee. Avoid going down on your haunches. One knee.
SLIPPED DISC RULESThese home rules are vital for the patient with severe low back pain and leg pain who is wanting to avoid back surgery. What you do, or don't do that you should, will have a profound impact on the success or otherwise of your chiropractic treatment. Slipped Disc RulesUSEFUL LINKS @ BACK SURGERY ALTERNATIVESComplications of surgery ...LOWER BACK SURGERY ... Return from BACK SURGERY ALTERNATIVES to CHIROPRACTIC HELP home page … Go from BACK SURGERY ALTERNATIVES to LOW BACK PAIN home page … MONTHLY NEWSLETTERBACK ISSUESIssue #11: Groin and Thigh Pain / Hummus Issue #10: Friday Fun Stones in my Clog. / Cucumber Issue #09: Friday Fun: Headache Issue #08: Spinal Stenosis/ Celery Issue #07: Root of all Healing / Garbanzo beans /Chickpeas Issue #06: Safety on the Stairs / Ginger Issue #05: Safety in the home / Red foods Issue #04: Whiplash and the Joints of Luschka / Parsley Issue #03: How to stop falling / Danger of a low fat diet Issue #01: Tingling in the arms and hands / Apples (PS. If you find them irrelevant to your needs or an exercise in tedium, one click will UNsubscribe you.) BACK SURGERY ALTERNATIVESDid you find this page useful? Then perhaps forward BACK SURGERY ALTERNATIVES to a suffering friend. |
LOW BACK and LEG PAIN
L4 lumbar spine casefile
FALLS
CHIROPRACTIC HELP How to stop falling
L4 lumbar spine
Lateral disc herniation
BENDING AND TWISTING
DEGENERATIVE LUMBAR DISC DISEASE CaseFile
POSTERO LATERAL DISK HERNIATION
LOWER BACK AND LEG PAIN
SITTING
CHIROPRACTIC HELP FOR SCIATICA PAIN
Short leg?
LEG LENGTH INQUALITY and Low Back Pain
Low back and leg pain
LOWER BACK AND LEG PAIN
LUMBAR FACET SYNDROME
SLIPPED DISC SYMPTOMS Case File
SACROILIAC JOINT TREATMENT
SPONDYLOLYSTHESIS
EXAMINATION
SACROILIAC JOINT Case File
SLUMP TEST
Can you stand on one leg on your heel, and raise the big toe? Can you stand on your toes without your leg shaking?
CHIROPRACTIC TIPS
Prick your foot with a pin. Is the feeling the same in the other foot?
Chiropractic Therapy ...what is it?